Review: Stepping Tones Practice Diary
Who remembers their Chester's Music Practice Book from when they had lessons as a child? I do, and I have a feeling I've still got mine somewhere. These tiny little…
4 Ways to Make the Most of the Music Exam Mark Sheet
If you're reading this, you've probably taken a music exam fairly recently. Congratulations! Whatever the outcome, I have a huge amount of admiration for any learner who puts themselves forward…
5 Reasons Why the DipABRSM Quick Study Is More Than Just Sight-Reading
Ask many DipABRSM candidates which part of the exam they fear most, and nine times out of 10, it's the quick study. My own experience of mentoring instrumental teachers has…
Do You Teach Students Who Have No Idea What They Want to Learn? Here’s How Spotify Can Help
Very occasionally, I come across a student who has a really clear idea what it is they want to learn. They have lots of ideas for pieces they'd like to…
Review: Piano Star Theory
I don't know about you, but when I was learning piano as a child, the idea of theory sent shivers down my spine. Don't get me wrong, I liked theory,…
Piano TRACKS in Practice
In this guest blog post, Barbara Kennedy, creator of the Piano TRACKS Project, shares three pupil case studies which demonstrate how the framework can be applied in practice. We hope…
Review: Modern Piano Studies (Jakub Metelka)
Some might say that studies (or études) have fallen out of favour with modern approaches to piano teaching. As a developing pianist, I don't recall using books of studies in…
Why Take a Teaching Diploma?
For those teaching privately in the UK, there is no requirement to possess any kind of qualification; however, every year, thousands of teachers choose to work towards a teaching diploma…
Review: Landscapes (Alison Matthews)
After all these years of playing and teaching, I still love discovering new music. In Landscapes, Alison Matthews has composed 14 beautiful 'poetic' piano solos which will, I'm sure, stand…
DipLCM(TD): Delivering an Effective Demonstration Lesson
In this blog post, I want to share some thoughts about planning, rehearsing and delivering your demonstration lesson as part of the DipLCM(TD) teaching diploma. The advice given here is…
Review: ABRSM More Piano Sight-Reading, Grades 1-8
I suppose you might ask, with some justification I may add, what the point of another set of piano sight-reading books is. ABRSM have always produced a set of eight…
By Investing in Yourself, You Invest in Others
If you put money into a savings account, chances are, you'll get back, with the addition of interest, more than you started with. You might not get very much, especially…