Guest post by Julian Harnish A smile played on my lips as I finished the last page of the last piece of my college senior recital - L’isle Joyeuse by Debussy. I was experiencing joy, and yes, part of that had to do with the state of flow that I find in performance. Yet, there… Continue reading 4 Tips for Achieving Joy-filled Practice
Fire & Water – Ji Liu
This recently released anthology of piano music comes two years after Ji Liu’s album of the same name and offers intermediate and advanced level pianists an opportunity to explore and play some of the pieces featured on Ji Liu’s recording
Meet the music publisher
I struggled to find the perfect teaching resource. I wanted a piano book for complete beginners, that progressed from lesson one onwards, and that included well-known children’s songs. I couldn’t find one so I wrote one,
Take the ‘angst’ out of music performance anxiety
Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) is a widespread problem. It affects musicians of any age, instrument, level of expertise, professional and amateur musicians alike. It can be a crippling experience for anyone who suffers, turning a performance into a nightmare.
5 Pieces to Play Instead of Für Elise
Pianist and composer Frederick Viner feels, like many of us, that Beethoven's Für Elise is "just a tad…overplayed". In this video, he select some wonderful and intriguing alternatives, including some lesser-known composers and music, to suit the intermediate player and which offer teachers a chance to explore the wider repertoire of the piano with their… Continue reading 5 Pieces to Play Instead of Für Elise
No piece is learnt in isolation
If we understand how to adapt specific skills, to make them relevant to the repertoire we are currently working on, we can make the learning process less arduous and more rewarding, while also continuing to build on existing skills and develop new ones.
NOT Another Piano Book
How everything that has stopped you playing like a Piano Legend so far... shouldn’t! Guest post by Mark Deeks I spend a lot of my life having conversations with people who have always wanted to play piano. You know the kind of people who say to you at parties, “I wish I could just sit… Continue reading NOT Another Piano Book
Pianist Cordelia Williams launches new series of videos on how to practice with limited time
Pianist Cordelia Williams offers ideas and inspiration to help you get the most of your practising in limited time.
A new perspective
Piano teacher Alexandra Westcott explains how a decision to reorganise her teaching brought her greater fulfilment, self-esteem and job satisfaction.
Note For Note: A Musical Fable – by Howard Smith
In part a memoir, 'Note for Note' is a Pilgrim's Progress for the amateur pianist, and in it Howard charts the pleasures and the pitfalls, the breakthroughs and "lightbulb moments"