I am interested in fostering the innate musicality and potential that I believe every person possesses.  I have a great deal of patience, have been told that I have a kindly nature, and I enjoy working with both children and adults.  I have no specific standpoint or method, and I adapt my teaching creastively to the needs of each pupil, keeping the lessons lively with a sense of fun as well as maintaining a professional attitude to my work.  I encourage students to "get playing" music as soon as possible, and to aim towards a good standard of musicianship.  I firmly believe in instilling the pupil with a sense of confidence in their playing, and give them a very sound basic technique to build their musicianship upon.  I am also concerned that string students should develop good working posture and style, in order to optimise their playing skills and prevent health problems, such as RSI.

 

During the past few years I have also developed methods to help string players (also cello) who have postural difficulties and (repetitive) strain injuries, to reduce their symptoms by changing the factors that are causing those symptoms.  This includes showing the player how to identify sites of unconscious stress in the body and limbs, and how to restore confidence in their playing by developing new ways of utilising their techniques.

Sundari Heller

 

Royal Academy of Music LRAM (Teaching Diploma) in Viola, including violin studies to an equivalent standard.

 

​I have been teaching violin and viola for many years from beginners to Diploma, in schools and privately in Scotland, the Netherlands and England.

 

I have played both professionally and on an amateur basis in ensembles and orchestras in the UK and the Netherlands, including: The Thirlway Ensemble, the Westerlijk Orkest and Residentie Orkest.

 

I founded the Lottimay Orkest for mixed age - mixed ability players, and co-founded the semi-professional Thirlway Ensemble in the Hague, (Netherlands).  I am currently the conductor of the Haywards Heath Sinfonietta, and in May 2007 I founded the Uckfield Community Orchestra, an  orchestra for players of all ages under Grade 5.  This group took and passed the Trinity-Guildhall first level (Grade Three) Chamber Group examination in July 2008.