The Cross-Eyed Pianist

MusicGurus, the online music education platform that partners with worldleading artists to create unique interactive lessons, has released Perform Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons” March, April, June and October with pianist Julia Zilberquit, exclusively on musicgurus.com. In this exciting masterclass, Julia will help you learn how to play her favourite four pieces from Tchaikovsky's cycle 'The Seasons':… Continue reading Learn to play Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Seasons’ with pianist Julia Zilberquit and MusicGurus

Piano teaching, Practising

4 Tips for Achieving Joy-filled Practice

February 23, 2021February 23, 2021 The Cross-Eyed Pianist

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

Piano teaching

Fire & Water – Ji Liu

February 9, 2021February 6, 2021 The Cross-Eyed Pianist

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

Piano teaching

Meet the music publisher

February 2, 2021 The Cross-Eyed Pianist

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,

General

Take the ‘angst’ out of music performance anxiety

January 25, 2021 The Cross-Eyed Pianist

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.

Repertoire, Students

5 Pieces to Play Instead of Für Elise

January 7, 2021 The Cross-Eyed Pianist

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

Piano teaching

No piece is learnt in isolation

December 7, 2020November 12, 2020 The Cross-Eyed Pianist

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.

Piano teaching

NOT Another Piano Book

November 27, 2020November 26, 2020 The Cross-Eyed Pianist

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