Fiddle

Meet the tutors

 Melissa Whitehead

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““Melissa has helped me to develop my whole approach to playing and understanding music in a way that also transfers to my other interests of singing and playing guitar. Whether online or face to face Melissa is able to keep learning interesting, creative, fun, constructive and very much focussed on what I want to learn.””
— Andrew

Melissa grew up in the Scottish Highlands, learning both classical violin and Scottish traditional fiddle before moving to Newcastle to study on the BMus (Hons) Folk & Traditional Music degree. Having developed a love of teaching at a young age Melissa chose to continue her studies through The Teaching Musician programme at Trinity Laban, completing a PGDip with Distinction in 2017. She is now taking her studies even further with a PGCEi in group string teaching with London Music Masters. Melissa currently works as a private violin and fiddle teacher in Newcastle as well as being a tutor for the North East Fiddle School.

Melissa teaches absolute beginner to advanced students

1 hour/30 minute lessons

5 lessons £159/£79.50
10 lessons £318/£159

Grace smith

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“Really enjoying my lessons with Grace – she’s an excellent teacher, and I feel like I’m learning a lot. We’ve moved on to doing lessons over Skype during lockdown, which is working well. Thanks!
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— A Student

Grace is a fiddle player and clog dancer. Grace has a passion for teaching and is in high demand as a tutor (for clog, fiddle, viola and violin); as well as being a dedicated private music tutor since summer 2015, and setting up and leading clog dancing group classes in Glossop since 2018, she has been proud to teach in several settings for a wide range of ages and abilities, including Newcastle University, Folkworks, Sage Gateshead, Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Company, North East Fiddle School, St Helens Music Service, Lancashire Music Service, Newcastle Music Service, York Young Fiddlers, and mixed instruments at Cream Tees (Music at the Heart of Teesdale). Grace graduated with First Class Honours on the BMus Folk and Traditional Music degree at Newcastle University in 2015 and a Distinction on the MMus course there in 2017. 

As a performer, she creates new folk music inspired by traditional archive material, and recently formed the ‘Grace Smith Trio’ after a solo project supported by a Seed Funding Bursary awarded by EFDSS as part of the PRS for Music Foundation Talent Development Partnership. Grace has performed with ‘Monster Ceilidh Band’ across Europe at festivals including Rudolstadt Festival (Germany), Les Traversees Tatihou (France), Sidmouth Folk Week, Kendal Calling, Wilderness, and Camp Bestival.

Grace teaches all ages and experience levels, from absolute beginners to advanced. 
Grace has an enhanced DBS certificate.
She also has a safeguarding policy for online lessons.

1 hour/30 minute lessons
5 lessons £206/£106
10 lessons £412/£212



BOOKINGS & Enquiries