Lindsey Berwin

Alison Mathews

Lindsey spent the early stage of her life in Cardiff, moving to Leeds at the age of eleven. She then attended Allerton High School, where she became Head Girl, and she studied piano for seven years with Rene Waterman. During this period, Lindsey won numerous prizes in local festivals, and two awards in The National Festival of Music for Youth. After attaining her A Levels, Lindsey spent four years studying at The Royal Academy of Music, from where she gained a degree in music, a piano teaching diploma and a piano prize. She then obtained a Post Graduate Certificate in Education from Durham University, and taught classroom music for two years. At that point, Lindsey settled in Leeds, deciding to refocus her attention on piano teaching. Since then she has followed this path, together with that of performing, amassing some thirty five years of experience. In 2002, Lindsey became employed by Queen Elizabeth Grammar School and Wakefield Girls’ High School, where she continues to have a busy and thriving teaching practice.
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Lindsey has become well-known for her innovative approaches to improving key skills whilst maintaining enjoyment for her students. She is the composer of FunKey!, a series of books designed to improve piano students’ sight reading skills using jazz based material, and Jazz Keys, its counterpart for the flute. In 2017 her suite of piano pieces entitled All The Fun Of The Fair, suitable for intermediate and advanced students, was published. This was followed in 2018 by a set of advanced pieces entitled Vignettes, and then by Jazzagility!, a series of graded piano technique books in the jazz idiom. Lindsey is a keen supporter of all types of composition, both in her own right and as a teacher, and she and her pupils have regularly won prizes in the annual European Piano Teachers Composers’ Competition. Until 2015, Lindsey was the Musical Director of the women’s choir Upper Harmony, and frequently composed and arranged music for it to perform.

Alison is a classically trained pianist and graduate of the Royal College of Music (BMus Hons), London, UK. With the philosophy of music at the heart of her studies Alison then completed a masters degree at Surrey University, Surrey, UK. She was then awarded a scholarship by Surrey University to pursue a Doctorate in Music, however, starting a family intervened.

Early on in her studies, Alison gained a teaching diploma and began to build a highly regarded private teaching practice. Over the years, Alison established a busy practice alongside running educational workshops, integrating art and music. 

Alison's interest in composition grew out of a desire to provide her students with imaginative music to play, as well as music that would give them the opportunity to explore the full range and sonority of the piano. Since publishing her first book in 2016, Alison has gone on to write a varied portfolio of educational books. 

Her works include 'Treasure Trove', 'Doodles' and 'Landscapes', published by Editions Musica Ferrum as well as collaborative books such as Piano Paintings with the composer Barbara Arens. She has contributed to many educational anthologies, such as  'Mosaic, Piano Star Duets as well as being included in the ABRSM and RIAM syllabi.