CN is a deeply experienced teacher of voice, piano, songwriting/composition, and music theory and appreciation. They hold a BMus from King’s College London, an MMus from Goldsmiths University of London, and an interdisciplinary performance/research PhD from University of Huddersfield. They’ve been working as both a multi-genre performer and teacher for more than fifteen years. They teach in person in London, and online with students across the globe. To get in touch with questions or to book an initial lesson, please use the contact form here.

“ Working with CN was a transformative experience! I went to see them as a trans person taking testosterone and experiencing a lot of vocal pain – they helped me recover from this and so much more too. I learned so much about voice and became so much more comfortable in my own voice and body. They made every session fun, supportive and rewarding – a really pleasurable experience. The sessions improved the quality of my work life (which involves talking a lot), public speaking, and daily life. I left with the confidence to do some singing in public for the first time ever”

CN’s vocal students range in experience from professionals to beginners, across a wide range of genres: classical, folk, rock, choral, music theatre, and jazz. CN specialises in releasing the voice – relaxing and unlocking the whole vocal apparatus and its broader bodily supports – finding and activating resonance, finding and owning the authentic voice, and building confidence in pitching, expression and individual musicality. For more advanced classical students, they specialise in both early and modern/contemporary musics, song interpretation and expression, and extended techniques and improvisation.

“CN has been such a great instructor to work with. I’m an amateur singer but really wanted to improve a few elements. Through working with them I was able to discover that I actually do have a decent range, and break through some challenges in my singing practice. They are attuned to exactly the kind of teaching and encouragement I needed, and flexible at adjusting their style of explanation and activities to my level of experience, including using techniques from sports psychology that really resonated with me (pun intended). We found songs to work on that met both our musical interests, as my music taste can be unusual. They’re very patient and also bring a sense of whimsy and humor to lessons which I always appreciated!”

As a trans singer themselves, CN has a particular interest in supporting trans singers at every stage of their musical journeys. Their insights and experience in this area have been acknowledged by Churchill Fellow and trans vocal specialist Nadine Manion. They’re an experienced teacher both of trans singers on hormone therapy and those who aren’t, those who have previously been on hormone therapy and stopped, and those who are considering their options. Their work here focuses on releasing tightness, helping students to find and own a pitch range that feels comfortable physically and emotionally, and learning how the voice works and how to make use of it as an instrument.

“Ultimately, we’re all children who grew up, and the first thing I think of with CN’s teaching is that it’s a place for that kid to have a soft landing. CN expects you to work hard (and take your own notes!), because they’ll work twice as hard to understand where the tension in your body is blocking your voice, where the hurt is stopping you from breathing, and how you can unlock your vocal toolbox, from deep in your diaphragm to the top of your nasal cavities (and when those start to vibrate it will feel weird and very cool). I’m not saying CN is Peter Pan, but there’s definitely fairy dust at work when you’re doing the work with them.”

CN teaches piano students from absolute beginners to Diploma level, with a particular focus on healthy technique and how to understand and harness the process of how the hands, arms, and whole body work together to produce the sound. They focus on learning through enjoyment, curiosity and playfulness, empowering students to find their own creativity in interpretation and improvisation.

As a composer, arranger, and research musician, CN also teaches composition/songwriting, music theory, and music history and appreciation - either as individual subjects, or in addition to voice and/or piano.

“Studying music with CN has brought so much joy to my life. I initially reached out to CN after a long hiatus from the piano (and was feeling nervous about restarting). I wanted to learn a more easeful way to play, and to explore improvisation. Working with CN has far exceeded my expectations. They are deeply knowledgeable, with a holistic and collaborative approach. CN’s love and passion for music shines through—every lesson is playfully creative, with the right amount of challenge. They also pay amazing attention to the nuances of playing (they are expert at teaching online). CN has taken the fear out of learning to improvise, and I’ve grown tremendously in more ways than I had imagined. I’m forever grateful to be on this musical journey with CN!””
“One of my favourite things about learning with CN is their constant willingness to meet me where I am. I’m a disabled pianist, and this has really helped me to let go of the shame I had around not being able to practise as much as I want to - which has allowed me to get so much more joy out of my piano playing and, conversely, enabled me to practise more! As a result, in the course of my lessons with CN, my piano playing has improved immensely, and I’ve started composing my own pieces, something I spent decades thinking I would never do because my music theory wasn’t good enough.”