Music Lessons - Nomad Beat

Learn with Nomad Beat

Learning to play an instrument is rewarding, challenging, and fun in equal measures. At Nomad Beat you can get friendly, expert tuition in:

Don’t see what you’re looking to learn? Call us on 07859774006! We’ll find a solution!

And if you’re serious about music, then our tutors deliver the ABRSM and Trinity curriculums for both instruments and vocals.

We’ve got something for everyone but we know starting out can be expensive for beginners so we have instruments available to borrow or hire. So, why not “try before you buy”? Book a taster lesson with us or call us to discuss what works for you.

Lesson Prices

All of our tuition takes place at our school in Cavalry Park, Peebles, although we are able to offer remote lessons for some instruments.

We can schedule lessons on a weekly or fortnightly basis and, depending on the availability of appropriate slots, we can offer lessons in lengths of 30 minutes, 45 minutes or 1 hour. We charge the following rates for one to one and group lessons:

Taster Lessons £13

Come and have a taster lesson to see what you enjoy most. We offer taster sessions in all instruments

30 Minutes £19

We also offer introductory 30 minute lessons for £12. These prices apply to all of our instruments and vocal lessons.

45 Minutes £28

We also offer introductory 45 minute lessons for £19. These prices apply to all of our instruments and vocal lessons.

1 hour £38

We also offer introductory 1 hour lessons for £25. These prices apply to all of our instruments and vocal lessons.

Breaking Sound Barriers (40 Minutes) £20

Nomad Beat's flagship accessible music making program applies the therapeutic benefits of group music making in a safe space to promote self confidence, creativity and feelings of inclusion through group performance and musical experimentation.

Group Lessons (1 Hour) £15 per Student

We give lessons to groups of three or more students in many instruments

Paired lessons (1 Hour) £19 per Student

For a paired lesson, bring a buddy along.

Tailored Lessons
We recommend regular lessons as being better for progress in beginners; a 30-minute lesson every week is better than a 1-hour lesson every fortnight.
Group Lessons
Discounted lessons are available for small groups, volunteers and family bookings. Please enquire for more information.
No commitment
We offer the first four lessons on a 'no commitment' basis, after which we ask that four weeks' notice be given prior to stopping lessons.
Bursaries Available
Nomad Beat are delighted to offer bursaries for eight students, funding weekly lessons for a period of 44 weeks. Apply on our bursaries page.
Accessible
We bring the joy of music to people of all abilities, ages and needs across the Scottish Borders.

Meet the tutors

New to playing an instrument? Take a taster lesson with one of our tutors. More experienced? Our tutors can build a tailored lesson plan to help you take your skills to the next level. Just get in touch to book your next music lesson with Nomad Beat!

Ian

Ian started playing the drums as a child and hasn’t stopped since! A student at the Lester Pennman drum school in Glasgow, he joined the Glasgow Musicians Union big band, moving on to play support to bands and groups including The Tremelos, The Animals and the Dutch Swing College jazz band.

Known as an empathetic tutor, he takes students through the basics of reading music, rudimentary percussive exercises, before moving onto having students play along to a variety of musical genres, including rock/pop, jazz, swing, salsa, Latin and many others.

He works in conjunction with schools, helping pupils who prepare for a range of exams, as well as tutoring pupils who just want to have a bit of fun!

RUTH

A graduate of Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities, Ruth has been involved in musical education for over thirteen years, not least as a previous manager at Nomad Beat.

Her musical work has involved directing both adult and children’s choirs, teaching musicianship through Kodály based methods, and accompanying choirs at rehearsals and in concerts. She has run music sessions in nurseries, and primary age music groups.

Ruth began playing the piano at the age of 4 and teaches all ages from primary to adults.

Lessons are tailored to reflect the pupil’s aims and ambitions; students may choose to enter ABRSM exams. Ruth’s overall philosophy is that music should be fun!

Robbie tatler

Robbie Tatler is one of Nomad Beat’s sought after guitar tutors in addition to which he’s also a proficient performer and teacher of double bass, bass guitar, ukulele, piano, percussion as well as vocals.

When not working with students across a range of abilities from absolute beginner to burgeoning expert, he can be found performing with a number of Borders based bands, including playing double bass with Nomad Beat’s traditional music group Celtic Beat, or singing and playing guitar with his own original rock band The 62.

He works in conjunction with schools, helping pupils who prepare for a range of exams, as well as tutoring pupils who just want to have a bit of fun!

Nick

Nick Jenkins started playing the violin from a very early age, progressing to embrace traditional Irish music in adult life, developing a repertoire that now includes music from all over Europe, including elements of Early Music.

Nick started teaching at Nomad Beat in 2015, focusing on traditional Scottish and Irish violin techniques as well as introducing students to a range of Balkan tunes and styles. Nick also teaches classical violin and, if required, will prepare students for a range of exams up to Grade 4.

As a seasoned Ceilidh musician, Nick has featured in numerous bands across the South of Scotland over the past 15 years on violin, viola and mandolin.

valencia

Valencia McRobb is a classically trained pianist and piano teacher, beginning her studies at the Joseph Medina Riga 1 Music School in Riga, Latvia. She then studied at the Rimsky-Korsakov Music College in Belarus and developed a repertoire that includes works from Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Ravel, Rachmaninov and Shostakovich.

Valencia continued her studies in the UK and received a BA (Hons) degree in Music Performance at Abertay University with a distinction on her final exam recital.

Valencia offers piano instruction for younger students at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. She is also happy to teach adults of any ability. Her teaching practice is based on Russian and British methods of piano schools ensuring students receive a well-rounded music education through exploring different repertoire including classical, jazz and songs.

Valencia will also help students prepare for ABRSM piano exams.

Mollie

Mollie did her bachelor’s music degree at the University of York after which she completed her masters in Community Music. She then worked for more years than she cares to remember as the project manager of Accessible Arts and Media in York, coordinating their programme of music activities for people with a range of disabilities.

And in her career as a community musician, Mollie has run music activities for young people and adults with disabilities, in memory care settings and in hospices. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Mollie has Grade 8 in flute, saxophone, singing and piano and grade 5 theory and clarinet.

Mollie joined Nomad Beat in late 2023 and has been an instant hit with her pupils, her engaging, empathetic style of teaching chiming with all those she has tutored. That’s probably because she’s got lots of experience, having taught woodwind for over 20 years, specialising in flute, saxophone and clarinet!

Erin

Erin is a singer songwriter who hails from Selkirk. She’s something of a multi-instrumentalist, having taught herself guitar, piano and ukulele over the years but her main instrument is her voice which has been deployed to great effect as a band lead singer around the Borders.

Erin is a firm believer in the power of music and how it can be used to improve mental well-being self-esteem and confidence whilst also learning new skills.

Erin has undergone Breaking Sound Barriers training with Nomad Beat and Drake Music. She runs inclusive music sessions for people with learning disabilities and has several years’ experience in this field.

Henry

Henry has been involved since Nomad Beat founder Alison Cameron opened the doors back in 2010. Henry teaches guitarists of all abilities, from those just wanting to get a grip of the basics to those with ambitions to follow in his footsteps as a pro. His empathetic style is appreciated by the broad range of students under his tutorage at Nomad Beat.

Henry has worked as a professional musician now for over forty years, with time spent on national and international tours together with recording projects both as a band member and a session musician.

Whilst Henry paused the touring lifestyle in the 1990’s to work as a tour production manager for a major London based music company, he’s never stopped live performing with a number of bands in the Borders and beyond, as well as undertaking work as a session musician.

SAM

Sam’s a very active musician whose main instrument is the acoustic guitar, flatpicking or fingerpicking across a broad variety of genres.

Sam offers a broad based teaching experience that has incorporated primary schools and the Merlin Academy of Traditional Music in Melrose prior to his joining up with Nomad Beat to specialise in guitar tuition. Like all Nomad Beat tutors, Sam’s teaching approach is flexible and tailored to the abilities and objectives of each student.

A prolific composer and performer, Sam has also found the time to release two acclaimed two solo roots/folk style EPs.

JOHN

John comes from a family of pipers, and although playing the highland pipes from a young age, he has been focused on playing the Scottish Smallpipes for over 15 years.

Inspired by the work and music of Hamish Moore and Allan MacDonald, and under the tutelage of FinMoore, John is passionate about Scottish piping as a folk culture, close to the songs, dances, languages and lives of communities through the centuries.

He is a regular at festivals, ceremonies, sessions and other events around Scotland, and has taught many students through the Scots Music Group and privately.

JAMES

James started playing bass guitar whilst still in primary school and has been an active performer ever since. A composer as well as a working musician, James has released a number of recordings as well as performing his own music throughout Scotland.

Currently studying music at Napier University, James has a solid understanding of the modern musical landscape. He’s got a particular interest in rock-based genres and aims to help his students harness their creative potential while focusing on their preferred bands and styles, always ensuring that playing music is a fun and rewarding experience.

James is happy to teach bass guitar from beginner level to that of aspiring rock star, and also teaches guitar up to Grade 5.

AISHLING

Aishling is Nomad Beat’s specialist singing and performance tutor and is happy to teach all ages, styles and abilities. She can also teach music theory to students up to Grade 5. Aishling has had great success in helping students with their school music exams, as well as notching up a perfect pass rate with all those she’s coached towards ABRSM exams.

Away from Nomad Beat, Aishling started her singing career whilst in primary school and sang in various choirs/groups in her youth before moving to Stevenson College, Edinburgh. There she gained a degree foundation in Classical Music Performance, later completing an HND from Edinburgh College in the same discipline before finishing off her studies at Napier University.

Aishling has been a member of the National Youth Choir of Scotland, performing with them on several occasions, including the BBC proms in the Royal Albert Hall. She’s a singer in high demand and performs regularly at events and concerts around the Borders and beyond.

SARA

With over 14 years of experience, Sara has taught piano to both children and adults, catering to learners pursuing music for enjoyment as well as those seeking a challenge. Some of her students have successfully completed ABRSM exams up to Grade 6, while others have prepared for Nat 5 and Higher music exams, achieving a 100% success rate in these assessments.

Currently, nearly half of her students are adult learners who aim to regain and maintain their musical skills.

In addition to her teaching expertise, Sara holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Speech and Language Therapy and earned a Master’s degree (MPhil) for research in speech sound awareness. In 2017, she obtained a PGDE in Primary Teaching from Strathclyde University and subsequently worked for two years as a primary school teacher in the Scottish Borders and Midlothian.

Teaching has been a passion of hers from a young age, starting when she became a big sister. Today, with a wealth of experience and refined skills, she continues to empower her students to progress and enjoy their piano playing.

Frances

Frances has been teaching violin and fiddle since Nomad Beat opened up back in 2010. Whilst her expertise lies in teaching traditional fiddle music skills, she also teaches a variety of other styles to pupils of all abilities. Frances is also happy to prepare pupils for a range of examinations, including school and traditional fiddle.

In addition to her work at Nomad Beat, Frances enjoys bringing music to all age groups; she runs toddler music groups, singing workshops and spearheads Nomad Beat’s acclaimed dementia-inclusive singing group, Memory Lane Music.

And, when not involved in teaching, Frances features in a ceilidh band that also includes fellow Nomad Beat tutors Robbie Tatler and Laura Macleod.

Scottish Charity No.SC042031

Learn with Nomad Beat

Guitars

Drum and percussion

Violin

Banjo

Vocals

Piano

ABRSM AND TRINITY Exam Centre

Small Pipes and Chanter

Music Theory