Review: Get Set! Piano – My First Piano Book
Karen Marshall must be one of the few people who has inspired as many teachers as she has students. It is always a pleasure to review her publications because they…
ABRSM Piano Syllabus 2021/22: Publication Review
Alongside my review of the new repertoire selections for the 2021/22 ABRSM Piano Syllabus, the Board have also published a number of other new publications. In this blog post, I…
ABRSM Piano Syllabus 2021/22: Repertoire Review
In addition to a refreshed and more varied repertoire selection, 2021 will see a number of changes to the ABRSM Piano syllabus, including: A new Initial Grade providing a more…
Teaching Diplomas: Does Teaching Experience Help?
As you can imagine, when potential candidates enquire about my online mentoring programme for teaching diplomas, they have a lot of questions on their mind. One of the most frequently…
Beginner Piano Lessons: 3 Essential Ingredients
Beginner piano lessons with a student of any age can be pivotal. They can be 'make or break', so it's no wonder they can make us piano teachers so nervous.…
Mindful Reflection, Before and After the Music Lesson
It’s easy amidst the hustle and bustle of the online world, to feel that as teachers, we're not keeping up. There’s an almost limitless number of things we could teach…
Making the Most of Your Accompanist
This post was written before the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic took hold; however, I hope it will be useful for a time in the future when we are, once again, able…
How to Avoid the Most Common DipABRSM Written Submission Mistakes
If you're just starting to think about working towards the DipABRSM in Teaching, one of the first things you're likely to consider is the written submission. The written submission comprises…
Top Resources for Improving Your Sight-Singing
I cannot emphasise what a useful skill sight-singing is. Sadly, over the years, it's got a bit of a bad press as it continues to be tested as part of…
5 Things I’ve Learnt Having Music Lessons as a Teacher
Like many, I had instrumental lessons as a child. First of all, I had piano lessons which I started age six, then flute lessons, then later on, singing lessons. As…
Teaching Diplomas: Should You Go It Alone?
This is a question which I’m often asked, and it’s a justifiable consideration. It’s a question which arises, much in the same way as the one much-debated by teachers as…
Moving Forward With Transfer Students
At one time or another, most instrumental teachers, wherever they work, will inherit a student who previously had lessons with another music teacher. Turning it round the other way, many…