Learn more about who I'am and my qualifications...
I began playing at the early age of 4 and started with learning the electric organ, then a few years later began having piano and violin lessons.
I was taught by Mr John E. Roper who was a graduate and tutor at the Royal Academy of Music in London and a member of the Doyle Carte Opera Company.
Exams & Grades:
I have taken many musical exams throughout my career and has gained grade 8 (ABRSM) in my 3 principal instruments as well as grade 8 theory (also ABRSM).
In the UK, music examinations are a method of formally assessing the accomplishments of pupils learning musical instruments. These are called grades and hold legitimate value in terms of certification within the music business.
Music exams are graded from 1 to 8, with Grade 1 being the entry level, and Grade 8 being the standard required for entry to higher study in a music college/university.
At the age of 18, I went to university to read music and in 2003 gained an Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Music.
AMS Music School:
After I graduated from university with a 2:1 BA degree in music, I opened up the doors to my private music school; AMS Music Tuition.
I ran my own successful music school for 12 years teaching hundreds of students and entered them in for exams, until the end of 2017 where I closed the doors to pursue a 100% online career in music...
Online & YouTube:
Whilst I was teaching and running my own music school, it was in 2011 that I began making tutorial videos for my YouTube channel; The Online Piano and Violin Tutor.
I now have hundreds of thousands of subscribers on that channel who have found me to be a great free source of knowledge for the violin and piano as well as lots of free worksheets, free music and other resources.
In 2014, I started a violin performance channel on YouTube; Alison Sparrow.
On that channel, I upload violin performances of popular songs with piano in a more acoustic way.
Piano & Violin Books:
Due to the success of both my YouTube channels, I decided to write my own tutorial books and make them available to everyone all over the world.
When I began my tutorial YouTube channel, I was making videos using books that other people had written, but I always felt as if there was something lacking in them, so, it was at this point that I saw a gap in the market and decided to write my own line of piano books along with videos to accompany the lessons in the book.
Once I had written my piano books, I found there was a demand for violin books too, so of course, I obliged!
What Am I Doing Today?
Today, I am the largest. and most successful tutorial hub in the world with over 1 million subscribers over 2 YouTube channels. I continue to expand and grow to ensure everyone has affordable access to high quality and professional tutorials and musical content.