Mistakes – Some Thoughts Why do some pupils expect instant success? Why do they value themselves based on what they can / cannot do? Why do some people think when they find something difficult “I’m useless / worthless” instead of “I find this difficult – if I keep practising / learning / training I can […]
There is a multitude of things to think about and questions to ask yourself when buying a piano. Acoustic piano, digital piano or keyboard? Digital pianos have the following advantages: They never need tuning. They can be played on headphones enabling practice to be done silently, keeping the neighbours happy. It may be possible to […]
Ideally pupils will have studied music theory hand-in-hand with learning an instrument / singing and so when the time comes to take grade 6 practical, grade 5 theory will have already been passed or the pupil will be able to take and pass it soon. However, this doesn’t always happen. So, what are the options? […]
Back in September I started organising a pupils’ end of term concert. In previous years, a friend who’s a retired piano teacher had had a Christmas concert in her home and had very kindly invited my pupils to play. This time, however, she decided to do something different so I decided to organise a pupils’ […]
I have been responsible for selling sheet music for charities – a charity shop and a local concert club. All sorts of things were donated, some in almost new condition, some in awful condition with all pages covered in pencil and pen marks and were really tatty. Donations often included lots of tutor books and […]
I have long enjoyed collecting second-hand sheet music (and books). I love going into a second-hand bookshop or charity shop where I know there will be some and rummaging through the piles in the hope of finding something I’m specifically looking for or anything unusual or interesting or anything that might be useful for myself […]
I found this old score (published c.1790) in one of the second-hand bookshops on Charing Cross Road, London, in a box of miscellaneous items. It is foxed and the folded edge looks tatty with bits of string hanging off it – it must have been torn out of a volume sometime in the […]
Sat 25th June 2016 Received email from friend saying would I page-turn Ravel Gaspard at professional concert next Friday. Said ‘yes’ and asked to page-turn rehearsal. Friend offered to lend me her copy but thought I’d got one somewhere. Heaved piles of music around and sorted through them to find it – knew it was […]