Melanie regularly writes articles for newspapers, magazines, and piano publications, and has also written for various online websites and blogs. These include The Stage, Pianist Magazine, Piano Professional, Piano Journal, Music Teacher Magazine, International Piano Magazine, Clavier Companion, Sinfini Music, Rhinegold Publications, Faber Music Magazine, London College of Music Examinations publications, Music Ed: UK website, Tom Lee Academy website, and the Daily Telegraph.

Her work has been highlighted by piano teacher associations around the world, particularly in Australia; the West Australia Music Teacher’s Association and the Music Teaching Association of Queensland have featured articles in their respective journals. She has written a regular feature piano technique column for the European Piano Teachers Association’s (EPTA) UK publication, Piano Professional, penning 20 articles over seven years.

Since 2013, Melanie has been a columnist for Pianist Magazine, writing a ‘How-to-Play’ piece inside every issue writing over 50 articles. Most recently, she has written a composition column for Music Teacher Magazine.

Co-written series include ABRSM Piano Notes (published by Rhinegold) and performance notes for the 2018 – 2020 London College of Music examination syllabus and the current 2021 – 2024 syllabus. Guest writing has included articles for Music: Ed UK and the Tom Lee Academy website.

Articles, interviews, and reviews

Composing with Melanie Spanswick: Schott Music’s Blog, March 2023

Preparing a new piano piece – 5 tips: MUSIC:ED Website, December 2022

Women Composers: an interview with Melanie Spanswick: No Dead Guys Blog, March 2022

5 Tips To Develop The Fourth and Fifth Fingers: MUSIC:ED Website, December 2021

Lost in Thought: üben e musizieren (Schott Music), April 2021

In Praise of Slow Practice: MUSIC:ED Website, January 2021

Postcard from Jakarta: Music Teacher Magazine, January 2020

The Female Canon – Educational Piano Pieces by Female Composers: Music Teacher Magazine, November 2019

Tips for Healthy Piano Playing: MUSIC:ED Website, September 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.

Article contributions

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.

How-To-Play articles for Pianist Magazine

Minuet in C major by Christian Friedrich Schale (Issue 129, December/January 2022/2023)

Musical Clock Op. 210 No. 16 by Cornelius Gurlitt (Issue 128, October/November 2022)

Etudes Enfantines Op. 37 No 10 by Henry Lemoine  (Issue 127, August/September 2022)

Sis Tempy’s Story from 10 Little Tunes for 10 Little Friends by George W Chadwick (Issue 126, June/July 2022)

Preparatory School For Piano Op. 101 No. 88 by Ferdinand Beyer (Issue 125, April/May 2022)

Diu Que Una Rosa… by Narcisa Freixas (Issue 124, February/March 2022)

Bébé S’Endort by Hedwige Chrétien (Issue 123, December/January 2021/2022)

Cantabile in B flat B84 by Frédéric Chopin (Issue 122, October/November 2021)

Regents Park (No. 6 from London Scenes) by Cuthbert Harris (Issue 121, August/September 2021)

Romance from Six Easy Pieces Op. 52 by Johann Nepomuk Hummel (Issue 120, June/July 2021)

March of the Tin Soldiers Op. 130 No. 6 by Cornelius Gurlitt (Issue 119, April/May 2021)

Prelude in A major Op. 28 No. 7 by Frédéric Chopin (Issue 118, February/March 2021)

Vieux Noël in G minor by César Franck (Issue 117, December 2020/January 2021)

The Cricket and the Bumble Bee by George W Chadwick (Issue 116, October/November 2020)

24 Miniatures Op. 33 No. 7 by Samuel Maykapar (Issue 115, August/September 2020)

Studies for Children Op. 79 No. 4 by Hermann Berens (Issue 114, June/July 2020)

Study in F major Op. 176 No. 17 by Jean-Baptiste Duvernoy (Issue 113, April/May 2020)

Minuet in G WoO 10 No. 2 by Ludwig van Beethoven  (Issue 112, February/March 2020)

For Your Birthday by Albert Biehl (Issue 111, December/January 2019/20)

Mazuka in C by Maria Szymanowska (Issue 110, October/November 2019)

Allegro in B flat K3 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Issue 109, August/September 2019)

Fugue in C major P.144 by Johann Pachelbel (Issue 108, June/July 2019)

Les Coucous Bénévoles by François Couperin (Issue 107, April/May 2019)

No. 27 from the Easiest Exercises Op. 109 by Ernesto Köhler (Issue 106, February/March 2019)

Etude Op 97 1a by Anton Reicha (Issue 105, December/January 2018/9)

Etude No. 19 from L’alphabet Op. 17 by Félix Le Couppey (Issue 104, Ocotber/November 2018)

Petite Réunion Op 100 No 4 by Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller (Issue 103, August/September 2018)

Melodious Studies Op 108 Nos 12 & 16 by Ludvig Schytte (Issue 102, June/July 2018)

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by Pyotr IIyich Tchaikovsky arr. Melanie Spanswick (Issue 101, April/May 2018)

Prelude in C BWV 846 by Johann Sebastian Bach (Issue 100, February/March 2018)

Scherzo Op 55 No. 3 by Ignaz Moscheles (Issue 99, December/January 2017/18)

Etude Op 137 No. 5 by Henri Bertini (Issue 98, October/November 2017).

Scherzo from Sonatina Op. 151 No. 1 in G by Anton Diabelli (Issue 97, August/September 2017).

Intermezzo in G Op. 123 No. 2 by Cécile Chaminade (Issue 96, June/July 2017).

Distant Bells Op. 63 No. 6 by Louis Streabbog (Issue 95, April/May 2017).

Amazing Grace, Trad. arr Scaife (Issue 94, February/March 2017).

Sonatina in G Anh 5 No 1 (first movement) by Ludwig van Beethoven (Issue 93, December/January 2016/7).

Sonatina in C Op. 36 No. 1 (first movement) by Muzio Clementi  (Issue 92, October/November 2016).

Modern Minuet & Modern Waltz by Hans-Günter Heumann (Issue 91, August/September 2016).

Innocence from 25 Easy & Progressive Studies Op. 100 by Johann Burgmüller (Issue 90, June/July 2016).

Melodie Op. 68 No. 1 by Robert Schumann (Issue 89, April/May 2016).

Soldier’s March Op. 47 No. 14 by Robert Fuchs (Issue 88, February/March 2016).

Little Flowers Op. 205 No. 4 by Cornelius Gurlitt (Issue 87, December/January 2015/16).

La Caroline by C P E Bach (Issue 86, October/November 2015).

Melodie No. 5 from Skizzen Op. 77 by Heinrich Hofmann (Issue 85, August/September 2015).

Minuet No 1 Op. 36 by Amy Beach (Issue 84, June/July 2015).

To Begin With No 1 from 24 Pieces for the Young by Peter Nicolai Von Wilm (Issue 83, April/May 2015).

Minuet in B minor from French Suite No. 3 BWV 814 by J S Bach (Issue 82 February/March 2015).

The Pipers by Charles Gounod (Issue 81, December 2014/January 2015).

The Doll’s Funeral by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Issue 80, October/November 2014).

Sonatina in G by Thomas Attwood (Issue 79, August/September 2014).

Minuet by Charles Villers Stanford (Issue 78, June/July 2014).

Pianist Magazine extra editions

Andantino in E Flat by Joseph Haydn: Great Piano Composers of the Classical Era (published by Pianist), June 2015.

Solfeggietto in C minor by C P E Bach: Great Piano Composers of the Classical Era (published by Pianist), June 2015.

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).

‘Melanie brings a deep musical understanding to all her work, with loads of useful practice tips, book/product profiles, and guest authors.’

The Collaborative Piano Blog