John Calcott has been a full time, professional guitar teacher since 2004 working for NMPAT delivering tuition within primary and secondary schools as well as after school clubs, weekend 'rock schools' and week long residential courses in the holidays. During his employment he went on to become the Head of Music Production which involved training and managing a team of peripatetic teachers.
In the summer of 2024 he relocated to Somerset with his family and teaches privately at his home in Castle Cary. You can view his Google reviews here. John also teaches guitar at The Blue School in Wells for 2 days a week and music production lessons at St Dunstans, Glastonbury.
John began playing guitar at the age of 8 performing his first gig at 11 years old. Originally inspired by the solo in 'Sweet Child O' Mine' he went on to learn how to play by ear listening to old soul records. As his playing developed he received private lessons for a few years in his teens concentrating on electric guitar and music theory. He would then reconnect with his teacher at the age of 40 to join a band with him which was a great honour. John has played in many groups over the years ranging from a grunge tribute act, wedding function outfit and as a session player. This has led to him perform in venues such as the O2 Arena, the Corn Exchange, Knebworth House and the Cavern. Currently he plays in the originals band 'Supernormal'.
John is a certified trainer for Steinberg products, specialising in Cubase. He has delivered whole staff training to various music trusts/hubs across the country both online and in person. John was also responsible for hosting the first ever Music Production RSL exams.
Using his knowledge of music technology he has also been employed by many schools to specify, setup and install their studio equipment for the delivery of GCSE, Btec and A Level, of which he has taught in a classroom setting.
John is a consultant for Technology in Music Education (TiME) and a contributor for Music Teacher Magazine
Here is a link to his published articles.
