It started with this tweet….. I retweeted it because it amused me. But looking at that red cover with the simple outline of a recorder also brought a Proustian rush of memories – of about 20 children sitting in a sun-filled classroom at Maney Hill Primary School in Sutton Coldfield in the early 1970s, with ..read more

Concert pianist. Thanks to movies and popular culture, this job title brings to mind conflicting images of a starving artist, mad genius, or supernaturally talented magician who communes with the Muse – almost never the hardworking professional that a pianist must be in order to maintain a successful performing career. Lifting the Lid: interviews with ..read more

The following Japanese terms are all about warding off laziness and boosting motivation plus tips for embracing the concept of doing your best. They are useful as general rules for life; here I have interpreted them for the benefit of musicians: Ikigai Have a purpose in life Ikigai comes from two words – Iki meaning life ..read more

Guest post by Ingrid on the experience of studying with Dr Michael Low Like many musicians, my journey started thanks to a fabulous piece I heard one day (and for sure so many more, but it has been a while so I can’t quite tell) that moved my heart and soul so deeply that I ..read more

‘Music, Painting, Landscape, and Me’ by Marc Yeats Publication date 1st April 2024 In this book, composer and landscape painter Marc Yeats embarks on an introspective journey, weaving together the symbolic realms of music and painting through the written word. This endeavour expands upon the immediacy of engagement with his compositions and paintings and what ..read more

"We have to plant music and art into the brains and hearts of young people" - an interview with celebrated baritone Benjamin Appl ..read more

A tribute from pianist François-Frédéric Guy « ON VOULAIT ÊTRE POLLINI ». Hommage Oui. On voulait être Pollini. Non par je ne sais quelle prétention ou folie, mais plutôt par nécessité. Quand on écoutait l’un de ses très nombreux enregistrements, quand on sortait de l’un de ses concerts. Lorsqu’adolescent, on se préparait à une vie ..read more

The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) marks the centenary of Charles Villiers Stanford’s death with a series of special events ..read more

“Every time you play a great piece of music there is a new discovery. Every time.” Mitsuko Uchida, pianist “I am interested in music as ecstasy, as something that transports you away from the everyday to another place.” Terry Riley, composer “Perhaps many a composer of the past would be astonished at how over-cautious we ..read more

The interviews in this book offer remarkable and often surprisingly honest insights into life as a professional pianist today – from years of intense study with some of the leading pianist-teachers and pedagogues of our time to practicing and performing, repertoire and recording. There are also more esoteric reflections on the nature of “success” as a musician, and advice for young musicians who are considering a professional career ..read more