Our Tutors & Staff.
If you’re a Motivated And Passionate Tutor With Experience To Teaching either Guitar/Bass, Drums, Piano or Vocals For All levels (Grades Pre - 8), All Ages, All music types (rock, pop, blues, funk, jazz etc.) All certifications (RSL, LCM, RGT, etc.) Please send us your CV.
Steve Dempsey.
Principal Tutor - Teaches Guitar, Bass & Ukulele
Steve started playing at age six, learning open chords and strumming patterns. After a few years Steve took classical guitar lessons where he learnt more complex chord shapes, scales and fingerstyle. Steve’s early guitar education was taken on acoustic guitar this changed in his early teens when he learnt how to adapt his acoustic knowledge to both lead and rhythm electric guitar. Steve continued onto College where he studied popular music & recording, his first pro gig was at age sixteen, since then he has gone on to play countless gigs with many bands and solo musician’s up and down the country acting as both a band member and as a session musician.
Jonny Pattison.
Teaches Guitar, Bass & Ukulele
Jonny is unique amongst the Riffs teaching team as from the age of 14 he was taught by the founder of Riffs which has given him a real understanding of Riffs teaching ethics. He has been playing guitar for 12 years and was one of the first students at Riffs to attain the coveted Grade 8 qualification. Jonny was originally influenced by many different bands of the time, bands such as Oasis, Kula Shaker and Ocean Colour Scene. As he developed musically his tastes and influences changed towards Hendrix, Clapton, Steve Vai and Robert Fripp. Jonny's musical repertoire is vast spanning many styles and decades of music, and whilst maintaining a fun creative environment he also provides a solid structured learning environment. Jonny has been teaching at Riffs since 2005
Chris Rogers
Bass & Guitar Tutor
Chris is the lead bassist in SlippyUnderfoot, the worlds best rock covers band. A performer who brings all the passion, energy and theatrics of the stage into the classroom. Chris has played at huge festivals throughout Europe, a regular face at Manchester’s finest music establishments Alberts Schloss and Bunny Jackson’s, among others. With a vast repertoire of songs in the arsenal, there’s very little he hasn’t played and, armed with a passion for music theory, there’s nothing he can’t teach. Guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, double bass, vocals, music theory and showmanship.
Matt Hart
Teaches Electric & Acoustic Guitar
I started playing guitar at the age of 6, and took up lessons at Riffs a year later when I was 7. I quickly progressed to Grade 5 before I got to high school and went on to achieving very high marks in all of my grades. Since then I have studied music relentlessly, whether it be through school/college or being in various bands across Manchester. I now study at Salford Universitity doing a Popular Music and Recording course, where I am excelling as a guitar player. Originally my influences were bands like Oasis and the Arctic Monkeys but this soon turned into guys like Hendrix, Joe Satriani and Stevie Ray Vaughan. However, over the recent years I have been more and more interested in other genres of music such as Jazz and Funk, bringing a much wider repertoire of different styles and genres. I have 16 years of guitar playing experience that I would love to share with you all.
Tom Favell.
Teaches Guitar, Bass, Vocals & keyboards.
Tom started playing music at the age of nine, firstly with drum lessons and also joining a Scottish pipe band with his brother and Grandad. Once he'd started at secondary school in 1999, Tom gradually moved over to guitar and it has been his main instrument ever since. Tom spent most of his time at school playing in bands and in 2004 decided to study music at Leicester College. This involved learning how to sing properly, music theory, understanding how to set up gigs and learning how to effectively run a band. When Tom started at college, he also started teaching guitar for Clivesmusic and continued to teach part time whilst at university for Maunder's School of Popular Music.In 2007 Tom furthered his continuing interest in music by moving up north to study music at Salford University, which allowed him to further his networking with a variety of musicians in Greater Manchester. Once graduating in 2010, Tom undertook teacher training at Manchester Metropolitan University. This ultimately allowed him to expand his instrumental teaching into a full time job and it's what Tom has been doing ever since. This has included private tuition, primary classroom tuition and instrumental tuition for both secondary and primary schools. Along with music tuition,Tom gigs regularly with a function band called The Robbers on bass and performs solo on acoustic guitar.
Andy Holmes
Teaches Guitar, Bass & Piano
Andy has taught Guitar and Bass for a number of years now after graduating from Salford University. He has taught all ages, abilities and styles and will tailor lessons to your personal musical goals! If you want to work through grades he teaches everything from Initial all the way to Grade 8, but you can also learn all of your favourite songs, or how to write your own and understand the theory behind it. When he’s not teaching he plays in his own rock band, as well as at weddings across the country and very fun gigs with a successful Queen tribute band.
Art Bailey
Teaches Piano/Guitar & Bass
Art Bailey started learning classical piano at the age of 5yrs and was taught by a number of tutors, including Andrew Wilde. He has had over 20 years of experience teaching music to students of all ages and backgrounds. More recently, Art has been studying jazz and improvisation as part of his ongoing development as a professional musician and composer.
Art also gained proficiency on the piano-accordion, electric guitar and bass, and double bass, playing in a vast array of ensembles across the country.
In 2018, Art gained distinctions for diplomas in Music Production and Sound Engineering, Studio Production and Mastering, and Sound for Film, Games, and TV from the School of Sound and Recording (SSR).
Additionally, Art specialises in playing the bandoneon; a rare traditional free-reed instrument that is synonymous with Argentinian Tango music.
Paul Shaw.
Teaches Piano/Keyboards.
Paul has been a regular performer in and around the Manchester Music scene for over 30 years. He initially studied Piano from the age of 7 and then graduated to keyboards as a teenager. He later studied a B.A in Band Musicianship at Salford University, graduating with 1st Class Hons. From 1999 he lectured and led courses in music at The Manchester College (formerly MANCAT), the courses included BTEC National Diploma/ Certificate and Foundation Degree. Subject areas included Composition, Performance, Songwriting, Theory/Harmony and Keyboard Skills. Paul continues to compose and arrange in various styles, in 2005 a track co-written with a friend was record of the week on radio 1 and number 1 in the dance charts. Paul also possesses a PGCAP (post graduate cert in Academic Practice), and is a member of the Higher Education Authority, he is also a member of PRS (performing Rights Society) and MCPS (Mechanical Copyright Protection Society). Paul continues to work with various musicians in diverse styles from Pop / Swing to Opera.
Dale Burns
Teaches Drums
Joel Heywood.
Teaches Drums & Percussion.
Joel started playing drums at the age of six, soon after at eight years old he began playing alongside his Dad for his local church. Joel has since had the opportunity to play alongside some of the best musicians in the country including Matthew Ford (Vocalist for the BBC proms and widely regarded as the UK’s finest big band (vocalist), Simon Willescroft (Saxophonist for Duran Duran, Michael Buble), Mark Walker (Simply Red, Westlife), Gwilym Simcock and many more. Joel also works extensively in musical theatre and has worked with Oldham Theatre Workshop, Liverpool Theatre school, Salford Arts Theatre (where he worked as MD) and many more. Last year Joel even made his acting debut playing the part of Elvis’s drummer DJ Fontana for the new musical “King & Colonel” at the Lowry Theatre, Salford. Joel studied music at Salford University, gaining a First class honours degree and recently completed his Masters degree gaining a Distinction. Joel is an experienced teacher and enjoys passing on his love for music and encouraging students to reach their potential. Joel has been teaching at Riffs since 2017.
Debbie Dempsey
Administration & General enquiries
Debbie is there to answer any questions regarding bookings, rearrangments & payments.