Many of us have been practising ‘social-distancing’ for a week or two already, and whilst not an especially enjoyable or uplifting experience, for me it has provided some much needed respite from the weekly lessons (although these are now all online), workshops, classes and piano courses, and work-related meetings. I love my work, but it’s…
Tag: Piano Lessons
Master classes with Valentina Lisitsa
Continuing with my aim to highlight master classes, championing the importance of the public or ‘class’ lesson, today’s post features Ukrainian pianist Valentina Lisitsa. Valentina enjoys a busy performing career since establishing her YouTube channel in 2007, and she has been hailed an internet ‘star’. She now has over 582,000 followers, and 226 million views….
Creating Even Passagework
The following article was recently published in Pianist magazine’s newsletter (you can subscribe, here), and I hope it might be a useful practice tool for all those who are planning a weekend of piano practice! Creating even passages, devoid of lumps, bumps, and rhythmic jerkiness, can be a demanding challenge. How can we practice fruitfully,…
ArtePiano Masterclasses
My guest post today has been written by South African pianist Niel du Preez (pictured below), the artistic director of a new piano course, ArtePiano Masterclasses, which will be held in splendid Sankt Goar, Germany. Here, Niel descibes how and why he established this exciting new venture. Sankt Goar A couple of years ago I…
Master classes with Olga Kern
In today’s post I’m continuing my quest to highlight master classes (or public lessons). YouTube is a wonderful resource for teachers and students; we can enjoy and learn from a variety of filmed videos online, all at our fingertips. Russian pianist Olga Kern was born in Moscow and studied at the renowned Central Music School…
10 Motivational Practice Tips
Last year I travelled to several different parts of the world giving workshops and classes. I invariably asked the owner of the studio (or shop), where my presentations took place, if there was a particular topic that teachers would like to discuss; ‘how to keep students motivated’ was the almost unanimous reply. It’s no mean…
Piano Workshops in Newcastle and York
One aspect of writing books that I particularly enjoy is the opportunity to meet teachers and students at workshops and book presentations. This year, I will be doing a fair few workshops all around the country, as well as some abroad. In February, I’m looking forward to visiting Newcastle and York for two Play it…
Chetham’s Piano Teachers’ Course: 2020 Chetham’s International Summer School and Festival for Pianists
I’m delighted to be a faculty member at the 2020 Chetham’s International Summer School and Festival. This world-famous Summer school has been running for over 20 years, and is the largest of its kind. Offering an inspirational array of courses, individual lessons, lectures, presentations, and recitals, the Summer School boasts an impressive faculty of renowned…
The Classical Piano & Music Education Blog
Welcome to my blog and website. The Classical Piano and Music Education Blog is nearly eight years old, and during that time I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing every week on this site. I pen the majority of the articles and posts, but I particularly like to present guest writers and composers, who offer a whole range…
Master Classes with Nelita True
In many respects a master class is a public lesson, the audience eavesdropping on proceedings. Attending public classes can be surprisingly beneficial both for students and teachers, as we can all learn from observing the lessons of others, and especially from esteemed pianists and teachers. I stumbled across this interesting filmed lesson, master class, and…
