Tom Olsen

I have four years of experience as an instrumental music teacher. I’m passionate about making lessons fun, and learning music exciting. I can adjust my material for different ability levels to allow all students to be engaged. I’ve been trained up in great teaching methods, and engage in a wide variety of activities in lessons, including writing songs together.

I’ve worked at excellent organisations, including Stretto Music who provide ‘exceptional music specialists’, and Musicteachers. co. uk who provide a ‘brilliant music education’. I’ve received lots of positive feedback from parents, and from my manager.

In addition to the points above, I’ve also had excellent achievements myself, including winning the Jon Hassal Prize for Jazz at Trinity Laban, receiving a mark of 142/150 in my Grade 8 classical saxophone and winning the award for the highest mark in Wales in my Grade 7 piano.

September 2022 Small Group Primary Music Teacher, One Day a Week, Stretto Music 

Stretto Music, Plumcroft Primary School, Vincent Road Campus, 50 Vincent Rd, London, SE18 6RG  The major responsibilities in this role include:

• Teaching students, from beginner to intermediate levels.
• Teaching a variety of classes throughout the day.
• Teaching mixed woodwind instrument groups.
• Making lessons fun, and learning music exciting. 
• Adjusting the material for different ability levels in the class, to allow all the students to be engaged.
• Working as part of the team at Stretto Music, who provide ‘exceptional quality music specialists’.
• Working with some children from lower income households.
• Being trained up in great teaching methods. This is from detailed teaching videos, observing a class teacher, observing small group music teachers and being observed and given feedback while I taught. 
• Engaging in a wide variety of activities in lessons, including writing songs together.
• Filling out reports once a term, so the students and their parents can see their current progress during the lessons.

• Transforming a particularly challenging student from misbehaving to becoming inspired and eager to learn music. A turning point was when I performed an inspiring version of ‘Let it Go’ on the piano. 
• Receiving very positive feedback from my manager, at the end of just my first term working hard in my permanent position, passed on from the feedback she’d received from parents. 
• Receiving positive feedback again from my manager about the reports I’d filled in after my second term ‘We were particularly impressed with your super neat instrument reports’. 
• Inspiring children by going around classrooms playing my Ukulele, helping to get a high sign-up rate for lessons.

• Teaching both children and adults, in a one-on-one context.
• Delivering regular lessons.
• Teaching through a grade exam.
• Teaching both classical and jazz music.
• Teaching saxophone and piano.

• Impressing parents with my teaching approach, learnt from my time with Stretto Music. Feedback has included ‘we really like your approach’ 
• Inspiring a very gifted, and very enthusiastic young student learning the piano, making excellent progress 
• Having a student perform successfully in their assembly, being the first student to both play and sing at the same time. 
• Being part of the team of teachers as MusicTeachers. co. uk, who provide a ‘brilliant music education’. 

• Teaching an adult learner the saxophone. 
• Tailoring the lessons to the student’s needs. 
• Finding and using resources, independently.

• Learning to adapt to the student’s needs and ambitions.

•Significantly improving the student’s tone.

• 2:1 BMus Performance (Jazz) from Trinity Laban, studying jazz saxophone. I was the recipient of the Jon Hassal Prize for Jazz. 
• ABRSM Grade 8 classical saxophone, obtaining the result of 142/150. 
• ABRSM Grade 5 clarinet, distinction. 
• Years worth of flute lessons. 
• Winner of the award for the highest mark in ABRSM Grade 7 piano in Wales
• ABRSM Grade 5 music theory. 
• A Levels: A* Music, A Mathematics, B Further Mathematics.