Andy Smith
BA (Hons) ARCM Piano and Keyboard
Pianomate,
Piano School For Children, Play For Keeps, Junior Play For Keeps
Andrew Smith
studied piano with David Hartigan in Manchester and then with James
Walker and Marlene Fleet at the University of Leicester as an
undergraduate. Whilst reading for his music degree which included
studying composition with Andrew Wilson-Dickson he became interested
in the music of Witold
Lutosławski and
was
awarded a scholarship to travel to
the Warsaw Contemporary Music Festival in Poland. Shortly
afterwards, he became an Associate of the Royal College of Music.
After graduating, Andrew took up teaching positions at both Bilton
Grange and Rugby School in Warwickshire where he taught piano and
clarinet. During this time he regularly appeared as soloist and
accompanist at venues around the Midlands.
From Rugby
he
moved to Egypt where he spent nine years running music departments
in two large International Schools in Cairo. He has performed
extensively within Egypt as a soloist and accompanist as well as
teaching undergraduates at the Cairo Conservatoire. He has also
undertaken work as musical director. Before returning to the UK,
Andrew moved to Iceland to take up a teaching position at a music
school in the north of the country.
Since his return to Manchester,
he has been working with
Yamaha Music
Europe GmbH (UK)
and is now involved in teacher training, course development and the
delivery of music workshops around the country. He is an examiner
for Trinity Guildhall and Yamaha Music Schools as well as being a
member of
European Piano Teachers
Association.
Karen Ward
Junior Keyboard Specialist
Junior
Music Course, Junior Play for Keeps, Play for Keeps, Pianomate
and Piano School For Children
Karen has been involved with Yamaha
Music Schools since 1984, first as a pupil and then a teacher. In
1987 she was asked to be part of a national recruiting team for
Yamaha Music Schools, visiting state schools throughout the UK.
After training in Sept 1987 she worked at the independent YMS in
Southport, taking over that school in 1993, and in 1994 joined
Dawsons to run their Wigan School. In 1999 she joined the YMS team
at Dawsons in Altrincham to concentrate on Yamaha junior courses,
becoming a teacher trainer for the Junior Play For Keeps course in 2005.
As well as her considerable experience with Yamaha Karen has enjoyed
performing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, and in 1992
represented the U.K in the European Yamaha Electone Festival final
in Milan. It was here that Karen won an outstanding performance
prize with her own composition.
