About me

My name’s Annika and I’m the founder of Rosedene Music Academy. 

 

I started playing the flute at age 7. My mum arranged for a friend to come over so I could try her flute and I still remember the feeling of opening the case and being so excited. So excited, in fact, that I got too overwhelmed to even play it! But that didn’t last long, and a few weeks later I began lessons with a lovely teacher in Royston who quickly guided me through my first ABRSM exam (and thinking about it now, she very much influenced how I wanted to be as a music teacher). 

 

By age 8, I was playing recorder and flute in the Shefford Town Junior Band. I was also invited to Robert Bloomfield Middle School wind band, walking from Shefford lower school to practise with the big kids every Wednesday lunchtime. 

 

At age 10 I started teaching local children flute and recorder. I charged 50p for 30 minutes and spent my fortune exclusively on Magic Stars. 

 

At age 12 I auditioned for the Bedfordshire county youth bands and orchestras, reaching 1st county band and playing at the Royal Albert Hall. 

 

At age 13 Mum said I was allowed to start a second instrument… the soprano saxophone (but it was a close call with the bassoon and the harp!!)

 

At 14 I started learning the piano to help with my GCSE and A-Level music, and I still regularly play my compositions now. 

 

So having taken many an exam on all three instruments (including music theory), I finished at aged 18 having completed all 8 ABRSM exams in flute and saxophone with distinctions in both instruments.

 

I then chose between studying music full time or going into accountancy so obviously, with my passion for music, I chose accountancy (ha!)

 

But I never stopped playing, teaching, and performing. I was teaching flute lessons while studying economics at university, performed in orchestras and even formed my own jazz band while working as a chartered accountant. 

 

Fast forward through an amazing finance career in London and with three gorgeous girlies we moved back to Bedfordshire. While on maternity leave I started teaching a handful of lessons again, and created my own baby music business tots jam. 

 

The success of tots jam and the growth of my teaching business meant that I never returned to accountancy post maternity leave and instead made music my full time career. 

 

I am so passionate about music. There is a shed load of research into the benefits of learning music but my main aim is always to make playing accessible and fun for all! 

 

I hear so many stories of teachers who have completely put  their pupils off learning instruments by being super strict or with such a heavy focus on theory that they lose the pupil’s interest… so if you’re six and you want to learn your favourite Taylor swift song, let’s do it. If you’re 66 and you want to learn how to play a 12 bar blues, let’s do it. 

 

And guess what? By focussing on fun, and keeping my pupils interested and engaged, they also perform amazingly in their ABRSM exams!