Battling through Storm Eric we arrived, somewhat bedraggled, at Finchcocks – a Grade 1 listed Georgian Manor house, now known for its weekend piano courses. After a warm (champagne fuelled) welcome, we explore the impressive collection of grand pianos, and then crack on with some duets- a real ice-breaker to begin the course, with lots...
Playing Bach What a topic to choose to start these blog posts! Deciding how to play Bach on the piano is a minefield of opinion and taste. Let’s start by considering the two extreme approaches: A – one performer might choose to treat the piano as a one-manual harpsichord. The performance would be crisp and articulate...
It is said that the best improvised music sounds composed, and that the best composed music sounds improvised. This may sound like a contradiction, but the trick to jazz music is actually playing spontaneously and with creativity, and at the same time hitting notes with intentional conviction. Confused? Well, you’ve come to the right place!...
