I am a regular contributor to Piano Professional, the European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA) magazine. I really enjoy writing for this publication which focuses on providing piano teachers with helpful information. The following article was written for Issue 43 (published earlier this year), and examines various approaches to staccato. When it comes to tackling articulation,…
Tag: Piano Teachers
Do Piano Exams Matter?
On returning from my holiday, I enjoyed reading Rosie Millard’s recent interesting and thought-provoking article in The Telegraph deliberating over the benefits of music exams. She labels herself a ‘pushy’ parent, although I don’t find her approach particularly ‘pushy’. I think her concerns are fairly natural amongst parents who want their children to succeed. This…
So You Want To Play The Piano?
I’ve made a short video linked below, describing my book So You Want To Play The Piano? and why it might be a useful addition to any prospective piano students library. It may also interest parents. It may also be beneficial for those who already play or are self-taught, and could even be a helpful…
The Piano Bench Mag: New Year 2016 Edition
Last year I was featured in a magazine called The Piano Bench Mag, which is an American publication designed for piano teachers and published online by teacher Karen Gibson. The Piano Bench Mag’s 2016 New Year edition highlights all those who appeared over the past 12 months on the front cover, and I was very…
10 Tips To Seriously Improve Your Piano Playing in 2016
HAPPY NEW YEAR I hope Christmas exceeded your dreams and expectations, and I wish you good health, success and happiness during 2016. I want to start this year on a high and really motivate pianists, piano students and piano teachers everywhere to enjoy their piano playing and their practice sessions. So today’s post is aimed…
So You Want To Organise A Piano Competition?
Piano competitions are becoming increasingly popular around the world, whether amateur or professional. Sally Olson, an amateur pianist and competition planner, lives in Chicago in the USA. She is on the committee of the Chicago Amateur Piano Competition 2016. This competition began in 2010. It is steadily growing in popularity. Entrants hail from many countries….
Some thoughts on ‘practising’ during piano lessons
There are so many different ways of constructing a piano lesson, and of course, every teacher has their own approach or method. It will also depend on the student. Are they preparing for an exam? Are they working on improving their technique? Perhaps taking a theory exam? Or just starting to learn? There can be many elements to tackle…