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 Teachers
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….
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…
The Faber Music Soundtracks Piano Anthology Competition
It’s time for a competition. The prize, for one lucky reader, is a copy of the latest piano publication from Faber Music: The Faber Music Soundtracks Piano Anthology. This hefty tome contains a generous selection of themes from the movies arranged for piano solo. The arrangements, of which there are over 50, are presented in…
Piano Notebook
As many will know, I enjoy highlighting piano resources and today’s post focuses on the Piano Notebook; a new collection of short pieces intended for elementary students. Devised and written by Spanish teacher, Juan Cabeza Hernández, who is based in Madrid, the project has been created to provide various materials, resources, ideas and activities for…
Indonesian Charm
Over the past nine days I have been touring in the Far East. It’s always a pleasure to work with students and teachers in different parts of the world, and fascinating to note the various similarities in teaching styles, despite the cultural differences. I began my trip in Indonesia, a country I visited briefly last…
Painless Piano Playing Part 2
Today’s blog post has been recently published in EPTA’s (or the European Piano Teachers Association) flagship UK publication Piano Professional, for which I write a feature technique article. It’s the second article focusing on developing a pain free, relaxed piano technique. You can read Painless Piano Playing Part 1, here. In my previous article, Painless…
