Welcome to our end of year roundup; in this first part we are looking back at what we’ve been up to over on our YouTube Channel. YouTube is still a fairly recent addition to what we offer and during 2019 we’ve been consistently adding videos on a regular basis. Sally’s Tuesday Teaching Tips can all […]
You know those piano lessons that feel really, really good? Where both you and your student feel completely fired up and energised by the end of the lesson? Think back to these lessons and consider about what mades them so successful. For me I have pinpointed these lessons to be the ones when I stop […]
It’s sad to say but we’ve come to the end of The Curious Improvisation Symposium! This final blog of the series summarises, with links, all that we have covered previously. Thank You! First of all we’d like to say a HUGE thank you to our 12 contributors: Andrew Higgins, Bradley Sowash, Carol Matz, Christopher Norton, […]
‘What are your top resources for improvisation?’ This was the question we asked our symposium contributors for this, the penultimate week of The Curious Improvisation Symposium. We really wanted them to share some of their own resources as well as some of their favourite books and ideas. They have all come up trumps and you’ll […]
How do you eat an elephant? It’s a question that we often pose at The Curious Piano Teachers. It’s also the reason why Ed the elephant travels everywhere with us – along with elephant sweets! The answer is of course that you start with one bite at a time. Some folks might start with the […]
Where do you get your improvisation inspiration from? What are some of your favourite places to go for a stimulus? We asked the contributors to The Curious Improvisation Symposium this very question and, as you might have come to expect from the series, there’s something here for everyone! ANDREW HIGGINS When teaching students I use […]
Have you tried to improvise yet? Have you taken that first, vital step to give it a go? If you’re struggling to get started I want you to stop reading right now! Grab your diary and schedule 3-4 five minute appointments with yourself over the next week. These are your improvisation slots – your moments […]
A good improviser has something fixed at the heart of the process whether this is a set of notes, a chord sequence or a structure. Within the confines of what is fixed, improvisers have the freedom to play around with these elements. This is often referred to as having ‘something fixed and something free’. I […]
Are you a bit scared of improvisation? Does it make you feel slightly uncomfortable? A bit out of your depth? Wishing you had a few resources to help you get going? You’ll be pleased to know that you are not alone. In this week’s blog post our Curious Improvisation Symposium contributors consider just why so […]
“Aaargh!! I see my pupil for such a short amount of time every week! There’s hardly enough time to do everything as it is. Do I really need to include improvisation as well?” Does this ring a bell? This week the 10 contributors to our Curious Improvisation Symposium make it quite clear: improvisation in piano […]