• Expert Choral Conductor, Organist and Jazz Pianist based in Teeside
• Focusing at Higham on keybaord playing improvisation skills based on pop songs

Dr Robin Harrison has had one of the broadest musical journeys you could imagine.  He started off in a local church choir, learning clarinet at his local primary school thanks to a council scheme, then he started learning to play the organ and gained his Grade 8 in 2 years and won a scholarship to study with David Titterington and Petr Eben (Internationally renowned Czech composer and improviser, Robin's first exceptional teacher of improvisation) at Dartington Summer International School.  He went on to study with the likes of Noel Rawsthorne and studied at the RNCM. After completing a PGCE he entered the world of teaching whilst completing his PhD in the Late Style of Frank Bridge with Prof Robert Pascall.  From there, he taught for 4 years in Cairo whilst studying Egyptian vocals, oud and tabla.  In Cairo, he met the most amazing Russian jazz musician ever, Mr Valery, who it turns out used to arrange music for the Russian Army.  The man was a pure genius and Robin studied with him for 4 years, never being allowed a dot in front of him (a radical change from the RNCM!). Robin also lived for a short period with a Gambian tribe to study their drumming and singing.  He has also spent time with South African tribal musicians.  Robin has self-released 3 jazz piano albums that featured jazzy twists on pop songs, which helped him reach no. 1 in the UK and no. 33 Globally in a small chart. Currently, he studies Hindustani vocals with a Guru in Sri Lanka, early music vocals with Deborah Catterall, and Gospel/Soul with a Nashville Vocal Coach.  Robin combines all of these experiences in his new subscription Digital Magazine Video Music Lessons Library, www.the-maestro-online.com/video-lessons-library. We think what Robin brings to Higham is a chance to develop musicality in a fun, effective and meaningful way. Whether you wish to keep it to yourself, of share you emerging talents with others, playing and performing music can bring such joy to lives. Robin uses a lifetime of experience to share techniques for learning and remembering things, getting over the obstacles of notation that sometimes fill people with fear. Beginners courses assume little or no previous musical knowledge, although you might be surprised at what you might already know! Robin's 'Pop No Dots' and 'Pop Some Dots' approaches to teaching music have been well-developed by him to take away the fear sometimes felt and are aimed to help students develop the muscial ear - the key to quality musicianship. To give you an idea of the standard of audio-visual materials Robin has developed:

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