Who We Are

The People Behind the Zebra

Working alphabetically (no favouritism here!)

AMANDA OOSTHUIZEN is a prize-winning
writer and the author of many music books.
She is a highly experienced woodwind teacher
and lives with her family in the UK.

Her knowledge extends into the wild worlds of Flute, Clarinet, Sax, Oboe, Recorder, Bassoon, Piano, and she’s venturing into the danger zone of Double Bass!

“My pupils never cease to amaze me with their inventiveness, enthusiasm, musicality and sheer creativity. I love it when I am offered the chance to take on a new pupil and discover what they are about, what their musical interests are or might be, and their ambitions. It’s a voyage of discovery for both of us and I am determined it will be as exciting an adventure as I can make it. It is a privilege to start someone off on their musical adventure and I take an enormous pleasure in developing their musical spark. It is terrific fun for me and I do everything I can to ensure that my pupils have fun in my lessons. I am very enthusiastic about my pupils, my instrument and my teaching.”

Amanda has taught in all kinds of schools, in all sorts of areas, from babies to the elderly and all ages between, from to nuns to ne’er-do wells, counts to poets. She has taught in groups and individually, at home, at school, in fields, in cupboards – you name it…

All her daughters learnt various musical instruments and she says it was often very difficult indeed to encourage them to practise or even to find a place for them to practise at home. And then there were the bands and orchestras, the rehearsals, the choirs and events and concerts, the tours, the recitals, the dramas, the dresses, the instruments, the reeds. Phew! Was it worth it? “Yes, of course. But you know, as a parent, it’s great and it’s difficult (but then learning to play a musical instrument is difficult), it’s wonderful and I sympathise!”

She has recently started to learn the double bass and knows exactly how her pupils feel when, sometimes, things go wrong when they play to her and they mutter under their breath: ”I don’t know what’s happening. It was really good when I played it at home.”

In short, Amanda aims to make her lessons a fun, positive experience and this is also her aim when she writes music books.

JEMIMA OOSTHUIZEN is a graduate of both the Royal Academy of Music, and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She not only studied bassoon and contrabassoon, but also composition and orchestration, amongst other things.

Jemima has, in the past, dabbled in both treble and descant recorder, violin, and piano playing, as well as a very few toots on clarinet and sax. She also once borrowed her sister’s cello.

Jemima is now a freelance musician, and arranges and composes for Wild Music Publications.

Jemima is also mostly responsible for updating the website and social media! So if you find any problems, direct your angry emails at Jemima! (Don’t hold back!)