Blog - David Barton Music

The Benefits of Attending a Music Workshop

Over the past year, we've seen a huge increase in the number of online music workshops and masterclasses, but what about these events 'in person'? In this guest post, Aleah…

Review: The Resilient Artist

I get a lot of material sent to me for review from publishers and retailers, so it's always lovely when I get to review something by people I know. Although…

Review: The Piano TRACKS Book of Note Names

The Piano TRACKS Book of Note Names is a new publication as part of a suite of resources to accompany the Piano TRACKS Project. The project aims to help piano…

The Recreational Adult Piano Student: Experiences from the “Recreational Music-Making” Movement

This guest blog post about recreational adult piano students was written by Doug Hanvey, a piano teacher based in the USA. Like myself, Doug has many years' experience teaching adults…

ABRSM Performance Grades: What Did I Learn?

I have to say, I have avoided delving into the new ABRSM Performance Grades for as long as possible, but last month I was finally forced to take the leap.…

She Moved Through the Fair: A Soundscape Experiment

Have you ever included samples of birdsong or other recordings in your music? In this guest blog post, Ruth Carlyle shares her reflections on creating a soundscape mix of the…

My Top 10 Piano Duet Books for Beginners

Piano duets have always been an important part of my teaching. I've written about them many times before and recently reviewed a brand new book for piano duet. With restrictions…

Review: Ask the River (Rachel Portman)

Anyone with even a passing interest in music for film and television cannot fail to recognise the name, Rachel Portman. Born in 1960, and educated at Worcester College, Oxford, Portman…

Review: Grade 5 Music Theory Practice Papers

It's now been nearly a year since ABRSM revised their Music Theory syllabus in order to adapt to their new online exams. Their own Discovering Music Theory workbooks (a refresh…

Review: John Thompson’s First Classical Duets

I have a whole shelf of piano duets. They range from very easy, one-finger beginner pieces, right through to complex four-hand arrangements of orchestral works. You might ask why, if…

5 Tips for a Successful DipABRSM Viva Voce

In my work as a mentor for teaching diplomas, it is often the DipABRSM viva voce which sends shivers down the spine of candidates. Often, people's most pressing thought is:…

Review: Nikki Iles & Friends, Jazz Pieces for Piano

Many of us, as both pianists and teachers, have enjoyed Nikki Iles' previous books for piano: Jazz in Springtime; Jazz in Autumn; Jazz on a Summer's Day; and Jazz on…