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Approach and influences Helen Neilson has developed
a reputation as a successful teacher of cellists at a variety of ages and levels. She particularly enjoys working with children
in the earliest stages of learning and setting them up with a good basis for relating to the cello on physical and musical
levels. Her research into the use of the body in performance, examining perspectives from dance and Eastern spirituality
as well as recent music cognition and perception literature feeds into her teaching, as well as an excellent knowledge of
string pedagogical literature.
She hopes to pass on the knowledge from her studies with teachers including
Anna Shuttleworth, Naomi Butterworth and Jerome Pernoo. She is influenced by her observations of many of the world's
top cellists and teachers in masterclass situations, including Yo-Yo Ma, Slava Rostropovich, Bernard Greenhouse, Steven Doane,
Frans Helmerson, Anner Bylsma, Karine Georgian, Ralph Kirshbaum and Colin Carr. Recent inspirations have been studying on
teacher training courses with teacher trainers including William Bruce, Pam Devenport and Carey Beth-Hockett.
She commenced Suzuki teacher training in August 2010 and will consider new students for either Suzuki centered or traditional
methods of tuition.
students@helenelizabethneilson.com
Latymer Upper School
Helen was appointed to the post of Head of Strings at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith
from September 2010, after having been teaching cello there for the previous two years. Her now thriving class ranges
from year three through to students in the Sixth Form, and she is also involved in coaching chamber music. This school
has a vibrant and active music department with numerous ensemble and performance opportunities for students.
www.latymer-upper.org
St Pauls Girls' School Helen
has a class of 11-18 year old students at a range of levels from beginner to Grade 8 + at St Paul's Girls' School.
They have individual lessons, and many participate in a range of other musical activities at school and outside. Many choose
to take Trinity Guildhall or Associated Board grade examinations. The school has a well known history of musical excellence,
and provides a high calibre range of activities for girls to engage with.
www.spgs.org
Home practice: The home class involves a number of students having lessons at Helen's home
in Battersea, with lessons lasting for either 45 minutes or 60 minutes, appropriate to the level of the individual student.
Lessons usually take place midweek after school. Students participate in regular performance classes, and many take
Trinity Guildhall or Associated Board examinations. The class has an excellent record of examination results and performance
accolades. Students participate in larger performance classes at least twice a year, usually with visiting teachers.
Helen is a holder of public liability insurance and is fully CRB checked. Please contact her directly for information
about current availability and waiting lists. When a vacancy arises, priority will be given to young beginners aged 4 or 5.
Parents would be expected to bring a prospective new student for some observation sessions and to show some understanding
of the requirements prior to committing to a place in the class.
Other teaching activities:
Helen
has been appointed to the teaching staff at the Royal College of Music Junior Department as a deputy cello teacher.
She is also a regular deputy at Morley College Centre for Young Musicians. She will be teaching
at Hindhead Summer School summer 2011 in conjunction with Cello Club.
London Cello Society: Cello Club Helen has recently taken over leadership of the Cello
Club, the student division of the London Cello Society. The Ponticello improvisation event in November 2011 at the Guildhall
School of Music and Drama was a successful first event.
The big event of this year is the Cello Day on
Sunday 22nd April 2012 at the Royal Academy of Music. For the first time ever, this event will be open to students from
grade 1 level to grade 8+. Irene Sharp, renowned cello pedagogue from the States will lead the Junior event for students
from grade 1-4 levels; the senior event for grade 5 - 8+ students features a start studded line up of fine cellists with masterclasses
by Hannah Roberts and basics classes with Robert Max and Alison Moncrieff-Kelly, plus much, much more! Full
details available on the London Cello Society website:
Cello Day 2012 on the London Cello Society website
Previous
teaching activities From 2001 to 2008, Helen taught at Southwark Centre for Young Musicians which
is a vibrant musical training ground for young instrumentalists in South East London. They participate in instrumental lessons,
string ensemble, and a variety of other lessons including African drumming and gospel choir. The centre encourages all students
to become confident in improvisation and creative musicianship skills right from the start. STAX CYM recently won an award
as the best independent music centre in the UK. Helen's students from here have been awarded places to continue their
studies at the Guildhall and Royal College of Music junior departments.
In summer 2003, Helen spent a period of time teaching at the Mathieson Music School in Kolkata. This is a charitable foundation
for young people from deprived backgrounds, which provides them with accomodation, food, clean water, health provision and
a comprehensive education as well as music tuition in strings, singing, tabla and indian dance. Helen taught individual string
lessons, large string ensembles and general musicianship classes, and wrote some compositions (whilst sitting by the water
pump!) specifically for performance by her students there.
From 2005-2008, Helen taught individual lessons and large year one and year two string groups at Newton Preparatory School.
The methodology used in the group sessions and lessons with the young children was influenced by the thinking of Shinichi
Suzuki. This programme helped to develop young string players with sound musical and technical foundations right from
the start.
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