GUEST ARTICLES
A series of posts written by guest writers on many aspects of pianism and music education.
Harpsichord Essentials: Katharine May
Katharine May, who is a British harpsichordist and pianist, is my guest writer this week. I asked Katharine (pictured above) for some tips and guidance for those who fancy swapping the piano for the harpsichord. In this post she seeks to explain a few fundamentals. I have often been approached by pianists wishing to try…
Indian Raags for piano: John Pitts
My guest writer today is composer John Pitts. John has recently published two volumes of Indian classical raags for the piano. I asked him to shed some light on these books and why they might be of interest to students and teachers. Back in the mid-1990s I spent a year in Pakistan, where my love of…
Teaching the tricky intermediate stages: Karen Marshall
My guest post this week has been written by piano teacher and author Karen Marshall. Karen feels passionately about keeping students engaged in their piano studies, with emphasis on enjoyment, so they want to continue their piano playing. I asked her what elements she considered most important when teaching at the intermediate level or approximately…
My Journey as a Composer: Lindsey Berwin
British teacher and composer Lindsey Berwin is my guest writer this week. She has written several pedagogical publications for teachers and students. I asked Lindsey about her work as a composer, and why composing has become an increasingly important element in her life. My journey as a composer began some thirty years ago, primarily in…
Composing Piano Music: John McLachlan
This week my guest writer is Irish composer and music examiner John McLachlan. A prolific composer, John has written for many genres, including a substantial collection of pedagogical piano works, some of which have been selected for inclusion in the syllabus of the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Here he writes about his music and…
Mindfulness in Music: Notes on finding life’s rhythm: Mark Tanner
My guest writer today is pianist, composer, author, adjudicator, and music examiner, Mark Tanner. Mark has penned many piano and music-related publications. This includes The Mindful Pianist, published by Faber Music in 2016. He has also written numerous educational compositions. Many of these have been featured on various exam syllabuses. Today, he provides an insight…
A New Exam Syllabus for Stringbabies: Kay Tucker
Kay Tucker is founder and director of Stringbabies, a programme enabling young children to learn stringed instruments. I met Kay several years ago and it has been inspiring to observe her continued success, establishing an ever-growing network of teachers and students who are using this increasingly popular programme. Kay has kindly written the following guest…
The Inception and Development of PIANO WEEK: Samantha Ward
Today’s guest blog post has been written by British pianist Samantha Ward. Samantha is artistic director and founder of PIANO WEEK, a popular piano Summer school and festival intended for students of all ages to study the piano. This opportunity is available in various locations around the world. I was keen to ask her about…
Honest Insights and Some Forgotten Exercises: Nick Van Bloss
British concert pianist Nick van Bloss has written the third guest post in my new series. In his post, Nick examines the forgotten exercises by German composer Louis Plaidy. I was fascinated to see Melanie’s recent post about the teaching of Rosina Lhévinne, particularly the accounts and anecdotes of her teaching by the late John…
Intervals – training or teaching? George Bevan
In my second guest post of this new series, George Bevan, an organist, choirmaster and Director of Music at Monkton Combe School, writes about his experiences whilst teaching intervals, and offers some suggestions for effectively tutoring this important skill. I hope this may be useful for all who teach instrumental music exams. It is not…
The 1st Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Festival: Daniel Tong
Over the next few weeks, I’m looking forward to welcoming a series of guest posts here on my blog. They will be written by a whole array of interesting musicians all with a specific message to convey. Today we begin with British pianist and pedagogue, Daniel Tong. Daniel is Head of Chamber Music at the…
Focal Dystonia: Andreas Eggertsberger
I first met Austrian pianist Andreas Eggertsberger in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) last November, when we were both presenting at the UCSI University Piano Pedagogy Conference. I was fortunate to catch Andreas’ fascinating presentation which focused on this little known condition. Injuries are frequently considered a taboo subject for pianists, and tend to be surreptitiously swept…