Scherzo International Piano Competition

Auditions are open for the Scherzo International Piano Competition תחרות לפסנתרנים צעירים. Established in 2016 by Tania Kozlova and Stella Brener, competition aims to nurture young pianists and provide them with performance opportunities. Read more >

Interpreting tempo and rubato in Chopin’s music

Is interpreting tempo and rubato in Chopin’s music a matter of tradition or individual style?

From the author:

In 2013, I completed my PhD in Music Education at the University of New South Wales. My thesis was a detailed study of tempo and rubato in recordings of Chopin’s works. This study examined and refuted the popularly held notion of a tradition or Chopinesque style within pedagogical lines, nationalities and eras. What follows is some of the conclusions of the thesis.’ Read more >

Today we are learning the Blues

For many years as a piano teacher, I taught ‘the blues’ along these lines:

Today we’re going to learn the blues. Blues is the simplest form of jazz. It’s based on three chords, I, IV and V from a major scale. Here’s the 12-bar blues pattern. Let’s practise the chords. Hold each chord for four beats. Here’s the ‘blues scale’. Here are some licks that might sound good. Try them. Now mess around with the notes yourself. Here are some riffs that might sound good. Try substituting these for the chords [etc.] Read more >

Jazz for classically trained pianists

Below is my article from the Music Teacher magazine UK, November 2013. in 2016, Improv Exercises for Classically Trained Beginners book was published based on my experiences of teaching jazz and improvisation to the classically trained pupils. Buy book on: Read more >

Safeguarding and the Private Piano Studio

It is extremely important as a private music educator that you take appropriate and sensible action to protect both yourself and the students.

Though the advantages of working from home are enormous, it is extremely important as a private music educator that you take appropriate and sensible action to protect both yourself and the students who enter your home to study with you. Safeguarding training and DBS checks are mandatory for every teacher who works in educational establishments.

Though this is not the case for private tutors, it cannot be emphasised too strongly that all teachers- whether they work privately or in institutions- need to be fully aware of safeguarding procedures for working and inter-relating with vulnerable adults and young people aged eighteen and under. They need to understand the differences between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour. Teachers need to be mindful of their actions and choice of words when interacting with minors. Read more >

Setting up a Limited Company

This blog is for you if you are ever considering whether to register your private music studio as a limited company.

Limit your liability

There are many practical good reasons for setting up your own private limited company if you are a music teacher working from home. Though many worry unnecessarily about extra administrative strains, the advantages of separating your work from your individual life are considerable. Read more >

An alternative to ZOOM

Minions to Mountains or ‘How a minion built Global software to rival Zoom’

By Anita Macdonald, founder of the MeteorTutors.com

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It came during a snowstorm, after the tenth student cancelled, and long before the pandemic. ‘Let’s give them no way of missing a lesson‘. Plus of course, shortly after that, ‘let’s make it freely available in every corner of the globe‘. Read more >

EVC Music and TopMusicSheets

EVC Music and TopMusicSheets

EVC Music and TopMusicSheets presented a brand new book EVC Music at the Royal Albert Hall released by TopMusic.co and TopMusicPro.com for the TopMusic community – one of the leading educational resources available on the internet for music teachers founded by the Australian music educator Tim Topham. Read more >

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