New Piano Pedagogy Course at Morley College
I am delighted to announce that the PTC (Piano Teachers’ Course) UK is going to teach a new Piano Pedagogy course at Morley College in London. This course is specifically…
The Piano Teachers’ Course Online
We're delighted to announce the launch of a brand-new initiative on the Online Academy, PTC Online. Developed in partnership with the The Piano Teachers’ Course UK, this series features in-depth…
Zen In The Art Of Plate Spinning
I am sure we have all seen that circus act where the showman puts a few plates on some poles, sets them spinning and then adds more plates to more…
Thinking Aloud
The first time I listened to a recording of Glenn Gould it was late evening and I was alone in the house. I swore I could hear someone singing along…
Slaying the Dragon
Piano playing can never be an exact science. We will not always be able to say with absolute precision or certainty how we arrived at a particular result in our…
Cavaliers and Roundheads: Developing Performance Skills
Last night I watched a fascinating documentary on the BBC about how English history was forever changed by the civil war. The characteristics of the two opposing forces (the puritanical,…
Five-a-Side Team Events: Some Thoughts on Chord Playing
In my youth I was fortunate enough to have some lessons with Philip Fowke, the first one was on Rachmaninov's rather overplayed Prelude in C sharp minor. I recall the…
Once Upon a Time…
We have all heard student performances where the beginning was good - secure, well-known, confident - then after a page or two we notice a decline as skill levels start…
Leaps of Faith: On Practising Waltzes
Waltzes demand a fair amount of left hand agility from the pianist - all that hopping back and forth can be quite dizzying. A pre-requisite for mobility across the keyboard…