About Kath Thorne-Thomas

I am an enthusiastic, committed and qualified music teacher with over twenty years of teaching experience. I teach all ages and abilities from beginners young and old to advanced and diploma level.

As well as holding a degree, I have a Diploma in both Music and Teaching. I am a member of the ISM as a specialist piano teacher which means you can be confident that I am appropriately qualified and experienced to teach the levels which I offer.

I am happy to teach small children from age four, though with young children I like to have a trial lesson to ensure the child is ready to begin formal lessons. The main body of my teaching comprises of 7-19 year olds following a structured programme. Nevertheless, I am quite happy to teach without the structure of the exam system. I also very much enjoy teaching adults, at present about one third of my students are adult beginners and returners. Adults are capable of doing very well … don’t let age put you off starting to learn to play!

I am primarily a classical piano teacher and place great emphasis on giving students a thorough grounding in piano technique, music reading skills and aural (listening) skills, with which, I believe students can then go on to develop their own interests.

As a teacher I am very proud of my student’s achievements, my students have an excellent exam pass rate with a very high number achieving Merit and Distinction. I am also very proud that several of my students have been awarded the Dorothy Atkinson Memorial Prize by the ABRSM for achieving the highest score in their piano exams. I have also been able to help and support students in achieving music scholarships to schools including Howells, The Cathedral School, Llandaff and Cheatham’s Music School.

One of my main aims as a teacher is to help students to become musically independent so that they can at some point enjoy playing the piano without needing a teacher. If I can encourage some of the enthusiasm and love of music that I am lucky enough to enjoy, I also consider that to be a major achievement.

My musical journey began as a child, from an early age I was desperate for piano lessons, inspired initially by my Grandfather. I have studied the piano for most of my life, and still enthusiastically continue to strive to improve my own skills. I believe my continued enjoyment of studying the piano, improving both teaching and performing, to be one of my greatest attributes in keeping my lessons exciting and fresh. For me, Teaching is a passion.

I studied music from a young age and became an accomplished pianist, organist, horn and trombone player. I have sung in choirs, played in brass bands and orchestra’s travelling to Salzburg, Vienna, Prague and Budapest to perform. I have also performed at some of the country’s foremost concert halls including The Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall in London as well as St David’s Hall and the Brangwyn Hall here in Wales.

My personal musical interests are varied, though I do have a particular passion for the keyboard works of J.S Bach and the works of Albinez and Granados, especially the interpretations of Alicia de la Roche, and for the Bach the wonderful Angela Hewitt. I also love playing piano duets, a passion I can indulge with and share with my students.

I have previously directed a small community choir.