Teaching

We have seen wonderful and unexpected progress in the past year with our son as he undertook a new instrument, the trombone.

Matt has been very patient in his guidance and has made the lessons enjoyable

Matt has been teaching my son the trumpet for over a year now, and the progress has been fantastic.

My son recently achieved a distinction in his Grade 4 exam, which we're all thrilled about. Matt is always so patient and friendly and really encourages my son to aim high in his trumpet playing. He's not just a great teacher but also an experienced musician, composing pieces for his students to play in the school brass ensemble. Each part is tailored to the student's skill level, which is great.

Matt has built a wonderful relationship with my son, and I would definitely recommend him to anyone interested in learning the trumpet.

My 6-year-old has absolutely loved learning the cornet with Matt.

He has been so patient, encouraging, and made every lesson fun and engaging. It’s been wonderful to see my child grow in confidence and really enjoy music.

We’re so grateful for the positive start he’s given to their musical journey!

Matt was our son's cornet teacher at his Prep School in England.

Even though our son really wanted to learn to play the instrument, he was very shy. Matt was patient with him and worked with us as parents to find the best way to get him to engage and to enjoy his lessons. Our son has made good progress with the cornet and even participated in a concert and an end of year music competition at school.

Our son has had a great year learning the cornet thanks to Matt. We wish Matt the very best in his future endeavours.

I highly recommend Matt as a great trumpet teacher.

My 10 year old son really enjoys lessons with him. Matt spends time and thought working out the best way to inspire and engage a rather inattentive boy.

He is thorough and has high standards. Brilliant!

Matt has been teaching me to play the piano since the past three months. It is an absolute pleasure learning from him.

He beautifully explains the fundamentals of music and tries different techniques to make it easy for the learner. He ensures that the learner understands and can play what is being taught flawlessly.

It is great fun learning from him and I cherish the lessons and the learning experience.

I am a singer songwriter and PGCE music student and have been taking lessons with Matt for a couple of months now, with the aim of learning the trumpet but even more importantly to improve my general musicianship.

Matt has from the beginning tailored the lessons in response to my personal needs, making them very effective and enjoyable.

I’m an Architect and have no musical experience whatsoever. I’ve been learning the trumpet for 1½ years, having lessons with Matt once a week.

Matt is a great teacher and has a balanced approach to teaching mixing theory, practice and musicianship along with high standards and lots and lots of patience.

I’ve been amazed by what I’ve achieved in a short space of time and I have got such a lot out of it. I would encourage anyone thinking of taking up an instrument no matter what age you are.

Matt is not only a good musician, he's a great teacher too. He's able to communicate with children and get the very best out of them.

My 8 year old daughter started lessons last September and has just gained distinction for her Grade 1.  He also gives advice and guidance to us, as parents, so that we can support Lulu with her practice, and encourage her playing.

He inspires Lulu and as a result she loves playing the trumpet.

Matt has been teaching J. for 6 months and he's come on hugely in this time.

Matt is firm and clear about what J. needs to concentrate on while he is playing in order to improve. He sets realistic targets each week and explains what J needs to do to get there. He is also very clear in communicating with us about what is realistic, he’s happy to be contacted by text or email during the week which I find very useful not having a musical background.

J. really enjoys lessons with Matt he says he likes them because Matt is really good at explaining how to do everything he's asking him to do.

Matt Hardy is an excellent trumpet teacher. He has guided our son from grade 2 to grade 4 in the space of a year and has done so in a stimulating way.

Matt focuses on good technique alongside exciting and varied choices of pieces.  He has always been punctual and hard working, and on a number of occasions has taken the time to contact us outside of the lesson to advise us of music or CDs that would be useful in our son’s development. 

Matt is friendly and approachable, and takes a genuine interest in the development of his students. When preparing our son for his trumpet exam, Matt organised a practise session with a professional pianist and provided excellent support and encouragement.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Matt to any prospective trumpet player.

Matt has taught trombone to my twelve year old daughter and is currently teaching my seven year old son trumpet.

Both of the children feel confident with Matt as he works through the technical and musical aspects of their instrument in a way that is accessible and allows them to feel in control.

They always look forward to their lessons and feel proud of their achievements. My daughter has gone to boarding school and has really missed Matt's approach to teaching.

Matt is a fantastic tutor , he has been teaching my younger son piano , and my two older sons trumpet in the past year. They all look forward to their weekly lessons with him.

Matt is a very accomplished musician and patient teacher, he explains everything in a very concise way, recommending music books and techniques to aid their learning, but also makes lessons fun.

He has guided two of my sons through grades 1 - 3 in trumpet very successfully. Matt is always very punctual, but also flexible if I need to re-arrange a lesson. I can thoroughly recommend Matt as very professional tutor, from absolute beginners through to more experienced musicians.

I asked my 8 year old, who is learning the trumpet with Matt if he would recommend him to his friends. My son immediately answered 'Yes!'  'Why?' I asked, 'Because he is patient and explains really clearly'.

As an adult learner I've been through quite a few teachers and Matt is by far the best. He believes teaching is an important skill in itself and so takes his own technique very seriously.

He is patient, dogged, and will work on any problem until it is solved, always coming up with new ways to approach an issue. But this is always in a friendly and accessible way.

He pushes you without really seeming to do so, and covers all the bases from musical theory through to physical technique. His lessons are a joy.

Matt is an incredibly professional teacher: he tailors his lessons to the precise needs of your child and writes down in a homework book exactly what you have to practice each week.

He has the patience of a saint, but is no push-over: my child respects him and knows that he is not only a great player himself but a teacher who cares. He also has a very dry sense of humour. If he takes on your child, he will be nothing but devoted to their needs, and often be prepared to get up at an unearthly hour to fit a lesson into his schedule. I cannot recommend Matt too highly.

I've been learning with Matt for almost two years now. He has given me the chance to stretch myself through focusing on a varied and challenging repertoire whilst making sure I develop good technique and sound. His enthusiasm for teaching coupled with encouraging and understanding manner make my lessons always good fun.