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Studio-Dee hits all the right notes

Music instructor Moira Hunter is delighted to have students safely returning to face-to-face lessons at Studio-Dee.
Music instructor Moira Hunter is delighted to have students safely returning to face-to-face lessons at Studio-Dee.

A Banchory-based business is enjoying its return to face-to-face service.

Moira Hunter and Roy Clarke have run Studio-Dee on Banchory’s Dee Street since 2016.

The pair combine their professional experiences in music and photography to offer a range of music tuition and photographic services.

However, lockdown restrictions meant that the pair could not operate out of their studio space for more than a year.

Now, after switching to online virtual sessions while working from home, they are welcoming clients back into their studio.

Adapting

Moira has 30 years of experience in classroom teaching, individual music instruction and as a conductor of choirs and music theatre groups.

She offers one-to-one tuition for all ages and stages covering piano, keyboards and vocals, helping pupils to prepare for exams and others purely to discover the joy of music.

Moira said: “During the pandemic, like many other businesses, we had to quickly adapt to a new way of working.

“It took some time for both myself and the students who opted to try it to adapt to online teaching, but we quickly got used to a new way of working.”

Moira featuring in a local choir.

Safety

Moira has now invested in screens and air purifiers to allow music students to return to Studio-Dee with confidence.

Though virtual lessons may still feature going forward, she explained that the benefits of in-person music tuition are second to none.

“The addition of online teaching has made one-to-one sessions more accessible for some students,” she said.

“It’s removed the need to travel and allowed them to fit sessions around other commitments.

“I intend to continue to teach virtually in some circumstances, but nothing beats face-to-face tuition.”

Evolving

Roy has developed the downstairs area of Studio-Dee into a fully equipped photo studio which is available for hire to amateur and professional photographers.

He also offers photographic tuition services, organised shoots and commercial photography for a range of clients.

Bentley the dog at a Studio-Dee photography shoot.

During lockdown, Roy found more time to think about ways of evolving Studio-Dee, which resulted in a creative expansion to the photography studio’s equipment list.

“Lockdown gave me an opportunity to consider how to expand the photography side of the business,” he said.

“This resulted in adding a commercial grade underwater drone to our equipment list, enabling us to provide an affordable solution to clean water tank and hull inspections.”

Studio-Dee is one of more than 120 local businesses supported by Leys Estate in Banchory.

David Smart, Leys Estate group chief executive, said: “Along with many of our tenants on Leys Estate, Moira and Roy have worked hard to adapt to a new way of delivering their tuition and photography services, bringing a new lease of life to the business.”

To find out more about Studio-Dee’s music and photography services, email music@studio-dee.co.uk or photo@studio-dee.co.uk