GDPR FAQ

 

• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) - EU Law 25th May 2018.

Ric is fully GDPR compliant. Your data is important to Ric. Please see his Privacy Policy here for all his services: (coming this week folks)

In a nutshell, you have the control of what data you provide Ric to contact you with, and you can remove any data at any time should you wish. Your data is only accessed by Ric, and never passed on (with the only exception regarding musical examination entry whereby the examination boards ABRSM and Trinity require your data (this is done during a lesson and under your consent). Upon providing one of his services, Ric will ask for your verbal (or written, if a a hire contract is being filled out) consent to keep your data. Upon completion of a service, Ric removes your data. Data is never kept.

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FAQ about Ric

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• What qualifications does Ric have?

Ric is an endorsing artist of Theo Wanne, Antugua Winds, an ambassador for Buvo Instrumental. Ric has a BMus (Hons) degree in Music, and attended Huddersfield University, MMU in association with the Royal Northern College of Music and London Metropolitan University. Ric studied on a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (Secondary Music PGCE), taught in primary and secondary schools and has been teaching all ages privately for 12 years now. Enhanced DBS checked and a registered teacher with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Ric  holds grades 8 saxophone and jazz flute (amongst others!) and teaches woodwind and piano. A fully freelance musician. Ric has also completed the NSPCC Child Protection Awareness in Music (online) & The Basic Awareness of Child Protection (course), and  in August 2015, the Special Education Needs in Music Education Certification. Ric is a member of the Musician's Union (MU) and an Ambassador for Nuvo Instruments. Amongst being an accomplished private tutor and musician, Ric teaches in many schools as a peripatetic 1-2-1 music teacher.

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• Where does Ric teach?

Ric teaches most students in his home in Bitterne, Southampton. He does travel to teach for those that wish to learn in their own home and will travel to Southampton’s surrounding areas: Portsmouth, the Solent, Winchester, New Forest Areas, Christchurch and Bournemouth.
 

•  Can Ric travel to me and teach me in my own home? What if I live outside Southampton, Portsmouth or Hampshire?

Yes, Ric takes on students from all over the country, not just in Hampshire. With Skype, Ric has students from all over the world including Thailand! You can choose whether to come to Ric for lessons or have Ric travel to you. There is a £5 additional charge per lesson if Ric is travelling to you, which covers fuel and time. Ric does believe that lessons are of a better standard in a specifically set up room however, with all the necessary tools needed for a music lesson: hundreds of books, fibreoptic internet, instrument repair tools, unlimited music streaming services and recording facilities make Ric ’s studio a far more beneficial place to learn. So if possible Ric advises you come to him. Of course not everyone is able to for many reasons and Ric is more than happy to come to your own home to make lessons fit in with your lifestyle.
 

• Do I pay for each individual lesson or as a term or monthly? How can I pay for lessons?

Ric requires at least one lesson to be paid in advance at all times – this books and guarantees your next lesson slot and keeps the business side of things out of the way so the focus is always on the music - as it should be! If you choose to, you can pay for more than one lesson in advance with many students opting to pay in blocks of four lessons. You can pay via cash, bank transfer or even PayPal. Whichever is easiest for you.

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Tuition FAQ

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• Do I need any musical experience before starting lessons?

No, Ric will tailor your requirements into the lesson, so if you are a complete beginner to music this is not a problem. Most of Ric ’s students started as complete beginners without any experience reading music.
 

• Do I need to read music prior to lessons?

No, Ric will have you reading music in the very first lesson.
 

• I live outside of the South Coast. Is this a problem?

Not at all, Ric is getting more demands for tuition outside of the South Coast and welcomes them. Ric also has a few spaces at any given time for online lessons via Skype. So please enquire to see if there are any vacancies here if you’d prefer online lessons. Ric even has two students taking lessons in Thailand! So you’re never too far to learn!
 

• As a parent what experience does Neil have with children? Can I sit in on lessons?

Having two young daughters Ric is fully aware of parent’s concerns and actually prefers parents to sit in on lessons – this way the parents can get an idea of what is being learnt and also what is set for the next week. Ric has an enhanced DBS, which anyone is welcome to see upon request.

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Instrumental Hire FAQ

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• I’m a beginner, is it worth hiring an instrument for lessons?

Yes, Ric sees many people buying instruments that just aren’t good enough, or correct for the person learning (an instrument can be too cheap – often making it harder for the beginner to learn). Ric can recommend after a hire where to get a good instrument at a good cost. Also, some people who hire an instrument change what they want slightly – often saxophonists change their decision on which saxophone to buy after hiring. Hiring is also a cheap way of learning on a good instrument for those wishing to keep the budget down on music learning and gives those wishing a ‘taster’ of the instrument the chance to do just that. There are many reasons why to hire – Ric believes ‘yes’ is the short answer to this question and this is why he hires instruments out.

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Gift Voucher FAQ

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• How does the gift voucher work?

If you know someone who has always wanted to learn saxophone or really wanted to return back to the flute after years away from the instrument – maybe they learnt at school? Why not make their special occasion and do something a little different? There are various types of gift vouchers, please click here or contact for details. Ric  often makes specific gift vouchers and deals so please ask for what you're after. These make excellent birthday, anniversary, special occasions, valentines, New Years or Christmas day gifts. Gift vouchers are valid for three months and any lessons or hire purchased as a gift voucher are only redeemable during this period. Gift vouchers are non-refundable. They are usually sent via PDF or as a Word document attachment for you to print and present as a gift at your leisure. Collecting a physical printed voucher is also welcome.