FEATURE ARTICLES
WRITING FOR NEWSPAPERS & MUSIC PUBLICATIONS
Feature article writing comprises pieces for newspapers, magazines, and piano publications, as well as contributions to various online websites and blogs including:
The Stage – Pianist Magazine – Piano Professional – Piano Journal – Music Teacher Magazine – International Piano Magazine – Clavier Companion – The Piano Teacher Magazine Australia – üben e musizieren – Sinfini Music – Rhinegold Publications – Faber Music Magazine – London College of Music Examinations publications – Music Ed: UK website – Moving Classics TV – Tom Lee Academy website – South Australia Music Teacher Magazine – Daily Telegraph.
WRITING FOR ASSOCIATIONS
Melanie’s work has been highlighted by piano teacher associations around the world. This is especially true in Australia. The West Australia Music Teacher’s Association has featured her work. The Music Teaching Association of Queensland has also included articles in their journals. She has written a regular feature piano technique column for the European Piano Teachers Association’s (EPTA) UK publication, Piano Professional, for whom she has penned over 20 articles.
ARTICLES, INTERVIEWS & REVIEWS
Read a selection of articles by clicking on the title of each one below:
‘Composer of the Month’ interview: TopMusic Magazine, Issue 12, January 2025
Learning to Love Piano Practice: The Musicroom Blog, December 2024
Piano Publications Interview: Presto Music Blog, October 2024
The First Piano Recital: Preparing Your Beginners For A Performance: Presto Music Blog, October 2024
Revisiting the piano as an adult: Schott Music’s Blog, December 2023
Composing with Melanie Spanswick: Schott Music’s Blog, March 2023
Women Composers: an interview with Melanie Spanswick: No Dead Guys Blog, March 2022
Lost in Thought: üben e musizieren (Schott Music), April 2021
Postcard from Jakarta: Music Teacher Magazine, January 2020
The Female Canon – Educational Piano Pieces by Female Composers: Music Teacher Magazine, November 2019
The Pianist as Composer: An Interview with Melanie Spanswick: An interview about composing for the No Dead Guys Blog, March 2019
Focus on Piano: Exploring Bloodroot by Rachel Grimes from the Grade 7 piano syllabus. A feature article for the London College of Music Examinations Magazine, September 2018
Playing to Your Strengths: a guest post for Jessica Duchen’s Classical Music Blog, May 2018
Composer’s Interview: Moving Classics TV, March 2018
5 Tips for Fingering: Pianist Magazine Newsletter; March 2018
Rediscovering the Piano Page 1 & Page 2: Pianist Magazine, Issue 96, June/July 2017
5 Tips to Instantly Improve Your Piano Performance: Pianist Magazine Newsletter, April 2016
Piano Fun and Mastery Interview: Easy Ear Training, February 2016
Nine Top Tips for Practising Octaves: Pianist Magazine Newsletter, December 2015
A Helping Hand: Pianofforte Magazine (published by Faber Music), October 2015
Teach Your Children Music with a Touch of Pianissimo: Daily Telegraph, May 2015
Classical Conversations Interview Feature: Slipped Disc Blog, January 2015
Mastering the piano series by Lang Lang – review: Pianofforte Magazine (published by Faber Music), December 2014
Interview: The Piano Bench Mag, December Edition 2014
Belgrade is One of My Sweet Homes in Diplomacy & Commerce Austria Magazine, and written by Aisa Ijiri, March 2020
Faber Music Piano Anthology Article in Pianofforte Magazine (published by Faber Music) and written by Rachel Topham, November 2016
Memories of Moscow 1 & Memories of Moscow 2: Piano Journal (EPTA‘s European magazine), written by Alicja Fiderkiewicz, edited by Melanie Spanswick, October 2016
TECHNIQUE FEATURE ARTICLES FOR PIANO PROFESSIONAL MAGAZINE (EPTA)
Thumbs (Issue 55, Spring 2021, pg. 24 – 25)
Developing the Fourth and Fifth Finger (Issue 54, Autumn 2020, pg. 34 – 35)
The Bridge Position (Issue 53, Spring 2020, pg 14 – 15)
Painless Piano Playing Part 3 (Issue 52, Winter 2019, pg. 22 – 24)
Painless Piano Playing Part 2 (Issue 51, Summer 2019, pg. 18 – 19)
Painless Piano Playing Part 1 (Issue 50, Spring 2019, pg. 24 – 25)
Fruitful Fingering Part 2 (Issue 49, Winter 2018, pg. 19 – 21)
Fruitful Fingering Part 1 (Issue 48, Autumn 2018, pg. 22 – 23)
The Sustaining Pedal (Issue 47, Summer 2018, pg. 20 – 21)
Hand Flexibility (Issue 46, Spring 2018, pg. 16 – 17)
Practising Nocturne No 20 in C sharp minor by Fryderyk Chopin (Issue 44, Summer 2017, pg. 5 – 7)
Approaches to staccato playing (Issue 43, Spring 2017, Pg. 10 -12)
The Art of Polyphony (Issue 41, Summer 2016, pg. 14 -16)
Practising without the Piano (Issue 40, Spring 2016, pg. 16 -17)
Octaves (Issue 39, Autumn 2015, pg. 4 – 6)
Tone Production (Issue 37, Spring 2015, pg. 26 – 27)
Sight-reading: the most useful tool in the box (Issue 36, Autumn 2014, pg. 20 – 22)
Resolving Tension in Piano Playing (Issue 35, Summer 2014, pg. 8 -10)
Scaling Heights With Happiness (Issue 34, Spring 2014, pg. 14 -19)
The Memory Game (Issue 33, Autumn 2013, pg. 22 – 24)