David Barton Music

Over a quarter of a century I’ve travelled a long road - sometimes that journey has been smooth, whilst at others, the ground has felt rocky and unstable.

As with any journey, there have been twists and turns, detours and hold-ups - but there have also been plenty of milestones along the way.

As I reflect on 25 years of teaching, I’ve been thinking not only about what some of those milestones have been, but also, what they’ve meant to me on that journey.

🪧 2001: Teaching my very first lesson showed me what was possible, and as they say, the rest is history.

🪧 2004: Entering my first exam candidate opened up a whole new world - and probably a few cans of worms!

🪧 2006: Holding my first student concert, Showcase!

🪧 2007: Being able to join the Independent Society of Musicians.

🪧 2007: Running my first Platform Performance - an informal performance opportunity for adult students.

🪧 2004: Working towards and passing my Guildhall flute teaching diploma, the CertGSMD(T). I was the very last candidate to do this before they amalgamated with Trinity - the exam and the examiner were a real joy and I learnt so much from that experience.

🪧 2009: Working towards and passing the ABRSM DipABRSM in Piano Teaching - it felt like such an achievement - almost like I’d ‘arrived’!

🪧 2009: Burning out and ending up taking three months’ off teaching.

🪧 2010: Concluding that our time in Gloucester had come to a close, and deciding to move north to Lichfield - probably one of the best decisions we’ve made, even if it meant starting from scratch.

🪧 2011: Celebrating 10 years of teaching and winning Theo Paphitis Small Business Sunday.

🪧 2014: Deciding to start researching for a PhD - a long and arduous six-year journey, but in the end, a richly rewarding one.

🪧 2015: Starting using My Music Staff for the first time - and never looking back!

🪧 2018: Being nominated and shortlisted for the Musicians' Union Inspiration Award at the Music Teacher Magazine Awards.

🪧 2020: Teaching online for the first time - as many of us did!

🪧 2022: Getting married to Clementine - maybe the biggest milestone of all!

🪧 2026: Celebrating 25 years of teaching!

I wonder which milestones might be on your list?

Amidst all the changes of the past 25 years, it’s hard not to look back and think about the things I miss.

I’ve always tried to move with the times, but not all changes feel like they were for the better.

That said, there’s plenty I don’t miss too!

But what do I miss most?

🎶 I miss going to an exam centre, meeting others, catching up with local reps and sharing that whole experience with students and their families. I love everything that digital exams offer us, but I miss the in-person contact.

🎶 I miss the big ABRSM conferences which were always such a highlight of the year with great speakers and workshops, and fabulous a opportunity to meet other teachers.

🎶 I miss paper exam syllabuses!

🎶 I miss producing a termly printed student newsletter - even though it was hard work - I still send a monthly e-newsletter, but it’s not quite the same.

🎶 The surprise and mystery of exam results coming in the post - even though I appreciate the speed (sometimes) of online results.

And what don’t I miss?

🎶 People ringing the landline, usually during meals.

🎶 Cash and cheques - and having to go to the bank every week.

🎶 Paper exam entries - what a faff!

🎶 Writing in practice diaries - in haste.

I wonder which things might be on your two lists?

So much has changed in the past 25 years - not just in the world, but in my whole approach to teaching.

As I approach my 25th teaching anniversary on Friday, reflecting on two and a half decades has made me think about some of the things which have changed most.

Here are 10 things I believed in 2001 which I no longer believe:

✨ Learning a musical instrument is about progressing through the graded exam system.

✨ Progress is linear - students always need to be moving forward.

✨ If students don’t practise, there’s no point in coming for lessons.

✨ Music lessons are only about music.

✨ Students can all learn from the same book.

✨ You can still build good piano technique learning on a keyboard.

✨ Beginners are the easiest to teach.

✨ When I pass a teaching diploma I’ll know how to teach.

✨ I have to cover a bit of everything in every lesson.

✨ It’s not a proper job.

I wonder which things might be on your list?

It was veteran actress and Eastenders legend, June Brown, who once said “do you ever look back and realise how bad you were at the start?”

If we were honest, most of us might look back at the first lesson we taught and cringe a little, but if there’s one certainty in life, it’s that we all had to start somewhere.

For me, that was Tuesday 21st August 2001, the date when my diary records I taught my first ever piano lesson.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say I was ‘bad’ when I started, but if we were honest, how many of us had any idea what we were actually doing right at the beginning?

I accepted the £3.50 for the lesson, and with some trepidation and hesitation, introduced the student to where Middle C was on the piano. As they say, the rest is history. Beyond having lessons myself, I had no idea how or what to teach - I think I hoped that as I’d been asked, the child’s parents must have had enough faith in me to at least give it a go.

These days, my lessons - in fact, my whole philosophy on teaching, learning and music education - has changed beyond all recognition.

But amidst the change, teaching is still about people - it is still about building relationships with our students - it’s still about creating a space in which they have the opportunity to grow, not just as musicians, but individuals.

Teaching has also created a space for me to grow.

I’m not the same person as when I started teaching 25 years ago.

I’m not the same musician and I’m not the same teacher.

I’d say that’s a good thing.

Wherever you are on your musical journey - on your teaching journey - reflect, remain open and be willing to grow in a way which always allows you to remain true to yourself.

Join us next Saturday! ⬇️

NEXT SATURDAY!
22nd August Saturday 2026
📍Lichfield Methodist Church

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-of-jazz-tickets-1990041968097

Looking back, 21st August 2001 was a pretty ordinary Tuesday.

Let’s Dance from boy band Five, was Number 1 in the UK singles chart, the Tweenies topped the afternoon CBBC schedule and in The Archers, Peggy made some cutting remarks.

But for me it was a momentous day.

It was on that day that I wrote in my diary that I would be teaching my first piano lesson.

As I approach my teaching anniversary this coming Friday, I’ve been thinking a lot about that seemingly ordinary Tuesday - and everything that’s happened since. So, from tomorrow, I’ll be sharing a series of posts looking back over 25 years of teaching, as well as looking forwards to the next chapter.

It feels like the perfect way to begin a year of celebrating the people, the music and the memories that have made the journey so special.

I’m really looking forward to celebrating this milestone over the coming days and throughout the next 12 months.

Thank you for being part of my journey and for allowing me to be part of yours 🙏

A joy-filled post-holiday job: writing to students who have been awarded prizes for the 2025-26 academic year 🏆 And yes, I still send these in the post because to me, there’s something special about getting happy news through the letterbox 💌

Huge congratulations to some of our recent Trinity exam candidates 🎉

🎹 Penny P-S - Distinction in Initial Grade Piano
🎭 Holly M - Merit in Grade 4 Musical Theatre
🎭 Adelie B - Distinction in Grade 3 Musical Theatre

Amazing results - well done to all three of you! 🙌

Trinity College London

I have so loved my Sankyo 201 which believe it or not, I bought from Just Flutes 18 years ago! 😮 I might be in the market for an upgrade before too long, but it has certainly served me well 🎶

If you’ve not come across this arrangement, you have so been missing out! 😂

🐖🐄🐓🦆🪿🐦‍⬛🦃…

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