Peripatetic Drama & Music lessons

Nicola Stevens

Nicola joined the British Army as a musician, completing her basic training at Winchester Barracks, then onto the Military school of Music, Kneller Hall in Twickenham. Upon completion of training, Nicola was posted to the Band of King’s Division as a flautist.

Since leaving the Armed Forces in 2007, Nicola has been a music educator for various Music Services and has been at AKS since October 2021. A woodwind specialist, Nicola brings expertise in flute, saxophone and clarinet and also offers lessons in piano and voice.

To enquire, please email: nicola.stevens@akslytham.com

David Usher

David Hewitt

David Hewitt was born in Oldham in 1974. He began playing the piano at the age of 4 and attained Grade 8 with Distinction at the age of 11. He studied piano at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester with Peter Lawson. During his time at Chetham's he performed in several master classes with the likes of Alfred Brendel, Imogen Cooper and Stephen Hough. He was the winner of the Chetham's Association prize and the John Michael Asquith Memorial Prize.

Subsequently, he studied piano at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with Professor Malcom Wilson, Gordon Fergus-Thompson and Peter Donohoe. Here, he enjoyed success in a number of piano competitions including the Mozart Piano Concerto Competition, the Beryl Chempin Post-Graduate Piano Competition, the Beethoven Piano Competition and the Piano Accompaniment Competition.

David’s specialist area has been developed in Contemporary music, with a interest in music by American composers. He has performed many recitals and concertos with various orchestras and won acclaim with his recitals of American Piano Sonatas, namely those by Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, Charles Ives and Elliott Carter, performing in Cologne, Florence and Salzburg. He worked alongside conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Mark Elder and Genandi Roscdestnenski with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

His work as an accompanist played an important part in his early career and performances include those for BBC Radio, the European Youth Orchestra and on the South Bank in London in the Purcell Room. An interest in teaching began quite early on and he combined his performance work with teaching in the Junior Department at the Birmingham Conservatoire, and later in his own music school where he built a cohort of over 150 students. Following relocation to the Fylde coast, he enjoyed many successful years as a classroom teacher of CCSE and A-Level music at Arnold School in Blackpool and AKS Lytham. He currently works as an external moderator for Edexcel GSCE and A-Level music and primarily, he is a music examiner for Trinity College London where he has performed examining duties throughout the country and on international tours for many years, visiting India, Australia, Malaysia, Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Sri Lanka.

David is now based in Fleetwood where he is much sought-after as a freelance pianist, accompanist and piano teacher. His teaching and examining experience extends over thirty years.

To enquire, please contact: David.hewitt@akslytham.com

Tony Harrison

After graduating from Salford University Tony has been teaching drums since 1997. He was lucky enough to have played at both amateur and professional levels in a diverse range of styles, from orchestral and brass bands, metal, reggae, jazz and numerous theatre shows, Tony has a wealth of knowledge from which to draw from. Pupils can pursue grades or just learn for the fun of the instrument; the choice is completely theirs. 

To enquire, please contact: tony.harrison@akslytham.com

Nick Powlesland

1.     Nick has been a professional musician since graduating from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, in 1987, where he studied guitar and piano. As a classical player he has enjoyed many years performing both as a soloist and in ensembles. In the world of popular music, he has played with bands in various styles including pop, rock and jazz, and Nick can regularly be heard playing in local theatres for musical productions, including the AKS shows at Lowther Pavilion.

Nick has been a mainstay of the music team at school dating back to the KEQMS era. He has many years of experience as a guitar teacher and has taught the guitar in whole class, small group and one-to-one settings. Nick plays and teaches all guitar types, including bass, and is always keen to tailor lessons to the musical interests of each individual pupil. He intends to start a new Guitar Ensemble/Band at school this year for players of all abilities.

When he is not teaching, Nick is a music examiner and Guitar Advisor for Trinity College London and has worked extensively in the UK and internationally. In a composing capacity, he has contributed many original pieces to the guitar repertoire and has featured in Trinity guitar grade syllabuses for more than twenty years.

For enquiries, please contact: nick.powlesland@akslytham.com

Nicola Greig

Rodger Boyes

Ed Rugman

Ed is an alumnus of AKS and studied organ, piano, and conducting to Master's Degree level at the Royal Northern College of Music, holding organ scholarships at Manchester and Blackburn Cathedrals. He went on to work with leading choirs including the BBC Singers, while also developing a passion for musical theatre, jazz, and composing for TV and film.

From 2014–17, Ed was Musical Director and Arranger for Russell Watson, touring the UK, performing at the BBC Proms, and appearing internationally. He later became Musical Director for Collabro—the world’s top-selling musical theatre vocal group—performing at over a thousand venues and accompanying Sheridan Smith, Marisha Wallace, Ramin Karimloo, Kerry Ellis, and Lea Salonga. In 2018, he conducted West End Proms Live with full orchestra at Greenwich, an engagement that culminated in him playing and conducting at the Royal Albert Hall.

As co-founder of Ten Forward Music Productions, Ed has created orchestrations, scores, and tracks for Collabro, produced their Top 20 album Road to the Royal Albert Hall, and worked as a vocal coach on Britain’s Got Talent. He has written and arranged music for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC wildlife documentaries, and projects with the Chelsea Pensioners, Madness, and Spandau Ballet.

In 2015, he became the first pianist to be broadcast in space, recording with Russell Watson for NASA’s Pluto New Horizons mission.

Alongside his performing career, Ed is passionate about education and loves encouraging young people to develop their skills and love for music and performing.

Lisa Atherton

Mrs Lisa Atherton graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music and went on to become a pianist, organist and accompanist for soloists and choirs, performing in concert halls, schools, and churches.

She has been involved in education all her life as a specialist music teacher and is passionate about every child being given the chance to experience the joy of music.

To enquire, please contact: lisa.atherton@akslytham.com

Nicola Howard

Nicola Howard is a principal soprano with extensive experience in opera, concert and recital in the UK and on the international stage. She graduated with first class honors from the Royal Academy of Music in London where she won the ABRSM Scholarship. She went on to win the prestigious Royal Overseas League International Singing Competition before commencing a long and productive singing career, performing as a principal soprano in major venues and opera houses across the world.

Throughout her working life Nicola has taught singing. She has been a visiting teacher at the Junior Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and Principal Vocal Coach to the choristers at Blackburn Cathedral.

Since retiring from performing Nicola is now the vocal teacher at Kirkham Grammar School and AKS Lytham, as well as having an extensive private teaching practice, and has helped many students gain places to study at Music Conservatoires, Music Theatre Schools and also as Choral Scholars at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

In 2012 one of Nicola’s pupils became the BBC Choirgirl of the Year and then went on to win a scholarship to study voice at the Royal Academy of Music. Another student was in the final of the Andrew Lloyd Webber ‘Search for Dorothy’ on BBC1. Nicola has taught an Emmerdale actress, as well as countless performers working in West End musicals and international opera venues.

Nicola’s students are given the opportunity to take part in singing exams, external music competitions and school events, although singing for pleasure is a pathway some students prefer. Nicola’s pupils have achieved outstanding exam results over many years, with the rate of achieving distinctions above 95%.

Nicola spends time developing the confidence of her students which will help them in all areas of life, including interviews and public speaking.  Another of Nicola’s areas of expertise is the management of performance anxiety. Time is spent working out the cause and finding coping strategies.

Above all, Nicola helps to develop in her students a love of singing and performing.

To enquire, please contact: Nicky.howard@akslytham.com

Amy Armstrong

Amy discovered her love for drama and speaking in public from an early age, whilst taking drama lessons with Mrs Marland at Arnold School. Those classes gave her the confidence to get into Drama School and pursue a successful career in acting and she was fortunate enough to work professionally in television, theatre, film and pantomime.

However, Amy soon realised that her real passion lay in helping young people to have the confidence to express themselves through drama and performance. She became the Head of LAMDA at a large independent school  in London delivering lessons to over 130 students from Reception to Year 13 in a single week. The aim was to give children of all abilities a voice to be heard and a space to explore their own creativity and she wanted her students to develop into confident young adults: to explore, to take risks, to learn and of course, to have fun - just as she did when she was at school. During the challenging Covid period, Amy continued to deliver her classes online and it was then that she realised how transformative LAMDA could be! Amy set up her own LAMDA teaching company in order to make LAMDA classes accessible to as many children as possible.

In 2023, Amy moved out to Vietnam with her family for a year to experience a different way of living.  During this time she managed her company remotely and continued to deliver LAMDA classes online. Since returning to the UK, the company has rebranded to ‘Storybox Drama’ with her husband, Grant and friend, Kristi, also on board now. Their mission going forward is to empower as many children as possible by giving them the confidence to become strong communicators, performers and storytellers.

Now that she has relocated back to her Lancashire roots, it means so much to Amy, as an old Arnoldian, to be teaching at AKS Lytham. It holds a very special place in her heart - a place which ignited her love for acting and gave her so many amazing opportunities. Amy hopes to really grow the LAMDA programme at AKS and get as many children involved as possible.

To make an enquiry, please email: Amy.armstrong@akslytham.com