I’m pleased to be the featured author and composer this year at Presto Music. For this series, entitled ‘Author Focus’, Presto Music will publish a new video every month over the next twelve months featuring my work, books and music. In each video, I discuss various aspects of my career, including teaching beginners, talented young…
Tag: Author Articles
Remain Composed Podcast
Happy World Piano Day! Today is World Piano Day, which is now an annual worldwide event. It takes place on the 88th day of the year because of the number of keys on the instrument being celebrated. Established in 2015, by composer Nils Frahm, it is now well known across the globe, and it forms…
Guildhall Young Artists Residency Dubai 2026
An aspect of teaching that I particularly enjoy is the chance to meet and work with new students and this type of coaching is instantly possible on music courses. Here, one has the chance to work with a variety of students in a much shorter time frame than would be feasible with regular one-to-one coaching….
New Publication: Chakra Suite for Clarinet and Piano
The Chakra System The origins of the seven chakras are deeply rooted in Eastern spiritual traditions. The Chakras are considered the basis of human existence and the human chakra system is commonly accepted as seven energy ‘centres’ stretching physically from the spine to the crown of the head. This system is also representative of disparate…
Hope Is The Thing at Trinity College Chapel
Over the weekend I was fortunate to visit Cambridge University for a performance of a short choral piece that I wrote for choir a few years ago. This performance was held at Trinity College Chapel and conducted by the senior organ scholar, Augustine Cox. It formed part of a concert celebrating music by British and…
Australian Guild of Music & Speech: The 2026 Piano Syllabus
This week I learned that nearly 60 of my original piano compositions have been included in the Australian Guild of Music & Speech examination board’s new 2026 piano exam syllabus. For a composer, it’s always a delight to hear that one’s music has been included in any publication, but for it to be featured in…
Snapchats Duets & Trios for Beginners
At the end of last year, my fourth publication, featuring original piano duets and trios for students, was released. The Snapchats Duets (four hands at one keyboard) & Trios (six hands at one keyboard) series began in 2016 with just one book containing mainly elementary level duets plus a few trios which are from Initial…
Guildhall Young Artists Online 2026
A Very Happy New Year! I wish you all a wonderful, healthy and happy 2026. We galloped through 2025 at such speed that I hope 2026 will slow down a little! There are many events and projects in the pipeline over the course of the coming year. A few highlights include several forthcoming publications: a…
Favourite Books of 2025
Wishing all my readers a very happy festive season As the year draws to a close, I’m focusing on my favourite books of 2025. I’d like to highlight the following five books which I’ve really enjoyed reading. This is a rather random collection of fiction and non-fiction; some were published in 2025 whilst others are…
Pre-Christmas Cheer
It’s December already and we all know what that means: Christmas time, for those who celebrate. After a busy term, which, for me, finished yesterday, it’s good to have some time to reflect on the past few weeks and look forward to the festive break. The Play it again: PIANO Prep Book (Schott Music), which…
Play it again: PIANO Prep Book
The piano is an intoxicating instrument. Those who have played in their youth often harbour a desire to return to it later in life. Piano ‘returners’ make up an increasingly large cohort of amateur pianists, and whether younger or older, it’s usually fairly easy to pick up again from where you left off. Progress can…
Top Piano Practice Tips: An Interview
UK-based Marcel Zidani is a concert pianist, teacher, and composer. He runs a large Facebook group called Adult Piano Beginners (click here to join) which currently hosts over 44,000 members, and it was this group that proved the original inspiration for my own Facebook group, Adult Piano Returners (click here to join). Marcel is also…