Welcome to the
Northern Music Academy

Piano

With a choice of lesson formats and affordable prices, there is something for everyone, catering to all ability levels from beginner up, and all ages from four years.  Further, in addition to in-person lessons lessons at the Academy, online lessons are also available.

Our piano lessons offer both depth and scope, covering popular styles from classical to jazz, rock etc, including composition, to rhythm and blues, truly something for everyone. Taking Music Grades is optional, as appropriate. Meanwhile, our expertise in playing and teaching piano pretty much guarantees your success, providing of course of course that you put in the necessary effort! Fortunately, practise is generally fun.

Piano is also a great starter instrument for anyone to learn, while almost all musicians would benefit from at least some piano knowledge.

You may enjoy learning for pleasure, or study for grades, develop jazz improvisation, work on your GCSE or simply develop your repertoire. One of our teachers even specialises in instant composition and musical arrangement, a handy skill to have, should you ever need it.

As a beginner, we aim to get you started quickly with simple tunes, while preparing you for the road ahead with fundamental skills and technics. Our teachers are experts at providing positive experiences that enthuse and enable you in equal measure, allowing you to develop a confidence in your own abilities that grows and grows.

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Guitar

Although from 2025 Guitar lessons are no longer available in house, we retain links with good teachers and can often put you in touch with someone who can help you.

Drums

Although from 2025 Drum lessons are no longer available in house, we can usually put you in touch with good teacher who can help you.

Vocals

Singing can be good for almost anyone, and in so many ways. Around 7 years upwards is a good age to begin. If you already have an instrument, such as piano, in your background, all the better. In lessons we focus on technique, while repertoire typically centres on a very broad swathe of popular song.

Bass Guitar

While from 2025 Guitar lessons are no longer taught in house, if you are keen to learn then please get in touch, as we can generally point you toward a good teacher.

Saxophone

Saxophone suits both older children and adults, from around nine or ten years upwards. If you already have some flute, clarinet or piano playing in your background, even better.

Which type of saxophone should I choose?

Ideally, Alto sax is best for players just starting out.

Do I need a new saxophone?

No. Second hand is just fine, but it’s really important that the instrument should be of good quality. One way to ensure this is to purchase from experienced woodwind specialists, such as All Brass and Woodwind of Leeds .

What will I learn?

Great players all have one thing in common: beautiful tone. From Stan Getz to Sonny Rawlins, Kenny G to Candy Dulfer, you can learn to recognise the greats by their distinctive tone alone. Focus on tone, and develop your own. As you progress, tunes are supported by scales and exercises to help you develop speed and fluency on the saxophone. Expect to develop a wide range of repertoire as you develop your sound and style.

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Flute

Around 7 or 8 years upwards is a good starting age; perhaps earlier if you already have an instrumental background, such as piano.

Play for pleasure, or study for exams, and have fun either way.

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Theory

Music Theory as a subject makes sense when used properly to support your performance skills. Though of limited use by itself alone, music theory is fundamental to developing the understanding needed both to interpret notation correctly, and to write down your ideas in ways which can be easily understood.

Other

Aside form the more obvious instrumental and vocal lessons, we also offer you help in areas such as composition, understanding and using harmony, including harmonic analysis and jazz chords. Learn to manage tension and release in your compositions and musical arrangements with an increasingly sophisticated approach to harmony, rhythm and use of articulation.

We encourage students to become comfortable hand writing notation at need, while also embracing music notation programs. In the near future, we hope to introduce access to the latter via leading notation software like Dorico Pro 6.

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