Natasha Barbrook
Natasha began her journey at Melodies Music Education as a student aged 6 and after nearly 20 years of experience teaching, is the new Director of the studio.
She has degrees in both law and music.
Her work at Melodies Music Education includes teaching classical, jazz and Rockschool piano, music theory and improvisation techniques. Natasha is also a music arranger in house at Melodies and an experienced workshop organiser and performer.
Natasha works with students of all ages and abilities from grades 1-8 but specialises in more advanced students and enjoys sharing her passion of all genres of music with her students.
Syllabus experience:
ABRSM
Rockschool
Trinity
Matthew Deane
Matthew has a masters degree in Music Production and Classical Performance.
His musical experiences include classical recitals, performing a wide range of styles from baroque to 21st century; performing solo, as part of different groups, and an experienced accompanist. As a music producer and songwriter, Matthew has performed solo gigs as well as open mic nights and songwriting competitions. He has collaborated extensively with other musicians on different projects.
Matthew enjoys working with and developing younger students in to confident performers in all areas of our current curriculum.
Syllabus experience:
ABRSM
Rockschool
Sadra Mahshidfar
Sadra is a pianist recognised for his expressive artistry and versatility across a wide range of repertoire.
He has performed across the world, including the US, UK, Azerbaijan, and Iran, and has collaborated with composers such as Philip Cashian and Brett Dean. A prizewinner of the Yamaha Scholarship Award, he is also supported by the Leverhulme Arts Scholarship, the Jennifer Sharp Award, and is a 2025–26 Drake Calleja Trust Scholar.
Currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music, Sadra is passionate about sharing his expertise with young, aspiring musicians, finding joy in teaching, guiding, and exploring music alongside his students.
Syllabus experience:
ABRSM
Rockschool
Leah Kwon
Leah specialises in teaching children and young adults the art of singing from age 6+
Originally from South Korea, Leah has taught internationally in multiple genres including K-Pop combined with vocal technique and performance. She enjoys working with students of all ages and abilities.
Leah writes and records her own music and we are delighted to have her teaching the Rockschool syllabus from Debut to Grade 8.
Syllabus experience:
Rockschool
Arman Kashef
Arman was born into a family of musicians and grew up with the piano as a natural part of daily life. He began piano at six with his aunt and later his uncle, whose guidance formed his earliest musical language. At fourteen he worked with Mirza Kapetanovic at the Richard Wagner Konservatorium. He has since expanded his pianistic formation with studies under Raphael Minaskanian and, more recently, Luka Okros in preparation for professional auditions. In 2023 he attended the International Steinway Piano Festival in Istanbul, receiving tuition from Dr Yoonie Han and Dr Schumann Ren and a Certificate of Performance, and he completed a semester of online study with Dr Natalia Lauk which focused on technique and the Anna Schmidt-Shklovskaya method.
His broader musical training includes theory, harmony, form and composition with his father, Morad Kashef and a year of private conducting with Omid Mousavi, which strengthened his phrasing, ensemble awareness and interpretive approach.
He taught students aged 6–20 at Ark Music Academy, gaining insight into varied learning processes and forming the foundations of his pedagogical voice.
His teaching centres on technical reliability, musical awareness and independent thinking, guiding students to understand how music works while helping them find their own voice.
Syllabus experience:
ABRSM
Rockschool