“Jacqui taught me the viol from when I was in year 3 right up until I went to university. Jacqui is a fantastic teacher, and the lessons were always perfectly pitched (if you’ll excuse the pun) to my age and ability. I am not at all naturally musical and I especially struggled with rhythm but Jacqui was extremely patient and I ended up able to hold my own in a viol consort, performing in prestigious venues.
Jacqui also presented me with wonderful opportunities along the way such as playing the viol on local radio, writing for a viol publication, traveling across the UK and to New York and France. The way she helped us become confident performers has also helped me throughout life and translated well to everyday skills such as interviews and giving presentations.
As a result of Jacqui’s teaching, I have also picked up other instruments over the years, including the guitar, which she encouraged to the point where (by her design) I switched from viol to guitar halfway through a jazz Bach performance in a French cathedral! I am eternally grateful to Jacqui for giving me a musicality that I would never otherwise have achieved, she even helped me to an A in GCSE music! I play instruments on a daily basis and have found it immensely therapeutic, especially during these lockdown months.”