Arrun Harker

I strongly believe learning an instrument must first be fun! Shocking, I know, but as someone who really struggled as a youngster to practice and maintain any sense of routine or structure, I later realised it was simply that I wasn't enjoying the rigorously structured methods of my teachers. This pushed me towards a self-taught approach for most of my life, stretching an already lengthy learning curve significantly. It was not until I picked up tuition in my early 20s from an intuitive, creative teacher that I finally began to understand how learning guitar could be fun!

Therefore, as a teacher, I believe it vital that creativity must remain at the centre of any musical instrument education, as the enjoyment of music is inherently linked to the creative output it can generate. "Fluency" in theory and the "why" should come after the "how" so that students can enjoy what they're doing, at which point, practice is no longer a chore to dread, but a hobby to enjoy and look forward to.