I think Jon is a bit of a miracle. He has got my son absolutely inspired and fired-up about music-making. He was keen to learn but to be honest I wasn’t sure if he wouldn’t lose interest after a while. Since starting learning with Jon I have seen him attack the piano with real energy every day. I have never asked him to practice – not once. In fact, I am afraid I have to ask him to stop sometimes… I think this is a lot down to Jon.
From what my son says, Jon is quite tough and expects real commitment but somehow he has also demonstrated what it is like to really enjoy making music. I have watched my son practice chords which seems a great way of learning structure, he says in his lessons he uses the chords to “do whatever I like” then “Jon does some magic up there…” (indicating the other end of the piano.)
What is so impressive is that my son doesn’t work hard at the piano to please Jon but to challenge himself, I have never seen this in him to quite this extent before, and I think it is the mark of a really good teacher. What he is getting is a fantastic lesson in how learning works. Jon is relaxed but not laid-back, he is clear about what is required and how to do it – basically he seems to be an excellent communicator and a teacher with really original and engaging ideas. I have also, on a more pedestrian note, found him very accommodating and helpful when football and other life-events interfere with the lesson-schedule.
