A new music tuition business is striking a chord with people looking to learn musical instruments.
Westhill Music Tuition Aberdeen is directed by Stephanie Bateman, with her sister Natalie also involved as a piano tutor.
At 19 years old, Stephanie has already been teaching piano for five years.
A student at the University of Aberdeen, she was inspired to set up her business three months ago after spotting a gap in the market for a team of music tutors covering Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Stephanie now has tutors for fiddle, flute, voice and piano working alongside her and she aims to build the business’s range of services across other instruments.
Musical family
“My sister and I both started learning piano when we reached five years old,” says Stephanie.
“I remember playing and my sister would sing and we would love performing together. It was just a really good time.”
Passion for teaching music
As well as being a keen music student during her school years, Stephanie was encouraged to follow her passion from a young age when she began teaching pupils piano aged just 14.
“I was really hesitant at the beginning, but I started because I wanted to make a bit of money to pay for my own things,” says Stephanie.
“I had one pupil for the first few months, then word of mouth got around and I started to teach a lot more pupils, which was really good.”
Now at university studying accounting and finance, Stephanie has combined her business know-how with her passion for music to create Westhill Music Tuition Aberdeen.
She currently teaches 25 piano pupils with her other tutors’ rosters also steadily growing.
Lessons to suit all ages
Children aged five to 16 are Stephanie’s usual clientele, but she’d also love to start teaching adults to learn musical instruments.
“I started out teaching children because I was quite young, but myself and all of our tutors would happily teach adults as well,” she says.
“We teach online, face to face at my house in Westhill, or we can go out to pupils’ houses.
“I actually taught a girl in India online during lockdown for a year, which was amazing. I wouldn’t mind teaching people from all around the world.”
‘Best thing I’ve ever done’
From learning the basics to preparing for exams, the business’s tutors tailor lessons to suit individual goals and aims.
The business hopes to expand throughout the north-east in the near future and Stephanie is very happy to be pursuing a job that she loves.
“My students make me so excited and happy to go to work every day – they’re the light of my life,” says Stephanie.
“Starting this business has been the best thing I’ve ever done.”