Sharing my thoughts on piano playing, teaching and music in general. Read progress reports on my Bach Project.
I was enjoying a pint of beer after a day of teaching at London’s City Lit. Joining me in the pub was an old friend. I gave him a copy of an easy single-page piano piece, about Grade 1 standard. “I’m off to spend a penny” I said. “See how much of that you can memorise”.… Continue reading Bach Project
Up to the point that I discovered Daniel Barenboim’s recording of the WTC in the early 2000s I had never been particularly drawn to Bach’s original keyboard music. I’d enjoyed enormously some of Wilhelm Kempff’s arrangements of famous cantata movements etc., but as for solo piano, I’d always preferred Beethoven or Chopin. All the Bach… Continue reading Bach Project: Update 31st October 2022
Update: September 2022 I’m now 10 years into my project to learn, memorise and perform all 24 of Bach’s preludes and fugues from Book 1 of the Well-Tempered Clavier.When I began, back in October of 2012, I thought 2 years would be be about right. I planned to give a performance of the whole book… Continue reading Bach Project
I had been playing the piano for 37 years before I decided it was time I made a start on learning how to play properly. In 2012, I embarked on learning part 1 of Bach’s Das wohltemperierte Klavier, intending to memorise the whole book to coincide with my fiftieth birthday in 2014. Now, 10 years later,… Continue reading Learning Bach
As a musician I’ve been fortunate enough to have enjoyed several different ways of making music over the years. About a decade ago I started playing the piano for weddings and parties, etc., and kept a diary for the first 100 events. Some were enjoyable and fun, others very stressful and forgettable. This is one… Continue reading Wedding
“I don’t know how you can say that! She practices lots; she’s always at the piano” This was how a mother responded when I dared to suggest that her talented daughter needed to practise more. A ‘practice’ session can so easily turn into a ‘play through all the bits I know already’ session. Enjoyable? Yes.… Continue reading Practicing
