Wellington-based composer and bass player Simon Eastwood has a diverse practice, including orchestral and chamber works, electronic pieces, and improvisation. He studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London and at the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington. Simon has a broad range of teaching experience, having taught double bass, bass guitar, and composition privately for 20 years, and has worked with students from a range of ages and backgrounds. During his time at the Royal Academy, he also completed an LRAM teaching diploma for composition, working with Junior Academy students. In 2020 he completed a Doctorate of Musical Arts at Victoria University of Wellington, and he was Mozart Fellow at the University of Otago from 2024-2025.

As a bass player, he regularly performs in a variety of contexts, playing in orchestras and chamber ensembles as well as rock, jazz and folk groups. As a composer, Simon has had works performed extensively around New Zealand, in the UK, Austria, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Lithuania, and Korea, and in the United States.

Scots College (CPAC) Music Rooms | 1 Monorgan Road, Strathmore, Wellington

Activity Details

What to bring

You will be provided with a note book on your first lesson. Please bring this with you to every lesson.

Session Dates & Times

This activity runs on these dates and times:

April 2026 to May 2026
Friday, 24 April 2026 (3:30pm to 8:30pm) Friday, 1 May 2026 (3:30pm to 8:30pm) Friday, 8 May 2026 (3:30pm to 8:30pm) Friday, 22 May 2026 (3:30pm to 8:30pm) Friday, 29 May 2026 (3:30pm to 8:30pm)

June 2026 to July 2026
Friday, 5 June 2026 (3:30pm to 8:30pm) Friday, 12 June 2026 (3:30pm to 8:30pm) Friday, 19 June 2026 (3:30pm to 8:30pm) Friday, 26 June 2026 (3:30pm to 8:30pm) Friday, 3 July 2026 (3:30pm to 8:30pm)

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Activity fees:

	Session name	Total
	Individual Music lessons (midweek)	$475.00

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	Extra half hour in order to have a full hour lesson		per child	Price:$475.00	Qty:	Total:$0.00
	Extra 15 mins in order to have a 45 min lesson		per child	Price:$237.50	Qty:	Total:$0.00

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Terms & Conditions

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Terms & Conditions for Rātā Studios

Last updated on Wednesday, 29 March 2023, 9:21am

Fee Policies and Procedures.

Fees are payable at the time of enrolment. Failure to pay fees may result in the loss of the enrolment space.
No discount applies for missed classes following either enrolment or the attendance of any class.

Refund Policies and Procedures.

After commencement of classes, no refund will be given to students unless the class is cancelled for the entirety of the term, by Rata Studios management.

If a tutor is ill and unable to teach a class, you will be contacted and we will endeavour to schedule a make-up class. We will always try and find a replacement tutor in the first instance, but if this is not possible, a refund for the cancelled class will be provided.

Individual Music Lessons

Rata can offer a catch up lesson to students taking individual lessons, on the following conditions:
Catch-up lessons can only be given if you advise us by 7 pm the day before your lesson of your intended absence unless exceptional circumstances are involved.
A maximum of 1 catch up lesson can be given per school term.
A catch up date and time will be offered to you. We may need to shuffle times to accommodate the tutor's schedules. We will be in touch to confirm an appropriate time.
We cannot guarantee the regular weekly teacher will deliver the catch up lesson but in most cases it will be with your regular teacher.
If contact is not made by the student within a week, to accept the offer of the catch up lesson, then the catch up lesson is forfeit. We will always be flexible if reasonable circumstances prevent this from happening.
_{Catch up lessons are not available to group and band participants.}
_{We strive to provide a relief teacher on the day of the lesson. If we cannot, then a catch-up lesson will be offered or an account credit will be given.}
_{For the catch up lesson, we may need to shuffle times to accommodate the tutor's schedules. We will be in touch to confirm an appropriate time.}
_{If no suitable time for catch ups can be found, then Rata Studios will issue full refunds or credits for the missed lesson(s).}

Communication

Communication of class cancellations or any other information required by the students, will be made directly by Rata Studios Manager, Jackie James and/or Mark Bobb for the Music School courses. It is the responsibility of the student or student's caregiver to ensure that the Rata Studio Manager has your current contact details.

Health, Safety, Injury & Medical Conditions Policies and Procedures.

Rata Studios takes all practical steps to ensure the safety of all individuals who participate in our courses. Any injury sustained through misconduct or inappropriate behaviour is the responsibility of the individual.
Rata Studios will aim to provide a safe learning environment to reduce the risk of injury.
Rata Studios provides qualified and experienced tutors, who actively promote safe practice.
All Rata Studios tutors have been vetted by the NZ Police as required by law under theVulnerable Children Act 2014.
It is the students parents/caregivers responsibility to notify the tutor or Manager in the event of injury/medical condition prior to class.
A first aid kit is available in the Rata Studios Managers office. We do not provide anyone with Paracetamol or equivalent or administer students medication.
Rata Studios students are under supervision whilst in class time only. Whilst we endeavour to provide a safe environment, tutors and staff cannot be responsible for students outside their allocated class time.
Studentsare not be dropped off and left unattended for more than 5 mins before or after the class they are enrolled in.
In the event of an emergency all participants are required to follow the instructions of the Rata Studios Manager, or the Rata Studios tutor running the course at the time.
Contact lists are on site and accessibleto tutors in the event of an emergency.

Student Behaviour, Attendance and Punctuality.

Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the class they are enrolled in.
No student has the right to disrupt the learning of others and if they choose to act outside of the established expectations, they will be asked to sit out and parents contacted, if applicable. If the behaviour continues to be disruptive then the enrolment will be withdrawn and any remaining fee refunded.
No gum, or food is to be consumed in the teaching spaces, however students are encouraged to bring a water bottle.
It is expected that students mobile phones are turned off and put away during the classes.
It is expected that students arrive 5 mins before the class begins, to enable the class to start on time, without interruption.
If a student is unable to attend a class for any reason, it is essential that the Rata Studios Manager is contacted as soon as possible via email or text.

Observance.

Parents/caregivers are not permitted to observe the classes in action. Tutors may, from time to time invite parents to view 5 mins at the end of a class, if applicable.
Sometimes we hold informal showings or performances which parents/caregivers are invited to.

Photography, Recording and Filming of Students.

Photography, recording or filming of students in class and at concerts, if applicable, is permitted only if agreed to by all parties.

Privacy Act

Upon enrolment, Rata Studios collects personal information about you. Under the Privacy Act 1993, you are entitled to have access to and request correction of this information. It is held at the Rata Studios premises at Scots College, Monorgan Rd Strathmore, Wellington. This information may be shared with Rata Studios tutors,in the event of an emergency for contact purposes only.

Personal details will only be used by Rata Studios and will not be sold to any third party at any stage. We may disclose personal information that we collect and retain about you to third parties but only to which you have consented, or when we are required to do so by law.

Mailing Lists

Email addresses are automatically entered onto Mailchimp emailing list of the course/s enrolled in, as well as the All Contacts list for the purposes of group communication. Participants are free to unsubscribe from either of these lists should they no longer wish to receive email updates and communications.

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Fridays with Simon Eastwood- Double Bass Term 2 2026