A SELF-CONFESSED under-achiever at school, 20-year-old Michael Hughes has tuned in to the business world instead by setting up his own music tuition company.

Music Tutor Direct provides guitar, bass guitar, piano and percussion lessons to aspiring musicians throughout Newcastle, Gateshead, Washington, Sunderland, South Shields and North Shields.

The business employs seven tutors who can teach pupils of all ages at either their homes or the tutor’s home.

The team hold valid CRB checks, public liability insurance and have the necessary skills and qualifications to teach music to young people and adults.

Hughes, who hails from Washington, first mooted the idea for his business back in 2009 after he was kicked out of school.

He spent three years readying himself to run his own business, and after receiving funding and the necessary advice to get his fledgling company off the ground, Music Tutor was finally launched in 2011.

“I got kicked out of school for not having a good attitude,” he said. “I didn’t reach my full potential because I wasn’t inspired.

“I used to have guitar lessons at school and it cost my parents a lot of money.

“To be honest, I wasn’t impressed with what I received.

“I knew there was a gap in the market because the standard of teaching people how to play instruments needed to be improved.

“Learning music is a great journey and my aim is to provide an outstanding service to everyone who feel the need to unleash their potential whether they want to play the guitar, piano or percussion.

“I’d like to recruit tutors who teach other instruments to broaden the business’s offering and hopefully expand beyond the North East.

“We’re doing well and we were pretty unique a year ago, but as with all things, people are cottoning on to our success and launching similar businesses in the region.”