If you haven’t seen him, James Rhodes is a top class concert pianist. He’s performing a musical evening of Chopin in the intimate Bromsgrove Artrix on Friday 20th February 2015 at 7:30 pm.
This is a real treat! James not only performs at the highest standard, he engages with the audience, often giving anecdotes about composers’ lives. This is a must see!
https://www.artrix.co.uk/Music/James-Rhodes/2538
I came across these articles 40 Piece Challenge and the Go Play Project.
The ‘2015 Challenge’ is to set a target to learn or re-learn a large number of piano pieces in a year. You set weekly, fortnightly or monthly deadlines. You practice the piece and then either perform it to a friend or teacher, or record it.
The result may not be perfect but taking part can help to overcome the tendency towards procrastination and perfectionism. The concept is inspirational and builds ability while learning new pieces and having fun along the way.
It’s a great idea on two counts:
As a pupil it helps you focus and practice, and the performance at the end will go some way to overcome anxiety about playing in front of someone.
As a teacher it encourages me to learn new pieces, and removes the excuse that I’m too busy teaching. Hopefully it builds a platform of increased ability to learn more complex pieces in the future.
I’ve met many people who regret quitting piano lessons, but none who regret sticking with it.
Sue Hunt
https://twitter.com/justsuehunt
Thanks to all who took part in last weekend’s social concert. The lovely people who performed two of their pieces each were Eve, Rachel, Sam, Trevor and Wayne.
Performing raises your game! Practicing hard and then performing two of your pieces to other pupils takes courage. Well done guys!
Some say he was the greatest Chopin exponent of all time because of his Polish descent. One thing is sure, he made every note sound like he meant it, a rare gift amongst pianists.
The comedian and broadcaster Alistair McGowan started playing the piano again in his thirties, and will play his first recital in a celebrity Christmas Gala in December. He claims he started playing the piano when living with a former girlfriend, because she took so long to get ready he spent the time waiting to practice.
Excellent exam results from Joshua (Grade 2) and Eve (Grade 5) who passed their ABRSM piano exams. Well done!
This is a quick video of the beginning of Amy’s journey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2GKnJ5OXCM&feature=youtu.be
This video course is available free of charge (yes, it’s FREE) from the Curtis Institute. There is an app called Coursera available for watching them. It is an excellent course on one of the greatest bodies of music ever composed.
Well done Alex (Grade 3) and Daniel (Grade 4) who passed their ABRSM piano exams with flying colours!