PRESENTATIONS, LECTURES & WORKSHOPS

Melanie is in demand as a keynote speaker, workshop leader, and presenter. She offers a comprehensive range of workshops and lectures which are intended for teachers, students, parents, or anyone interested in various aspects of piano playing or composing.

Presentation topics are listed and explained in more detail below. They can be delivered online as well as in person.

Diversity in Repertoire

This presentation delves into the history of female composers. It references the award-winning series, Women Composers – A Graded Anthology For Piano (published by Schott Music in 2022). Each of the 51 composers in the series is thoroughly examined. The examination surveys their life, compositional output, influences, and stylistic qualities. It also explores how they achieved their status as a ‘known’ composer in, until recently, an essentially male-dominated world. Melanie plays and demonstrates a large selection of pieces from the series. These range from Grade 1 to diploma level. This approach makes the presentation akin to a lecture recital.

Developing a Flexible Piano Technique

A secure, flexible piano technique, free from tension is paramount. This workshop is suitable for pianists of all ages and abilities. It welcomes students, teachers, and parents. The presentation is available as a 45-minute to a 3-hour session. Melanie works with students at the piano. She employs a series of simple exercises. These focus on implementing relaxed shoulders, arms, wrists, and hands, as well as developing finger power and a full tone. Students from beginners to advanced would benefit from this presentation.

Piano Technique For Today

A series of four workshops lasts a full day or approximately six hours. The workshops are based on Melanie’s teaching. They put into practice the concept of developing flexibility in piano playing. Beginning with simple exercises, students are encouraged to build flexibility, relaxation, and firm fingers coupled with a rich tone. These workshops also spotlight a myriad of challenging issues. They cover evenness in rapid passage work and ornaments. They address touch, double notes, octaves, chords, chordal balance, and arm weight. Practice notes are provided. There is plenty of student participation around the piano. It’s a packed day, and it’s both fun and engaging!

Effective Piano Practice

The main focus of this workshop is learning a piece of music from scratch in a manner which will set students on a path, practising their repertoire in a positive and effective manner. The aim is to work at a piece in such a way from the beginning in order to eliminate note and fingering issues, hesitations, rhythmic instability, less-than-ideal tone production, and the problem of tension, all at once. The workshop also helps teachers develop a positive ‘focus’ during lessons, setting students up with strategies and skills so that they know how to practice between lessons. This approach acts as a catalyst, and with regular work, can swiftly take pupils well beyond their current level.

Sight-reading – Solo and Group

An engaging session for students or teachers. The aim is to turn sight-reading into an exciting activity! The workshop contains a plethora of sight-reading ideas to be worked at around the piano by workshop members. It begins with a ’20 tip’ practice strategy that Melanie uses with all her students, reinforcing the sight-reading concept. However, the fun really begins when participants play together, as they enjoy a duet and trio session. Depending on piano availability, there may also be a multiple piano session.

Demystifying Composition

Composition is becoming increasingly important in the examination process and plays a large part in developing musicianship. This presentation is beneficial for almost anyone with a basic knowledge of music theory. It is also great for those with an interest in building their compositional skills. The presentation is built around Melanie’s compositional technique. She carefully charts various methods of introducing composition into individual lessons. These methods can also be applied in a group session or classroom. This workshop can be a lecture. It can also be a more practically-based session that involves audience members. The aim is to encourage them to explore the techniques presented.

Public Classes, Private Lessons & Group Lessons

Public piano classes and group sessions are available for students of all levels and abilities. These classes can cater to almost any group of students, particularly those preparing for grade or diploma exams. Melanie also teaches online private lessons to students around the world which can be arranged by clicking here.