I have set up a YouTube channel and will be offering a few practice tips to those who want to learn to play the piano. My ‘vlog’ series is called the Piano Education Project and I’ll be ‘vlogging’ about all aspects of piano playing. I’ll also be interviewing pianists asking them about their experiences and…
Tag: Music Education
Sistema England
I have recently blogged about Sistema Scotland and the ‘Big Noise’ orchestra which opened the London 2012 festival last week. I mentioned in this post how fabulous it would be if we had a similar set up here in England, encouraging disadvantaged children to learn various musical instruments and immerse them in the power of…
Piano Duets: sociable and satisfying
I’ve been enjoying piano duets over the past week, both four hands at one piano and works for two pianos. Piano duos can take two forms. Two pianists at one piano being the most popular, that is, the first player, or primo part, plays at the high pitched side of the instrument or the right…
The healing powers of music: repairing brain damage
Music is often used for healing purposes; from relaxation to recovering from cancer. According to science, music can have a powerful effect on repairing brain damage. Patients with left-sided brain damage who can no longer speak can find they are able to sing words, often without any difficulty or training. Melodic intonation therapy, or singing…
Can music slow down the aging process?
An interesting new study has revealed that music can help slow down the aging process. Researchers in the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University in the US, measured the automatic brain responses of younger and older musicians and non-musicians to speech sounds. They discovered that older musicians had a distinct neural timing advantage and concluded…
Aural Tests
It’s easy to go along to your instrumental lesson every week and focus on your pieces, scales and arpeggios, and sight reading, completely forgetting about the aural tests. This is an oversight because aural ability should ideally be developed over time. It takes practise to learn how to listen to ear tests and to respond…
Structured piano practice in 5 simple steps
This is a well-worn and popular topic! It’s too easy to sit down at the piano and play without much thought or adherence to any real practising schedule. There is nothing wrong with this and we all do it at some point. However, it’s a good idea to incorporate some kind of structure into your practice regime….
Do music examiners account for nerves?
Most feel anxiety before an exam. It really doesn’t matter what type of test is being taken, it’s just the fear of being scrutinized. Some students deal with nerves better than others and the most effective way to cope is to be very well prepared. I’ve already written about performance anxiety several times on my…
Piano exam success: 9 key points
I examined for the ABRSM (The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) for 5 years both in the UK and abroad, and I’ve compiled the following list of important points to remember when preparing for your music exam. 1. Preparation is the key to success. You have a very short time to make…
The Power of the Musical Mind
I have been musing on this statement from one of the most popular yet controversial pianists of the Twentieth century. Gould had a highly individual style of playing the piano, and his interpretations were often equally idiosyncratic. It’s generally assumed that fingers do all the work when playing the piano. I have forgotten how many…
Teaching young children about musical instruments
I stumbled upon this YouTube clip last night, and was delighted to find this two minute lesson for children. It’s a great idea to teach youngsters all about instruments and their various sounds. It will enhance their learning skills and will hopefully ignite an interest in music at a very young age. This clip is…