Mr Francesco S.

After graduating at Edinburgh University with a BMus honours degree I went on to study composition at Huddersfield University for Master's and Master of Philosophy, eventually taking credits toward a PGCE in FE/HE at Sheffield Hallam University while doing teaching practice at Franklin College, Grimsby, and teaching violin/viola at ArtForms, Music Services, Leeds City Council, until moving south to work full-time as a music lecturer at East Berkshire College, Langley, until that job finished in 2008.
I was then employed by Aberdeen College (now NESCol) as a full-time music instructor from 2009 to 2015, when I took time out to become a stay-at-home dad; after my daughter was born, in 2016, I had already got enough work tutoring privately to make ends meet, and continued adding bits of flexible work as and when, including becoming an examiner for ICMA, a smaller music examinations board that closed in 2026 and for which I examined both in person (mainly in Lossiemouth) and online. I also became a Standards Verifier, again freelance, for Pearson's Education, on music BTEC qualifications, and continued with them since.

I am still teaching privately as my main income, but in Nov. 2018 I started working at Edinburgh College as a part-time lecturer in popular music, teaching various N6 and HND classes and, more recently, composers on the third year of the BA music honours degree partnering with Kingston University (London).
To finish, I am fluent not only in teaching violin and piano, composition and theory, but also writing music essays, entering exams for a number of boards (RSL, Trinity, LCMe, ABRSM) and teaching rudiments of sound production, including recording, mixing, and various DAWs.

I look forward to helping you along your music journey, online or in person.