About Good Vibes Music Academy
Music Lessons are Better With Good Vibes
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We are Good Vibes, a music academy for children and young people who want to play, perform and enjoy music.
Founded on the principles of forward thinking music lessons to create musicians of the future we use our unique teaching approach (R-E-A-L teaching) to create lifelong musicians and music lovers.
And we’re passionate about it.
We’ve been doing this for a while…
Good Vibes has been more than 20 years in the making.
What started with a passion for music and teaching, and a vision to shake up peri-music lessons, has grown into a team of professional musicians, teachers and music lovers who want to make a difference through music.
We’re based in our Newbury Studio, Berkshire, with lessons, performances and experiences happening out both our studio and in over 25 schools in Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, and local communities.
Meet our founder, Steve Christmas
When I was growing up I wasn’t a natural player. Learning was hard. But I had great teachers who helped me though - they made sessions fun, kept me moving forward, and believed in me when I was ready to give up. That experience drives everything we do here.
I spent over two decades performing and teaching with some of the world’s top classical musicians. Now I’ve brought that experience into the world of rock and pop and built a team of pro-musicians invested in creating future musicians. Teachers who are not only highly skilled but who care deeply about how your child learns, grows and connects with music.
As a parent you want more than weekly music lessons. You want your child to feel supported, to stay engaged and to develop a lifelong love for music, even what it’s challenging. That’s exactly what we focus on at Good Vibes.
We are on a mission to make learning an instrument simple and fun, where students make progress - fast
Meet The People Behind the Music
Sam
Guitar + Bass
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Sam has been a professional musician and teacher all his working life, specialising in rock, jazz, metal and prog, covering everything from riffing to improvising. He has released albums in the prog rock genre, and won awards for his unique brand of instrumental guitar music.
Ben
Guitar + Bass
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Ben has been playing and teaching guitar/bass professionally for almost 15 years, he has appeared on 10 studio released albums, played shows in Asia, Europe and all around the U.K. He currently runs the Blues Guitar Show Podcast, delivers workshops at guitar shows across Europe and continues to feature as a guitarist on international artists' records such as famous Taiwanese boyband - Tension & London-Based Rock band - Ventenner. Ben was named ‘One to Watch’ in Bass Guitar Magazine and continues to perform with award winning acts alongside his teaching.
Conor
Guitar + Bass
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Hi, I'm Conor - a guitarist with 20 years of Live, recording and teaching experience . I've toured Europe and America with various bands, played festivals like Glastonbury, Reading, and Isle of Wight, and performed at iconic venues like the O2 Academy and Ronnie Scott's. As a published songwriter, I've had the opportunity to work with established acts and original music projects, gaining experience in all areas of the industry.
David
Guitar + Bass
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David is an experienced guitarist and who been playing the instrument for nearly 20 years. He has been teaching since 2018 all over Berkshire and performs live regularly, most notably with the London-based pop band, Lilypads. Whilst specialising in the electric guitar, David is a competent in a wide variety of styles and enjoys nothing more than helping his students reach their full potential.
Craig
Drums
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Craig has been playing drums since the age of 7, building a strong foundation before finding his real passion in rock and pop music. While his early experience included orchestras and brass bands, it was discovering contemporary music that shaped his playing style and direction as a musician.
He went on to study at the Academy of Contemporary Music, completing both his Higher Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree, and has since performed regularly across live music circuits, recording original material and playing gigs around the UK.
Today, Craig performs at festivals and live events with his rock and blues covers band, as well as working with a range of tribute and function bands. His experience on stage brings a real-world edge to his teaching, helping students understand what it means to play music live and with confidence.
Chris
Drums
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Chris Hendy is a dedicated music educator and performer who balances his passion for teaching with a vibrant performance career. He brings joy to cruise passengers as “Ringo,” playing drums for NCL and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. He energises weddings with NEON, a top 90s club anthem band, while also recording promotional material. Chris inspires his students through personalised lessons, operates a small vocal booth, and works flexibly as a stage technician at Legoland Windsor.
With a commitment to continuous growth, he practices drums daily, ensuring a dynamic role model for aspiring modern musicians
Eanna
Vocals
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With a degree in Songwriting and Music Production, Eanna is a passionate singer and performer bringing creative flair and engagement to both her audiences and students. Through incredible opportunities, Eanna performs live gigs across various styles and settings, regularly dives into the world of recording and production, has written and recorded educational songs for a charity organisation and has worked as a session vocalist on projects ranging from albums to film scores.
When she’s not singing (which isn’t often), Eanna is creating! Whether writing her own music solo or with her soul-funk duo, exploring new sounds and opportunities to perform is where she thrives.
Excited to bring that creative energy into her lessons, Eanna has 3.5 years of experience in teaching/education and is dedicated to helping vocalists project their voices and bring their goals into harmony. From warm-ups to resonance, we can’t wait for her to help students of all ages unlock their full vocal potential!
Will
Piano + Keys
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For around 5 or 6 years now, Will McCrea has nestled himself deeply in the art of playing the piano, and has now embarked on a teaching journey at Good Vibes Music Academy. Although a ‘late starter’ (at 17), Will has always had a passion for music and how it is practiced – particularly jazz music, which is a speciality of his. Music and music education also runs in his family, both of his parents are pianists and organists – his father is a lecturer and examiner at The Royal College of Music and his mother, a piano teacher at Bromsgrove School.
Recently, he graduated from The University of Reading with a BSc in Geography, but throughout his 3 years at Reading he was very much connected to both the University’s and Reading’s music scenes. He enjoyed being part of an affluent selection of bands (including the UoR Big Band) and has now begun to focus his efforts on a jazz trio – aptly named The Will McCrea Trio. Currently in a binge of Bebop and Straight-Ahead jazz, this trio really swings hard! Will is so incredibly proud of this band.
Taking up this new position as a Pro Keys Teacher at Good Vibes is something Will is very excited for, and he is so pleased that he gets to share his passion with others in such a wonderful working environment.
We’re currently bringing the joy of music to over 700 children and young people. Whether your child is picking up an instrument for the first time or already has the music bug and is keen to progress, there’s a place for them here.