Latest news: Craig is now the London College of Music (LCM) representative for the North West (Lancashire) centre in Preston. See Exams below for details.
VACANCY: We have students in Blackburn, Darwen and Bolton in urgent need of a new teacher; click here to apply.
Craig Smith provides quality, student-specific music lessons across the North West, including piano, keyboard and music theory lessons and tuition in subjects such as composition. The other teachers that work with Craig Smith Music's tuition agency offer guitar, drums, percussion, flute, sax and recorder.
Craig is a busy full-time professional musician, working in live popular music as well as teaching through his tuition practice and a Preston music school. His students are based all over the North West, from Preston to the Yorkshire and Cumbrian borders and Merseyside. Many travel very long distances for their tuition. Please read more below:
About Craig Smith Music Tuition [Top]
Craig Smith Music Tuition was set up to help Craig pay for his degree at Sir Paul McCartney's world-renowned LIPA. There was a huge demand for Craig's services, with parents and students searching for qualities that weren't being provided by local music schools and part-time 'pocket money' teachers:
- Full-time professional musician working regularly with household names
- Lessons available either in the home, or a proper music studio
- Young, enthusiastic teacher, inspiring to students and be familiar with the music they like
- Advanced musician able to teach in far more detail or teach less well-known ideas and skills
- Flexibility to cope with being led by the student on what they wanted to study, not limiting them to traditional tuition
Craig soon provided one of, if not the, busiest privately-run professional music tuition services in the North West, teaching seven days a week with a waiting list of up to 9 months for lessons. He expanded in mid-2010 to create a regional mobile music school, with several teachers on various instruments. (Tuition Agency
Craig has become the go-to man for piano tuition in popular music due to his unique training and work with several big names. Traditional classical tuition is also available; Craig was classically trained before working in contemporary music.
Craig's students are aged 5 to to 80+, mainly studying various styles and levels of piano / keyboard; classical, pop, jazz and blues, from absolute beginners to diploma standard. Most have private one-to-one tuition. 30 minutes one-to-one tuition in piano, keyboard or music theory (popular or classical) begins at just £11 and hour-long group lessons are £9.
Students gain so much more than simply learning to play tunes. Many have gone on to study music at college and some of the top universities, and regularly take part in various concerts, competitions and talent shows.
When and where do lessons take place? [Top]
Lessons are available six days a week: most days in Preston, but further afield, lessons are limited to certain days of the week. Lessons for schools are available Monday- Thursday. For exact vacancies, see the vacancies page.
Who teaches the lessons? [Top]
We try to ensure that all of the people who enquire about piano / keyboard in Preston are taught by Craig, who you can read about elsewhere on the site. Regrettably, demand far outweighs availability, so most are now placed with our other teachers.
The sheer popularity of Craig Smith Music Tuition, and demand for lessons with Craig, alloed us to become a North West wide music school, which we call our Tuition Agency; as well as tuition with Craig, we now provide other teachers too on several instruments.
Exams [Top]
Craig is the LCM rep for the North West (Lancashire) centre in Preston. These exams take place three times a year at A&C Hamilton's Music School's studios in Lea, Preston, the local LCM centre to Blackpool, Lytham, Kirkham and anywhere else on the Fylde.
You won't be sat at an old piano in a cold and dingy church (which we know is often a concern); you'll play in contemporary glass-fronted acoustically treated studios, purposely designed for music. LCM exams are available for most instruments.
Exams aren't compulsory, but recommended, and can be taken with the ABRSM, LCM and VCM (of which Craig is an Associate with Honours).
They are available in classical and contemporary / jazz piano, electronic keyboard, theory of music, popular music theory, musicianship and composition. LCM exams offer the option of being examined only on your playing, with no scales etc.
A quick summary: [Top]
- One-to-one and group piano and keyboard lessons.
- Craig trained at Sir Paul McCartney's LIPA and has worked with several big names.
- Craig Smith Music provides one of, if not the, busiest and most popular professional private music tuition services anywhere in the North West.
- Tuition Agency: mobile music school with several teachers:
- piano / keyboard
- drums / percussion
- flute, sax and recorder
- guitar
- All ages: current students are aged 6 to 80+
- All styles at all levels: classical, pop, jazz and blues
- Absolute beginners to diploma standard.
- If you wish, you can set the agenda for lessons
- Lessons in music theory, popular music theory, composition, arranging and music technology.
- 30 minutes one-to-one tuition begins at just £11
- 60 minute group lessons at £9.
- Only pay for the lessons you book.
- Discounts available for daytime lessons.
- Piano / keyboard lessons are available six days a week.
- Exams available with LCM, ABRSM and VCM.
- classical and contemporary / jazz piano, electronic keyboard, theory of music, popular music theory, musicianship and composition.
- "Leisure play" exams also available, which don't include scales and all the 'complicated stuff'!