My name is Denise Waltho and I am an experienced music tutor in piano, music theory and aural.

I specialise in teaching the piano to new learners, up to Grade 5 level. My passion is to inspire children of all ages to develop an understanding of the pleasure that can be gained from playing an instrument. I always aim to pass on my love of music to others as I feel this is a unique gift that lasts a lifetime. I also get tremendous pleasure from teaching adults, from complete learners to those requiring refresher lessons.

I incorporate lots of different techniques as part of my piano method, including using the Kodaly approach as a way of making theory and aural a fun part of lessons 

In addition to practical teaching, I coach students to pass their ABRSM Grade 5 Music Theory exam. All students wishing to take ABRSM practical exams past Grade 5 have to have passed this exam first.

I've been surrounded by music my whole life and spent my childhood playing the various recorders and the clarinet, singing in the choir, acting on stage and just loving all aspects of performance and musical creativity in all its forms. 

After my A Levels I decided to let my head rule my heart and chose to study a more traditional and business centred qualification. Having gained a First Class Degree in Quantity Surveying and achieving Charter status, I went on to work in the construction industry for ten years. 

However, I never abandoned music totally, learning to play the piano as a way of 'getting away' from the stresses of industry. Once I became a mum, with a renewed perspective, I decided to follow my heart and pursue my life's ambition of a career in music.