A musician who returned from the capital to his Teesside roots has opened a music school in his beloved hometown.
Jon Elliott, a session musician who’s played in West End shows and at gigs alongside well-known pop acts including Razorlight, is hoping to share his love of music with others through his new venture.
The 28-year-old, of Acklam, Middlesbrough, had been working in London since graduating from Tech Music School with an honours degree in music practice, theory and harmony, but said he missed home and decided to return two years ago.
He said: “I’d finished my degree and was doing session work down there, but although it was a great experience, I missed Middlesbrough and wanted to come home. All my family and friends are here.”
As well as being a full-time session guitarist and college lecturer, Jon has been teaching music privately since moving back home.
He said: “There is private teaching going on, but I decided I wanted to make my own place where it was all about music, where I could share my experience and inspire people.
“I want to give other people the same feelings I had years ago when I started learning to play.
“When you say you’re a musician, people say ‘When are you going to get a real job?’ but I want to put the message across that you can go on to have a career in music; it is a real job.
“I also want to dispel the myth that a music teacher will be an old lady sitting at a piano teaching you Frere Jacques!”
Jon currently has pupils ranging from the age of four up to 78, and of all levels.
The former Middlesbrough College student balances teaching in his new school, Elliott’s Music School, based at The Southlands Centre, with continuing to lecture at the college and gigging with a number of local artists, including Jamie Grey, formerly known as Jamie Graham, Abi Alton and Zach Said.
Elliott’s Music School is already taking off, with two other teachers besides Jon - drummer Jordan Swain and guitar teacher Peter Aves.
Next month, Guisborough X Factor star Abi will also be joining the school as a guest piano teacher and will be leading a number of songwriting workshops, in between working on her own career.
Jon added: “All our teachers are trained to grade 8 level or degree level and are DBS checked.
“I opened the school in September. I literally built the walls to begin with - it was an office space.
“It is a very busy time for me right now, juggling everything, but that’s what I wanted.”
For more information or enquiries, visit http://ift.tt/1DkVEZt or call 01642 941550.
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