Learning music should feel like an encouraging and achievable experience.

I tailor my lessons to suit each individual’s needs. I offer piano and flute tuition for children and adults, whether you are a beginner or you want to continue your prior learning.

I am an experienced piano and flute teacher, having taught classical and popular music for over 20 years. Some pupils just want to enjoy learning how to read music and to be able to play tunes they like, some would like general support with aspects of their musical development such as theory or composition or some want to progress through the practical ABRSM exams and gain recognised qualifications. (Of the 32 pupils I have entered for these exams, all have passed; many achieving distinction).

My lessons are professional and structured, focusing on good technique and musicianship. But at the same time, I aim to build confidence and harbour a genuine enjoyment of music through a relaxed, two way pupil - teacher relationship.

I have a clear, supportive approach, which works at each pupil’s personal pace; whether they have no musical knowledge, are a more confident player or anything in between.

If you are looking for a piano or flute tutor and have been searching for piano lessons near me, why not take a free 15 minute consultation/lesson so you can see if it’s the right fit with no pressure before you commit to regular lessons.

Free First Lesson

Your first piano or flute lesson is completely free and lasts 15 minutes, giving you or your child the chance to get comfortable with the instrument and my teaching style. This introductory session is ideal if you are new to piano lessons, flute lessons, or simply want to see whether you feel it’s right for you. There’s no pressure to continue - it’s just a friendly, relaxed introduction to learning music and meeting your teacher. (I am happy for you to bring along a family member or friend to keep you company).

Learn Piano
Learn Flute

Pay-As-You-Go Music Lessons

All piano and flute lessons are offered on a pay-as-you-go basis, priced at £17 per 30 minutes, with the option of 30-minute or one-hour weekly lessons. There are no long term contracts, but once your weekly time slot is booked, it is expected you will be committed to attend those sessions for as long as you wish to continue lessons. If you can’t make the lesson for any reason one week, as long as you give me notice so that we can reschedule, you won’t have to pay for a missed lesson. You can pay by cash or bank transfer, either weekly as you have the lessons or in blocks of lessons in advance, whichever suits you best.

Please see the FAQ section for queries about sessions or payments.

  • "The lessons are tailored to the students’ musical preferences and goals. Thoroughly covers the ABRSM syllabus including theory. Very suitable for adult learners. Highly recommended 👍"

    Matthew Taylor

  • "Louise is exceptionally patient, encouraging and incredibly knowledgeable. My weekly lessons are planned and delivered always with a lot of care and quality, and are specifically tailored around my playing ability, making them enjoyable and easy to follow. Her instructions are clearly delivered, allowing me to make progress week-on-week and gain a solid understanding of the basics. I feel confident that I will continue to improve in both playing and reading music and would definitely recommend Louise as piano tutor. What I like most of all: I can choose the styles and pieces that I want to focus on."

    Ashley Mortimer

  • "Louise has taught both my children in piano and flute. She had an amazing report with both of them and they loved their lessons up to ages 17 and 15. I would wholeheartedly recommend Louise for music tuition."

    Jana Meyer

  • "My daughter has been learning piano and music theory with Louise for two years now, and she genuinely looks forward to and enjoys every lesson. Louise is extremely experienced at teaching young children and consistently goes the extra mile to tailor her teaching to my daughter’s individual needs as a neurodivergent child. She has a wonderful ability to keep her engaged, motivated, and confident, adapting her approach with patience, creativity, and understanding. Louise creates a calm, supportive learning environment where my daughter feels comfortable to learn at her own pace, while still being gently challenged and encouraged to progress. We’ve seen not only a great improvement in her musical skills, but also in her confidence and enjoyment of music overall. I couldn’t recommend Louise more highly to any parent looking for a thoughtful, skilled, and compassionate piano teacher."

    Katrina Meggison-cheal

  • "3 of my children have had music lessons with Louise and I couldn’t have been happier. They all absolutely loved going and there were tears when her business had to relocate. They are all very different in their learning styles and strengths and Louise was amazing at adapting each lesson to suit them as individuals. I would absolutely recommend Southport music lessons to anyone looking for lessons for themselves or their children"New List Item

    Rebecca I

  • "Both my son and I had piano lessons with Louise for over 6 years. Louise is a great teacher. Lessons were always fun, using a wide range of music to teach various techniques in an interesting and engaging way. I very much recommend Louise!"

    emma appleton

  • "Hi Louise worked at my daughter school,and we asked her for piano lessons, which she done from home. I also asked Louise if she could teach me the piano 🎹. Louise is a brilliant teacher and really enjoys teaching music, and passing on her love of playing the piano to her students of all ages. I have had the pleasure of having lessons with Louise for more than 10 years. I would recommend Louise to anyone wishing to have lessons, for fun or to take exams in music, for beginners or if looking for improving there music knowledge. 🎶"

    david brand

  • "I was a pupil of Louise's for around 7 years, learning piano from being a complete beginner. Her teaching was consistently well structured and supportive, especially when preparing me for my ABRSM exams. I progressed through to Grade 5 piano, achieving distinctions at every level. Outside of the exam prep, Louise and I enjoyed choosing new pieces to learn, which reinforced genuine enjoyment in playing the instrument rather than focusing solely on results. I cannot recommend Louise enough if you're considering learning piano, she is an exceptional teacher who brings out the best in her students."

    Elani Priest

  • "I’ve had the absolute pleasure of learning from Louise for the past six years, and I can’t recommend her highly enough. I was a complete beginner on the flute, and she has guided me all the way to Grade 5. She also helped me take my piano playing to a much higher level, including mastering Bach preludes. Her teaching is both inspiring and motivating, she knows how to bring out the best in her students while making the lessons fun and engaging. Thanks to her, I have improved my skills and developed a genuine love for playing music. A truly fantastic teacher!"

    Joseph Munro

  • "Louise taught both our kids the piano, taking them from complete beginner through to their first sets of grades. She is incredibly patient and encouraging and understood what each child needed in order to progress. She is an absolutely fantastic teacher and the kids miss her."

    Hugh Sturrock

Get in Touch to Book Your Free First Lesson

If you’d like to book a free 15-minute piano or flute lesson, or have any questions about lesson availability, levels or suitability for children or adults, please use this form. Whether you’re looking for local piano lessons flute tuition, or music theory lessons, I’ll be happy to help and get back to you as soon as possible.

Please complete the form and I’ll get back to you.

Or message me on 07850 232093 or

lblackwivmusic@gmail.com

Frequently Asked Questions

  • I don’t have any restrictions. I teach children and adults. However, I do ask that young children are at least beginning to read before they start piano lessons. This is because I have found that if they can decode letters and sounds, they are usually ready to learn how to read music. They also need to have the behaviour and concentration levels appropriate for sitting at a piano for a session. This is usually at about the age of 6. I always adapt my teaching to be age appropriate and have taught many 5-6 years old successfully.

  • For flute, you will need to bring your own instrument from the start of booked lessons, but not for the free short lesson. For piano, once you have started lessons, you will need to have access to an instrument at home, but it’s not essential for the first free lesson. I can advise on pianos or keyboards that are suitable for practice. There are advantages to owning a piano at home rather than a keyboard, but if you don’t have the space or money a keyboard is a good alternative.

  • Lessons are available in 30-minute or one-hour weekly sessions. Once your slot has been booked for you, that becomes a weekly slot reserved for you. Most children benefit from a half hour lesson a week, but teenagers or adults can choose whether they want a half hour or an hour, depending on how much time they would like to commit to learning. I have also had students who had a half hour of one type of tuition and then a half of another for eg a piano lesson, followed by a flute or theory lesson.

  • Yes - I offer structured tuition for graded ABRSM exams. These lessons include instruction in the scales, aural and sight reading elements of the exams as well as the 3 set pieces to be learnt and all the musicality and knowledge needed to achieve the required standards. I will also do the admin. necessary for exam entries.

  • I prefer to teach flute to children from the age of about 10/11 to any age above. This is because the blowing and breath control it requires, puts a bit of pressure on the ear drum and the flute is quite a long instrument for little arms. However, you can get a mouthpiece extension which curves around to make the reach shorter if you want to start your child earlier with another teacher.

  • I charge £34 an hour, so a half hour lesson will be £17 etc.

    You can pay by cash or bank transfer. You can pay at the end of each lesson, or as a lump sum in advance but I ask that you do not pay in arrears.

    Because your session slot is reserved for you, if you have to cancel a lesson in advance, you must either pay for the missed lesson or rebook it for a different day/time that week if there are times available. If I cannot rebook you, or if you give me less than 24 hours notice, you will be charged for the missed lesson.

    I don’t ask for the same commitment in school holiday time, so if you give me notice, you will be free to give me advanced notice of holidays and not be asked to pay for missed lessons.

    If I have to cancel a lesson, you will not be charged for it.

  • Lessons are held in my dedicated music room in my own home. As it is my home, I expect children and adults to respect my space. No other part of my house is open to my pupils, including the garden. I do have seating in my music room, so I am happy for a family member to sit and watch the lesson and if siblings would like to have a lesson each, I am happy for one to wait whilst the other has their lesson. Sorry - I do not allow dogs.