The enormous time and effort it takes to learn a musical instrument can be daunting for students – and especially discouraging when contrasted with our digital world, where contact is instantaneous and learning can happen so quickly. We’re delighted that Professor Rena Upitis has written a 3-part blog series for us on the topic of […]
Are you thinking about attending Curious Live but just have a few concerns? We get it. We understand that it’s a big commitment of your money and time. You need to know that you are going to get full value out of the day. It’s not just how much it’s going to cost. Maybe you’re […]
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 […]
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 […]
What do international musicians have in common with premier league footballers, Olympic athletes and top-flight tennis players? They all visualise their performance before an event either by ‘playing’ the piece in the concert hall, ‘running’ the race or ‘hitting’ the ball. But the visualisation isn’t just a mental image; it includes the sounds, the smells, […]
It’s easy to feel rather overwhelmed at times isn’t it? During this week I felt like this when I started to sort out all my music scores and books ready for the term ahead. It’s great that there is an ever-increasing amount of teaching material and resources available. However, it can make the job of […]
The nights are beginning to draw in, the conkers are getting fatter and shinier by the day and the hedgrows are full of ripening blackberries. As Autumn gradually begins to make its presence felt in the Northern Hemisphere we are equally as gently turning our thoughts towards the new term ahead. We’ve asked all the […]
Did you know that next Wednesday – June 21st – is International Music Day? This is wonderful opportunity for us all to share the gift of music with all our pupils. So we are calling out to piano and music teachers everywhere to make a special effort next Wednesday to have a lesson full of […]