Many will know that I enjoy highlighting the work of living composers, particularly educational composers – and especially music written by women. Today, I welcome back Canadian composer Wendy Edwards Beardall-Norton. Wendy, who is married to composer Christopher Norton, who has so generously written numerous posts for this blog, is a ‘star’ composer and is…
Tag: Piano Teachers
Variations on a Procul Theme: Tamara Barschak
My guest writer today is pianist, composer, and teacher Tamara Barschak. Tamara trained as a classical pianist for many years under Fred Lewin and then under Roger Green of Trinity College of Music. She branched out into Jazz, funk, and blues and went to live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where she studied Brazilian musical…
Teaching Observations: Favourite Licentiate Piano Diploma Repertoire
Due to the vociferous and appreciative response from readers regarding my article featuring Associate Diploma Repertoire (which you can read here), let’s now turn our attention to the next diploma, the Licentiate exam. This is the second diploma in the group of three which most music examination boards in the UK offer; they are the…
Teaching Observations: Favourite Associate Piano Diploma Repertoire
Over the past few years, I have been preparing a flurry of students for their performance diploma exams. These so-called ‘final’ exams can be very beneficial, and provide their recipients with letters after their name allowing them to assume a high level of achievement. They can also provide appropriate motivation, a goal, and, most importantly,…
Teaching Observations: A Mindful Approach
The third post in my new series, Teaching Observations, focuses on a perennial issue; ensuring students can find the necessary focus, discipline, and concentration required for real progress. Over the past few years, I have taught pupils who were most able and could find their way around the keyboard with relative ease. Notes were generally…
Preparing A New Piece – 5 Tips Part 3
Today’s post is the third and final installment of a mini-series for Pianist Magazine’s Newsletter: how to approach and learn a new piece. I hope it is of interest. Read Part 1, here, and Part 2, here. In Part 1 and 2 we examined ‘how’ to start learning a new piece. In Part 3, we…
Improvisation by Design: Susan Staples Bell
My guest writer today is Texan piano teacher and composer, Susan Staples Bell. Susan has taught piano for over 30 years, in various locations all over the world during her husband’s 30-year US Navy career. Though she’s been a creative all her life, the development of the internet and social media has given her a…
The 4th Montecatini International Piano Competition
Over the past few years, I have been fortunate to be a jury member at several international piano competitions. Most of these have been online, which, thanks to the pandemic, has started a new ‘trend’. There are clearly some disadvantages to hearing young pianists perform in this situation regarding sound and instrument quality, but, generally,…
Chord Playing and Improvising: Christopher Norton
This is the fourth article in renowned composer Christopher Norton’s series for my blog. In this post, he offers tips and suggestions for practising chords and improvisation, and the article includes a free download of Positively Swinging, a piece which hails from the fourth volume of Chris’ ever-popular piano series, Connections. You can read more…
My Notebooks – A Personal Journey: Angeline Bell
Regular readers of this blog will know that I enjoy publishing guest posts. Today’s writer is composer and piano teacher Angeline Bell. Angeline has recently published two new volumes of piano music with Editions Musica Ferrum, and, in this article, she takes us on her journey as a composer. Scroll to the end of the…
Melanie Spanswick 