Elizabeth Hawley and Matthew Hawley have been elected "Fellows" of the Guild of Musicians and Singers
Elizabeth is one of the co-founders, with her son Matthew, of the school. She has many years of experience in piano & singing teaching, as well as performing, both as a choral conductor and keyboard player. Her music school teaching began at the former "North Staffs. School of Music" in Stoke-on-Trent. Research into vocal technique took place at "The Royal Northern College of Music". Elizabeth has enjoyed great success as the trainer & conductor of "Ashley Voices & Music Consort", which she herself founded.
Matthew is the other co-founder of A.M.S. Matthew's teaching career began in Independent Education as woodwind teacher at St. Joseph's College in Stoke-on-Trent. Experience with "Staffordshire County Music Dept." soon followed, and lasted for several years. He was a woodwind teacher at "Stafford Independent Grammar School" for over a decade. Experience as an orchestral conductor has evolved over the last 10 years, as Director of the A.M.S. Instrumental Groups. In 2008 Matthew published a short book "The Gift of Life" which has a philosophical theme exploring the relationship between music and religion. Matthew is also a listed teacher with "Personal Tutors UK" where in addition to normal extra coaching in French and English he also has experience of providing English Language tutoring for speakers of foreign languages.
John is a graduate of Keele University and has been with us now for a long time being a part of the teaching team originally based in Ashley before the move to Maer. He specialises in all styles of guitar teaching but is also one of a select band of jazz piano teachers fully conversant with the new Associated Board Jazz Syllabus.
Philip teaches Drum Kit. He is a graduate of Salford University where as an undergraduate he specialised in Drum Kit, but also studied contemporary recording techniques. In his teaching, Philip employs both acoustic and electronic equipment.Philip is a part of a musical duo providing music for functions for more info click here (Please note you will need to have Adobe Flash Player animations enabled in your browser to hear the backgound music tracks on this external site.)
As a Graduate teacher, Rosie had experience of classroom music teaching, including involvement in school stage productions before joining A.M.S. She takes on most of the responsibility for electronic keyboard tuition, as well as piano. She has enjoyed success in developing the A.M.S. Junior Recorder Group, which includes her own recorder pupils, and features regularly in our recitals and concerts.
Katy has a B.Ed (Music) specialising in the teaching of younger children and is now Assistant Director of Music at Prestfelde school in Shrewsbury having taught there for 10 years previously, Katy also held the post of Director of Music in the junior department of an international school in Lisbon, Portugal for 3 years. Katy teaches piano for AMS at our Nantwich studios
Janet, who holds a BMus(Hons), teaches both piano and violin. Janet also has extensive classroom teaching experience.
Catherine, (who taught with us for some years), retains responsibility for directing the Advanced Recorder Group; which is a frequent contributor to our recitals.
Dominic, who graduated at Sheffield University, is our visiting "Composition Challenge" adjudicator. He has held posts in a number of State and independent schools, and was appointed Director of Music at Cheltenham Ladies College in Sept. 2000. His "Abelard & Héloïse" was performed in Worcester Cathedral; and he has been commissioned to compose a work for the Three Choirs Festival Fringe, also to be performed at the Cathedral in 2005.
