Piano Professional Issue 59 September 2022

SEPTEMBER 2022 | ISSUE 59 | www.epta-uk.org Interview with Yunchan Lim, Gold Medallist at the 2022 Van Cliburn competition New music by Margaret Priest and Alexis Ffrench Technique with Trevor Barnard and Starr Meneely group piano with Melanie Bowes, a new piano exhibit in Scotland and pedagogy from the students’ perspective

Grade Piano Exam Pieces 2023 & 2024 In +audio PExiaamnoPieces 8Grade Piano Exam Pieces 2023 & 2024 ABRSM Initial Grade S2e0lec2t3ed&fr2om02th4e syllabus +audio EPxaiamnPoieces2S0Ael2eBc3Rte&SdM2fro0mG2t4rhaesdylelab8us allPl3up9isIeanciuetidsialo tGrraacdkes of Plusaalul d3i9opGtireraaccdekses8of SCAN ME!

SEPTEMBER 2022 | ISSUE 59 | www.epta-uk.org Piano Professional PROFESSIONAL Published by EPTA UK Ltd in January, April and September. 4 Editorial by Talia Girton Free to EPTA UK members; 5 A Student’s Perspective by Eugenia Sestini annual subscription £12 (inc P&P). 7 Masterclass Experience by Valerie Chia-En Chang Editor 8 Composer Spotlight & New Music: Margaret Priest Talia Girton 14 Yunchan Lim in conversation with Yulia Chaplina e: [email protected] 20 Graduating amidst a pandemic by Iona Duncan Design 22 Spotlight on Group Piano, Part 2 by Melanie Bowes Helen Tabor w: helentaborcreative.com 24 Composer Robert Ramskill celebrated in Coventry Advertising enquiries 27 e: [email protected] 32 How Soft is Soft? by Trevor Barnard Subscribers to Piano Journal: Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra at the Proms, Annual subscription is £7 (inc P&P) reviewed by Yvonne Cheng Contact Nadia Lasserson 34 Carver Road, London SE24 9LT 33 Moveable Do Solfa or the Alphabet - Tel: 020 7737 7307 / 020 7274 6821 e: [email protected] Does it matter? by Starr Meneely All EPTA UK enquiries 36 Seven Reminders for My Pupils by Muriel Levin The Administrator EPTA UK 37 Piano Safari Friends meets Ready to Play PO Box 77560 London WC1A 9RX 38 Felix Yaniewicz and the story of a square piano Tel: 0771 931 6333 (Tue–Sat, 10am–1pm) e: [email protected] by Eva Doroszkowska w: www.epta-uk.org Registered Company England 1945055 40 New music: Guiding Light by Alexis Ffrench Registered Charity 293698 44 Reviews 46 Corporate News Honorary Treasurer John Nye 49 Regional News & Regional Organisers Please see the EPTA UK services 50 New members • Bursaries • Services to members section for full membership information and how to join. The opinions expressed or implied, the methods recommended or the advice given in this publication are not necessarily representative of EPTA UK Ltd and therefore EPTA UK Ltd takes no responsibility for them. Appearance of an advertisement does not necessarily indicate EPTA UK Ltd’s approval of the product or the service. The editor welcomes letters from members but reserves the right to edit them for publication. This product is copyright material and may not be copied in whole or part for any purpose whatsoever without the permission of the copyright owner. |  3  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

EDITORIAL A welcome from Editor Dearest Readers, I’ll keep it short and sweet this time; Talia Girton like many of you I am diving head first into the new school term and I’ve got quite a lot Do you or a student of yours have a on my plate! piece of creative writing about the First and foremost, EPTA UK welcomes new piano you’d like to share? trustees Yulia Chaplina and Sandra Tetsola to our Email our editor ([email protected]) growing team. Yulia is an accomplished concert for a chance to be featured in the next issue! pianist who lends her talent to our marketing, events and pedagogy endeavours while Sandra, Head of Finance at the London Symphony Orchestra, applies her expertise to the areas of bursaries and finance. In this issue, we are granted a rare interview with Yunchan Lim, the 18-year-old winner of the 2022 Van Cliburn competition. He gives an honest, at times brutal, account of what it’s like to reach for the top tier of the classical piano performance world. You’ll also see two articles written by piano students; piano technique with Muriel Levin, Trevor Barnard and Starr Meneely; new music by Margaret Priest and Alexis Ffrench and our regular reviews, including the latest ABRSM syllabus. As always, if you have an idea for an article, review, or other submission type, drop me a line: [email protected]. Talia Girton, Editor |  4  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REFLECTIONS A Student’s Perspective: The beginning is pretty easy by Eugenia Sestini The beginning is pretty then I hit the The first song I ever learned on easy – start with the right notes for the piano was at my grandma’s notes. Growing up I had once and it’s a house. It was a song about a watched The Sound of Music little moment of parent begging his child to… fall enough times to know that the asleep. Then thirty years went first three notes just happen magic by until I finally had room for a to be Do-Re-Mi. Scratch that: keyboard at home and decided to C-D-E. Maybe it’s not so simple The notes – the posture – the learn for real, and hopefully play after all. Imagine if Maria had scales – the rhythm – the chord something other than a lullaby told the von Trapp children progression – every time I feel about a sleep-deprived parent. that the first notes were C-D-E; I finally got this there’s a new what would she have said? C – a layer that is added and then – My piano lessons typically go cricket, a cranky cricket? D – a bam! The hour is over and I go like this: donkey on a farm? E – an egg, a back home and wonder if this will deviled egg? I know, I need to ever be effortless. Teacher: This might be a little stop, it just doesn’t catch on. bit challenging but you can do Maria was playing a trick on the this. von Trapp kids, telling them that when you learn a couple of easy Me: [eyeroll – eyelid muscle notes you can do anything. I had nearly pulled] always managed to convince my language students that they T: No, really, you can do this. could learn anything, but now that I was sitting at the other end Me: [sigh] Okay. of the table, it wasn’t so easy. |  5  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REFLECTIONS T: It’s actually going to be super easy for you. Me: [nervous laughter, more my playing Eugenia Sestini is a eyerolling, secretly thinking I multilingual writer, language should stick to watching the doesn’t need teacher and proofreader, YouTube video of the song interested in cultural identity, instead of trying to learn how to to be accurate, gender studies and family play it] Sure. stories. In her spare time, but it needs to she plays piano and tennis, And…scene! reads, and makes the most of be a source of London’s theatre scene. When Eventually my grandma she is not doing any of the moved to a smaller place, and happiness above, Eugenia helps people she let go of the piano, but organise their homes and she had a portable cassette So why do I bother with this? workspaces. player, one of those battery- Maybe it won’t be easy but it operated rectangles that she will be possible. Turns out there carried everywhere like a metal are no magic beans for this, no handbag or a security blanket, pills you can take to speed up because she needed music the learning process. Because constantly. She was really good this is a choice, it’s up to me to at memorising lyrics and singing decide when I’ve had enough. like every song had been written Because this isn’t transactional, for her – or by her. She had a there are times when it becomes collection of tapes which she an emotional rollercoaster. And brought when she came with us then I hit the right notes for on holidays, and often asked me once and it’s a little moment to help when the cassette tapes of magic when all the hours of got jumbled; I’d use a pen to turn practice, the notes, the posture, the reels around and she would the scales, the rhythm, the chord sigh with relief because those progression – I look down at tapes were such a big part of her them and tell them they don’t life. I got to better understand scare me anymore. And I finally this years later, when moments get why Maria was dancing of my life seemed to have a around in circles at the start soundtrack, and songs had of the film instead of doing strong memories and intense whatever else she was supposed feelings attached to them. to be doing at the abbey. I’ve come to embrace the Maybe not easy but definitely reality that my playing doesn’t worth a try. need to be accurate, but it needs to be a source of happiness, a way to discover a side of me that was on the sidelines waiting to come out. For thirty-odd years. |  6  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REFLECTIONS Masterclass Experience by Valerie Chia-En Chang Valerie Chang is a 10-year old piano student who is currently working towards her Grade 4 exam. She also enjoys singing and writing her own music for voice and piano. Below, she shares with us her experience of participating in the EPTA UK Masterclass with trustee and concert pianist Yulia Chaplina on 28 June 2022 at Coach House Pianos in London. The masterclass was enjoyable, from which I learned a great deal. I was quite excited and curious to meet a pianist who holds many international awards and to learn from a new point of view. At the Masterclass I played a Grade 4 piece named Etude in A minor composed by Dmitry Kabalevsky. Etude in A minor is quite a fast and tense composition. When I first came into the performance venue, I was astonished to see the magnificent grand piano. I was even shocked to find that I would be playing on it. I felt very anxious as I waited for my session to play the piano. I watched the other performers who looked full of a mixture of confidence and nervousness. I could feel the great sense of respect from the other students and parents towards Yulia Chaplina, who is such a distinguished pianist. Slowly, each student started to lift off their chairs, one by one, and go up to the palatial grand piano to play their beautiful pieces. Every one of their performances was absolutely sublime and I didn’t know if I could play as well as they did. “Wait,” I remembered, “I should never compare myself to somebody who knows how to do something better than I, because such a comparison will just make me feel downhearted, especially when others are better or have won something.” She reminded me to delve into the piece rather than just playing the composition. Finally, my name was called, and I trembled towards the grandiose piano. As I played my song, I felt both my hands shaking and I was sure Yulia could see it. Kindly, she told me to play it again and get involved in the piece. I did and my hands weren’t quavering this time. After the second try, Yulia started to teach me how I could improve my performance. She reminded me to delve into the piece rather than just playing the composition. I also learnt that I should always think of what I feel about a piece and what I want to present with it - for example, do I want this piece to be full of tension or full of happiness? Walking back to my seat after playing Etude in A Minor, I felt so proud of myself for actually standing up to showcase my piece in front of people I didn’t know and to be able to talk to somebody I have never met before. On the way home, I felt a sensation I had never felt before - a braver and more confident Valerie. I was so lucky to be able to learn so much from the masterclass and Yulia. With all the experience and knowledge I learnt from the event, I will strive to become the best pianist I, Valerie, have ever dreamed of! |  7  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

new music Composer spotlight: Margaret Priest Background Istarted learning the piano when I was 10, in 1972, with a lady who used to be a silent movie pianist. I joined a church choir when I was 13 and found I learned about harmony by listening to everyone at the same time as singing. I also listened to the radio and liked The Stylistics’ You Make Me Feel Brand New and Carole King’s You’ve Got A Friend, It’s Too Late and Way Over Yonder. I also liked Motown with Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Ain’t No Valley Low Enough etc, plus Elton John’s Rocket Man and David Bowie’s Space Oddity. I learned how to compose by doing ABRSM Music Theory exams Grades 1–5 and ‘O’ and ‘A’ level music. I would sit and compose in the school library with help from Annie Warburton’s book Melody Writing and Analysis (Longman 1978). Margaret Priest CTABRSM ANCM MISM has composed songs My first composition was a carol called and piano solos since winning a carol competition at school in Baby Jesus which I wrote in 1980 when Portsmouth. She now lives in Worthing where she teaches piano I was doing ‘A’ level music at school. and music theory; she also self-publishes her compositions. In I then began teaching piano in 1984 this article, she shares with us a bit about her background and in Sussex. I had four modern hymns inspiration for writing music. The scores for her pieces Sunshine published by Kingsway’s ‘Thank You and Pitter Patter You Hear the Rain appear in the pages to follow. Music’ in 1984 and 1992. They were distributed to churches nationwide on cassette and LP and in scores. The two pieces here are taken from a previous book I composed in 2015 called Nature Scenes, which includes three songs and four piano solos. During the 2020 lockdown I wrote a hymn plus two other horse-themed solos, which I included in a book of piano-only solos called Piano Solos About the Countryside (2021). I am now working on a book based on 10 Psalms (piano / vocal). |  8  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

new music About the Pieces Sunshine Sunshine was composed when I was improvising at the piano using Dm 7 / Em 7 / F Maj 7 chord progressions and also G sus 4 / C Maj 7. All the tunes are in the right hand with octave or single notes in the left hand making interesting chords. What you are left with is a convincing portrayal of sunlight. Pitter Patter, You Hear the Rain I’ve been inspired by music about the rain since I was five years old, when my mother took me to see the film Bambi. I especially liked the song Drip, Drip, Drop, Little April Shower, where the music is very bouncy and uses a lot of staccato to describe how the drops of water hit the ground. My Pitter Patter has many staccato thirds which go up and down; in between the thirds, major chord notes cascade down, showing more water dropping down, with separate drops underneath the ascending staccato thirds of the right hand. |  9  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

new music 2 Sunshine Adagio q = 69 Mœœjargœœaret Priest 44 œœœ ™™™ {& 5 ˙˙˙ œ œ 5 œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙˙ ˙˙˙ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ 2 4 1 2 1 mp mf mf ™ mp mwf ? 44 w ™ œw ww ˙ w ww ˙ Con ped. 6 rit. a tempo {& œœœ 3 ?˙ œ œœœ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ ˙˙˙ œ œ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙˙ œœœ œœœœ œ œ œ mf f w mp w w ˙ w w ˙˙ w w 11 ˙˙˙ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ™™™ œœj œœ œœ œœœ ˙˙˙ œœœ œœœ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ mp {& ˙˙˙ ˙ ™ w ˙ ?w ˙ ™ œw ˙˙ w ˙˙ ˙ 16 “” 2 3 23 œœœœ ™™™™ {& ˙˙˙˙ œ œ œ4 œ3 1 œ œ œ œ œœ œ4 5 œœœœJ ˙˙˙˙ œœœœ œ œ œ5 œ4 œ3 ? 3 12 ˙ œœœ œœ œœœœ œ œ œ œ 1 2 œ 2 1 4 3 mf ˙w w ww {21 m œ3 œ œ œ2 œ3 œ4 œœœœ ™™™™ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œœœœj œ œ œ 5 ˙˙˙˙ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ 3 5 w 2 3 1 2 243 2 3 4 54 3 2312 1 12 ?w w www © Margaret Priest 1990 |  10  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

new music 3 25 œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ™™™ œœj œœ œœ {& 5 ˙˙˙ œœ ˙œ˙ ™ œ œœ œJœœ œ œ œ ˙˙˙ ˙˙˙ 2 1mf mp mf ?w ww ˙ ™ mp mwf ˙ ™ œw w ww 30 rit. a tempo œœœ 3 ™ {& ˙ œœœ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ ˙˙˙ œ œ ˙œ˙ œœœJ ? ˙˙˙ œœœ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ mp w mf f ˙ w mp ˙˙ w w w w w 35 ˙˙˙ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ™™™ œœj œœ œœ œœœ ˙˙˙ œœœ 3 œœœ œ œ œ4 œœœ œ œ œ 2 2 {& ˙˙˙ 1 1 ?w w ™ w ˙˙ mp ™ œw ˙ ˙˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ {40 1 “” ™™™ & œœœœ ™™™™ œ œ œ2 œ3 œ4 1 2 œ5 œ3 3 œœœ œ œ œ 4 œœœ œ œ œ 5 œœœ œ œ œ 1 œ4 œ3 œ2 1 œ 2 2 3 œ œ œ œ 1 1 2 œ œ 4 œ 5 œ f œ 3 œ 3 œ 2 2 1mf 1 ? Ó ˙˙ w ˙ “” 43 1 23 4 {& œœœ œ œœœ œ ˙˙˙˙5 œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ mp ? œ œ 4 œ œ 3 4 3 œœ 3 4 3 ˙ 2 2 2 ump m1f 2 1 1 1 212 1mf poco rit. wœ1 œ2 œ3 œ4 ˙˙ ˙ uw ° © Margaret Priest 1990 |  11  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

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INTERVIEW “a one-in-a-million talent” Dallas Morning News | 14 | www.epta-uk.org HOME

INTERVIEW In conversation with Van Cliburn winner Lisa-Marie Mazzucco Yunchan Lim EPTA UK Trustee Yulia Chaplina sat down improvisation on was that I might not be able to with Yunchan Lim, the stage is very participate in the competition winner of the 2022 Van important. You can due to COVID-19 before I went Cliburn International Piano change the music to the U.S., because three days Competition. freely depending before I left the country, I was so on your condition sick that I couldn’t do anything, Yulia Chaplina: Yunchan, at that time, not because I suddenly had a cold. first of all, congratulations on as you practise. But it suddenly got better a your wonderful performances day later, and the COVID test and winning the Van Cliburn Couperin and a Mozart Sonata. was negative, so I was able to competition! Could you tell me a After a long thought, I chose the participate in the end. little bit about your preparation latter. for this competition? When YC: How did you cover such did you start learning the YC: What were your an enormous programme? Is repertoire? favourite pieces to play at the there a system in place to work competition? through the pieces? Yunchan Lim: For this competition, I only studied the YL: What set my soul on fire YL: My agency in Korea repertoire necessary for the in this competition was the arranged some suitable competition since February, and Liszt I played in the semifinals. performances for me, where I I practised until 4am or stayed I didn’t think anyone would try could play the works that I was up all night when I was not good it, and I’ve been playing it since going to play in the competition. enough. Except for the very great September last year, so I really works I played in Round 1, by cherish it. YC: I have enjoyed your Couperin and Sir Stephen Hough, performances in each round so I’ve been practising these pieces YC: Were there pieces that you much. Your interpretations felt for a year. I wanted to play other were most worried about? so personal and intimate yet songs, including Boulez Piano perfect on style and execution. Sonata No. 1 or Brahms Piano YL: The most worrisome part You are still studying and your Concerto No. 2, but I had to teacher Minsoo Sohn must be a choose something else because wonderful teacher. Could you tell it was a very big gamble. us a little bit about the teaching principles of your teacher? YC: Did you choose repertoire together with your teacher or is YL: My teacher has incredibly it completely your choice? beautiful music in his mind and shares it with his students YL: I chose the repertoire without hesitation. Our teacher very carefully with my teacher, always tells us how to save each whether to play Byrd Fantasia personality while protecting in D and Liszt Dante Sonata or everything in the score. |  15  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

INTERVIEW Performing in the final round with conductor Marin Alsop YC: When did you start lessons I wanted to be a day after studying with my with him? teacher Minsoo Sohn. a pianist and I YL: I have studied with my YC: When did you first think teacher since I was 13 years old. prayed every that you might become a pianist? YC: Minsoo is a great single day since performing pianist himself; YL: I never thought I’d be a what are the most important I was eight pianist. But I wanted to be a things you learned from his pianist and I prayed every single piano playing? years old. day since I was eight years old. YL: I learned that so many things that I could not YC: What were your favourite improvisation on stage is very handle at my age since I was children‘s pieces ? important. You can change the young. Also my parents were not music freely depending on your musicians, so I didn’t understand YL: Tchaikovsky’s Children’s condition at that time, not as you the music industry system Album op. 39. I want to say practise. It is one of the basics at all and I wandered in the Schumann’s Kinderszenen but that concert pianists should have beginning. When I was young, this piece [is] not for children. and I think this is very important. I tried to practise at least four For mature adults, [rather, with] hours every day. After practice, regrets and memories of the past. YC: Tell us a little bit about I played soccer or baseball with your musical journey: when did my friends. YC: Did you use to play a lot you start playing the piano, of exercises and arpeggios or what was challenging for you, YC: And for how long are you were you born with a natural what was easy. For how long did practising now? technique? you practise for when you were a child? YL: I practise at least six hours YL: Unlike a genius pianist, I’m not born with anything. I YL: I started playing the piano practised scales without skipping when I was seven years old and a single day. [nothing about it] was easy. I had to go far away to learn the YC: Could you tell me a little piano, [involving a lot of] travel bit about your practice now? time and practice, and there were YL: There’s nothing much [to |  16  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

INTERVIEW “Lim got to the soul of the piece” La Scena | 17 | www.epta-uk.org HOME

INTERVIEW say]. [I] practise to try to bring the competitions given you are only music out of my mind into reality. 18? YC: Any practice routines? YL: I actually don’t know if the YL: It usually starts at 2pm competition is important; are my and ends at 2am. I don’t always favourite great artists Konstantin concentrate. Lifschitz, David Fray, Horowitz and Sofronitsky respected YC: What do you find the most by musicians because of the challenging when you practise? competition? YL: It is when I want to leave YC: Do you think it will be the world because I am so lonely difficult to combine your while practising alone. studies in Korea with an intense performing schedule? YC: What do you enjoy most Unlike a genius when practising? pianist, I’m YL: I don’t know yet, but I think that’s probably the case. YL: When music finally not born with recognises my heart and anything. I YC: Who are your favourite expresses it in real life as I want. pianists? practised scales YC: Playing in public is without skipping YL: There are so many great so challenging. Especially musicians in the world, but demanding is playing in a a single day. they are probably Youri Egorov, competition and of course Sofronitsky, Busoni, Russell at such a competition as Van Sherman, Horowitz, Maria Cliburn! You appeared so calm Yudina, etc. and wonderfully fully inside the music. It seemed you were not YC: What are your future nervous at all. Were you nervous aspirations in your life as a before playing? concert pianist? YL: Especially before the first YL: Before I die my goal is to round, I was really nervous and be able to play well all the [key] denied that I participated in the repertoire - complete Mozart Van Cliburn competition. Because concertos, piano sonatas, Bach the first impression is the most etc, complete Beethoven piano important in every round. sonatas - to record [them], a dream. The idea came from YC: Is there something specific YC: Which other composers do the teacher, and he has already that you are nervous about? you feel particularly close to? recorded all Beethoven’s sonatas. I will also work hard to achieve YL: I’m nervous and afraid YL: I often listened to Chopin my goal. that I can’t express my music when I was young; his left hand properly, so it’s the hardest and was always singing and free, YC: Thank you so much and most painful for me. and his music was always very wishing you all the very best rational. As a person who has for the future! I very much look YC: How do you usually deal always listened to his music, [I forward to coming to your recital with being nervous? think] his piano composition in London, hopefully soon! feels so great. When I play Bach, YL: In fact, the Earth is a my song always comes out planet smaller than dust in an naturally. There’s something endless universe. In fact, the similar to Rachmaninov. Their world is likely to be a simulation, music is sung separately by all everything is fake and someone the vocalists, and both of the manipulates it. Playing the piano great composers are the best at is actually nothing compared to structural architecture. the vast universe, and it’s really hard to do it under stress. I feel YC: Winning Van Cliburn is an comfortable thinking that I’m enormous thing for your career. smaller than the dust in the Will you consider entering other universe. |  18  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

2023 17TH INTERNATIONAL www.dogsandbirds.co.uk Chamber Music Competition Playful yet systematic piano for Piano with Strings method for age 3 onwards 3 tutor books, 2 finger puppets, Auditions and Finals Spring 2023 and 91 puppet video piano lessons Deadline for applications 15 December 2022 Animal Tiles & Staves: aid reading, ear training, composition, etc. www.parkhouseaward.com Provides a strong foundation for email: [email protected] singing and learning music Excellent resource for schools, Trio Bohémo - winners 2021 clubs and group teaching The winning ensemble is presented in Teachers’ course prestigious venues in London and the available online North of England, plus further opportunities. Registered Charity 1014284 Supported by The Tertis Foundation, The Adrian Swire Charitable Trust New PP Ad 134 x 89 videos.indd 1 23/04/2022 23:27 36 graded piano arrangements from ABBA to Adele. Play for fun or use as your own-choice piece in Performance Grade exams. For more info please visit: shop.abrsm.org |  19  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REFLECTIONS So, Now What? Graduating from Music Conservatoire amidst a global pandemic by Iona Duncan BMus ARSM Four years of blistered thumbs, frantic sparkling tuition of Gabriella Dal’Olio. I was centred room bookings, citation guides; living and in my critical final year when the pandemic was at breathing music in preparation for the final its peak. recital. Most university students dread the thought For what felt like the best option during the of a final-year dissertation; as musicians our scariest of COVID times, a video submission hours are not spent procrastinating would surely have a silver lining. I behind a computer screen but instead remember getting my final student procrastinating behind our instrument loan instalment and splashing out on and music stand. If the phone a whole host of recording equipment. I’d plan the performance in my I used the Scarlett studio microphone head again and again; sweaty palms isn’t ringing, to capture sound, and dragged family adjusting piano stools, deep breaths into holding the camera. I remember reciting countless pages. All I had to do the first time I got to the end of the first movement of the Renié make yourwas play the blobs, in the right order. My mother would do her routine of harp concerto during the recording ‘giving me the power’ that she always own work. process. My C Major arpeggio did, and then buy me a whopping big certainly gave it a different feel to the slice of carrot cake and a hot chocolate when it was C minor ending composed, I collapsed in laughter finally all over. (and swear words). This thought disappeared in front of me. I learnt to capture and master sound, to arrange, “All Major assessment performances due to take compose, to direct, to video edit, to create a place should be a recorded submission.”1 Zoom meeting, to teach online and to promote My name is Iona and I am a professional harpist myself within the industry. These skills serve me and pianist based in London. In the summer of today when creating social media content and for 2021, I concluded my studies at Trinity Laban professional work. Conservatoire with a First Class Honours under the “So, now what?” - I thought to myself. |  20  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REFLECTIONS Teaching: Finding the joy in repetition Performing: Is it all about who you know? When the first lockdowns began, lessons and Performing was slow to creep back in for the class lectures moved online. Over time, we’d log into of 2021. Home recordings became more popular, classes where absolutely everyone but the lecturer following the season of the multi-track. I arranged would have their camera turned off. I felt sorry and edited a version of Into The Unknown with for these tutors who were really doing their best. family playing from all over the country. Now of Students became infuriated at the lack of learning, course I regret this deeply as I was without an Elsa with many classes making no sense to continue character and had to take on the role myself. online. Larger classes dared to try anonymous shared whiteboards, with funny scribbles landing New enquiries were timid to follow. As graduates, on our screens every few minutes. Another great we had lost critical time to promote ourselves and example was the conducting module; I think I was gain new contacts for work. At moments we lost more confused by the end of the first class and had faith in our niche career dreams. For me it really learnt it all with my left hand instead of my right. took one established professional to believe in me for doors to begin opening again. It really is the Impracticalities continued into my own teaching case that you’ll do a performance and as a direct practice when lessons moved online. Students result someone new will call you to play. would ‘add’ the account I made aged 13, the one with the embarrassing profile picture that I encourage friends regularly to initially say yes I couldn’t remember the login details to. I’d sit to as much as possible. Sit in on countless West figuring out the notes to that Skype ringtone End shows (with and without harp parts), and whilst it dialled and think about how on earth to bring the person who organised you a little gift demonstrate chromatic scales through a screen. of gratitude, or a coffee! Say yes to community projects, to small budget charity work, to singers One thing that appeals to most studying and flautists that want to play chamber music. musicians is the idea of flexibility, avoiding the Reach out to professionals that inspire you; they city commute and 12th floor office desk next to may think of you when something comes through. Karen from accounting. From my experience, many If the phone isn’t ringing, make your own work. also hope to avoid teaching due to its somewhat Introduce yourself to local pubs, cafés, yoga classes repetitive nature. and art groups, propose yourself a recital in every local church in your neighbourhood, promoting I adore teaching and was fortunate to step it yourself and charging ticket sales at the door. straight into a position for my local Music Service Most food superstores have a bulletin for business before graduating. I embrace the fact that I’ve cards. Countless wedding venues advertise stands studied the harp all my life, and yet have one at wedding fairs for potential clients; if even one harp student against the one hundred-odd piano couple books you, it will have been worth it. students a week. I’ve learnt to be grateful, in a world where terrible war has broken out, and a I’ve learnt that at music college I really would pandemic not seen for over 100 years is ongoing, have the most time to practise than I’d ever have that I’m able to teach the subject that I adore: again. I’ve learnt that what I was being prepared music in any form. A year later and I’m still pushing for, was the ability to take on gigs knowing that I the harp into schools; it’s an ongoing battle to could trust these hands to play new material with allow all children to experience the joy of our limited preparation time. I’ve learnt the power of instrument without stigmas of wealth attached. music as a language to people young and old. I guess I can really call myself a professional now. As a graduate you come across lots of agencies that hire musicians for teaching. I would encourage 1 Taken from the TL email to all academic students graduates to experiment with being their own entitled ‘BMus Year 4 Assessments amendments - agent. Invest in an advert in your local magazine, Summer 2021’, (17.03.21). contact schools and music services directly. I met a flautist at college who wanted to hire a double- Living in London, Iona Heather Duncan decker bus and make it her music school on wheels! recently completed her Performance Degree at Hire out your local church hall, start pop or folk Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. harp taster classes, write your own music book She has taught for the likes of YAMAHA Piano to sell on your website! Canva.com is great for School, her own small business Moosik Makers, creating a logo and cohesive branding, you can also as well as for her local Music hub at BYMT. get hundreds of business cards printed for under a tenner, and a pretty snazzy website for free via Wix. com. Innovation is an amazing thing and it’s right at our blistered fingertips. |  21  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

group teaching Spotlight on Group Piano: A Four-Part Series by Melanie Bowes Part 2: How to Manage Individual Progress there are too many differences to take into in a Group Class account, and obstacles to overcome. The matter of managing the different paces How Does Progress Happen? of individual learners in a group class is perhaps a piano teachers’ biggest concern, In one-to-one lessons, progress happens in a and for good reason. After all, you have taught straight line, because the teacher can follow the many individuals and no two have ever been student’s pace, learning needs and adjust to their the same with regards to their progress rates, commitment to practice. If we take this experience what they needed particular focus on, what their of learning and try to apply it to a group setting, strengths are … the list goes on and on. Teachers we will fail. This is where we need to adjust our absolutely should concern themselves with the mindset. When we are considering the collective fact that they may have some learners in the group learning of a group of students, we no longer have who are not being challenged enough and are straight lines, but many lines moving in different being held back as a result, while other students directions and at different speeds! No longer a neat are struggling to keep up. These things will not upward line, this can feel chaotic and messy. So, only impact their progress on the piano; it will also we need a plan to organise and strategise in order affect their attitude towards learning, how they to ensure that every learner is thriving. We need engage with the lesson, and ultimately how they options to add difficulty or simplify, adjustments feel about themselves in terms of learning the for different learning styles and different activity piano, which in turn affects motivation. types to appeal to all students. Before we think about how to manage these issues in a group class, it is important to consider When we have a lesson plan with clear learning what is gained from learning in a group: how do objectives, we can then plan out our content and students benefit? When students learn together decide to what degree those objectives can be met. and make music together, their experience is so We are then able to monitor and give feedback to impactful and meaningful that they are at optimum students based on the learning aims, and we are for learning, assimilating, applying and enjoying. able to plan for future learning because we know The social element of group learning gives them our students and what their individual needs are. multiple opportunities to understand and engage; after all, this is how students learn in every other Using Differentiation for Individual Progress setting: with peers. However, one might feel that progress is not as effective in a group because Once we know what different learner needs are, we can use differentiation to meet them. Differentiation is a way of adjusting our planned content and our interaction with each child to suit |  22  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

GROUP TEACHING their needs and progress rates. There are two types When we are considering the of differentiation that we should concern ourselves with: re-active and pro-active. collective learning of a group Re-active differentiation is likely to be something of students, we no longer have that you do all the time across your different students, even when teaching 1-to-1. It is the straight lines, but many lines adjustment of our expectations, the depth of our feedback and our response to outcomes. This is moving in different directions something that you can and probably are doing right now in your teaching. and at different speeds! Pro-active differentiation takes more planning with regards to piano. The reality is, if we state and preparation. Each concept and skill, that there are options for difficulty and that to approached through repertoire and tasks, should work through them is simply a matter of effort and have a variety of difficulty options in order to truly application, you will motivate students to really try! differentiate for each learner. Even with a class of Through teacher demonstration and modelling, the beginners who are supposedly at the same level, students know that there are different challenge each individual will excel at different rates and in levels, and they know what they are. They are different elements of the learning. Having a plan always inspired by the sound of the more difficult for those different responses to our lesson content versions and are motivated to want to reach will ensure that every student is thriving and them. Also, if they see their friends achieving the progressing at the right pace for them. more complex versions, they will be even more committed to their practice as peer motivation and Due to the different paces of learning and collaboration are huge benefits of group piano. depth of understanding, we also need to plan for repetition and consolidation of concepts and skills, Quick-fire Problems and Possibilities of Groups always allowing for further depth where needed so students are not simply stepping sideways in their Problem: Teaching space and having enough learning. Using a cyclical structure, which allows for instruments can sometimes be a roadblock for consolidation, is a child-centred way of ensuring teachers when thinking about starting group classes. concepts and skills are secure and progressing. Possibility: You could start with a smaller group Another aspect of implementing differentiated and use just one or two pianos. Once you build tasks and challenges in your class is that you are up your confidence and can invest more into your giving students the ability to choose their path of groups, you could hire a space such as a church hall, learning. They can choose how they feel about each and take portable keyboards with you. You could task or skill, and whether they are ready to uplevel. also hire the music department of a secondary This develops a wonderful learner characteristic, a school on Saturdays (since they would have all the sense of ownership and a powerful way to ensure instruments set up already). engagement. Looking for a curriculum that includes differentiated approaches? Visit our website: www.keynotes-music.com Managing differentiation in the classroom is an Melanie Bowes is the Founder of KeyNotes organic process and your planned differentiation Music, a group piano program focusing on doesn’t need to be pre-determined in terms of collaborative group learning in the foundation who will need further difficulty and who will need stages of piano. Having taught for many years as support. We all start with one version of the piece a school music teacher, plus with her extensive or task, and then as the students progress, some postgraduate qualifications in Music Education, may be ready to move onto more difficult versions Melanie has brought together all of her experience and some may need a simplified version. To tell and knowledge to support teachers in delivering students which version they will play before they innovative and progressive group lessons. have tried would set up potential issues with self- efficacy and how students feel about themselves Melanie is currently working towards a PhD in group piano teaching, and is researching its impact and range of approaches across the world. |  23  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

PERFORMANCE Composer Robert Ramskill celebrated in Coventry, UK City of Culture 2021 a first-rate concert venue, Drapers’ Hall, one of the major benefits that City of Culture status has In Coventry, as elsewhere, there was a desire brought to the city.” He expressed his delight “that to resume in-person events after the COVID both concerts could take place in this splendid, lockdowns. The city’s status as UK City of newly re-furbished performance space next to the Culture 2021 provided an excuse for EPTA’s West cathedral ruins.” Midlands region to think big. And there was a local composer waiting in the wings with some new The 24 Preludes for Piano were composed over piano compositions ready to go. 10 years and completed during lockdown. Robert We saw the opportunity to involve the region’s Ramskill recalls that when he’d completed his young pianists in presenting Coventry-based Preludes early in 2021, he realised that he had composer Robert Ramskill’s album Land of the failed to achieve one of his aims, namely to Tiger on the same day that his set of 24 Preludes include at least a few which would be shorter, less for Piano would also be receiving its world première demanding technically and which younger players performance. With the City of Culture year might like to play. extended into 2022 because of COVID, two concerts were held on May 22nd in the newly refurbished So he set about producing another collection recital room at Drapers’ Hall. of pieces aimed specifically at elementary to In the first of these, Robert Ramskill’s new intermediate level pianists. 17 of the 26 pieces collection of 26 educational piano pieces Land of were composed in the next few months and the Tiger was performed by young pianists from five easy pieces composed previously were also Coventry, Solihull and Warwick. In the second, incorporated. To complete the set, four re-workings his 24 Preludes for Piano were performed by local concert pianists Julian Hellaby, Darren Leaper and Cecilia Xi. EPTA UK Vice-Chair Anthony Williams describes how thrilled he was “that Coventry can now boast Land of the Tiger pianists with Robert Ramskill and the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress www.epta-uk.org |  24  | HOME

PERFORMANCE it was wonderful to see so superb, with each work presenting its own pianistic and musical challenges. The gradual progression many young pianists come in difficulty means there are appealing pieces for students from beginner to around grade 7/8 together and perform standard. A sign of these works’ appeal is in the desire of our students to learn more pieces from with poise and skill the series since the concert in Drapers’ Hall.” of children’s songs written for the ‘Mornings One parent enthused: “The concert of children’s of Music’ project in Coventry’s primary schools pieces by Robert Ramskill was an absolute delight. between 2017 and 2020 were added, with the The music is fantastic: well crafted, imaginative, whole album taking its title from one such song – perfectly judged in terms of difficulty, and – Land of the Tiger. most importantly – fun to play and to listen to. Before being involved in this event, I had not The new collection Land of the Tiger was launched come across Ramskill’s music but I will certainly at Coventry University in November 2021, when explore more. Not only was the music terrific but Robert talked about his compositions to local piano the performances of the children’s pieces were teachers and GCSE Music students. also outstanding; it was wonderful to see so many young pianists come together and perform with Then, in March 2022, as part of their preparation, poise and skill. An absolute joy to be part of.” 26 young performers took part in a workshop at Solihull School. Julian Hellaby, who led the Welcoming the audience to the Land of the Tiger workshop, observed, “it was inspiring to see how concert, Anthony Williams wrote: “As Chair of committed these participants were to the music EPTA Europe and Vice Chair of EPTA UK, a charity they had been asked to perform - which they did which aims to inspire, support and unite pianists with real enthusiasm.” and piano teachers, I would like to thank all the piano teachers for the support, enthusiasm and The young performers were later invited to inspiration they have given to their young pupils in comment on their experience of learning the preparing for this event.” pieces. David Fisher of the Central Composers Alliance, Hugo Ma, preparing Glass Half Full writes: “It was reviewing the afternoon concert of Robert fun learning because it had lots of tenutos and Ramskill’s 24 Preludes for Piano, writes: “This accents. It was challenging because it had lots of concert, in the wonderful setting of Drapers’ Hall, triplets. Bars 1–5 is a couple dancing. Bars 7–8–9 featured two superb sets of piano preludes by is the couple going up the stairs. Bar 10 is them Robert Ramskill. Each pianist played eight preludes skipping down the stairs.” and the individual pieces allocated to them were well chosen to match both their outstanding And Claire Delaney says she chose The Lost abilities and distinct styles to perfection. This world City: “because the sense of adventure it conveys première of the complete preludes proved to be a appealed to me at a time when travel was limited tour de force in pianistic writing by a consummate and the melody makes me feel energised and composer whose knowledge of the instrument and uplifted.” the sheer enjoyment of writing for it was evident from the first note to the last.” It is clear the pieces engaged the young performers imaginatively as well as challenging As performers in the afternoon concert, Darren them technically. Pianist, composer and EPTA and Cecilia concurred: “The Preludes are of a member Nancy Litten concludes in her review that different order with regards to virtuosity and “this selection of graded pieces is a treasure trove musical complexity, but there is the same instant of styles and techniques. The easier ones are never audience appeal as in the Land of the Tiger pieces. facile, and the harder ones provide rewarding Robert has an extraordinary ability to write in challenges for advanced players. The music is familiar styles but all the time having a fresh immediately accessible yet imaginative and always and unmistakeable ‘Ramskill’ voice. Although well crafted, and the titles are all part of the the pieces are often technically challenging, appeal.” they are nonetheless written by a composer who has a profound understanding of how to write Teachers Darren Leaper and Cecilia Xi agree: “It idiomatically for the instrument, and after the has been a great pleasure to teach pieces from necessary practice all pieces fall comfortably Land of the Tiger. Their creativity and quality are under the hands. These works would make excellent additions to advanced pianists’ diploma programmes and deserve to become part of the standard concert repertoire.” |  25  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

performance Julian, Cecilia and Darren with Robert Ramskill after This whole-hearted endorsement of the Preludes performing 24 Preludes for Piano is shared by Julian: “The 24 preludes - one in every major and minor key - are all linked in some way a tour de force in by references to popular idioms yet within this pianistic writing by a style there is an astonishing variety of material consummate composer with never a dull moment. All of them display great whose knowledge of the imagination and high-level craftsmanship and are instrument and the sheer a marvellous addition to the concert repertory. enjoyment of writing for This was amply demonstrated at the memorable it was evident from the launch in Drapers’ Hall on 22 May when I was lucky first note to the last enough to share the task of playing all 24 with two first-class pianists, Darren Leaper and Cecilia Xi. It is my sincere wish that this music will attract the attention of other pianists and reach an ever-wider audience.” Robert Ramskill later recounted: “For me it was a dream come true to have Land of the Tiger and my 24 Preludes all played on the same day. It was a particular delight to see the youthful pianists in the morning concert stepping up to play with such confidence and enthusiasm.” He expressed his gratitude for EPTA UK’s generous financial support, noting, “we couldn’t have done anything on such an ambitious scale in such a splendid venue without that support.” We in the West Midlands region are indeed grateful to EPTA UK for underwriting our events this year. It would have been impossible to hold the concerts of 22 May 2022 without their support and it resulted in a memorable day for everyone involved. Alistair Kennedy of the ABRSM commented how pleased and surprised he had been at the quality of all the performances and the wealth of talent we had been able to call upon within the area. And a parent in the audience said appreciatively: “We all had such a wonderful experience on the Sunday and truly enjoyed the concerts.” Surely this is what learning the piano is all about and encouragement enough to consider embarking on another ambitious plan soon. To order 24 Preludes for Piano by Robert Ramskill: https://composersalliance.com/composers/work.cfm?work=1636 To order Land of the Tiger by Robert Ramskill: https://composersalliance.com/composers/work.cfm?work=1631 |  26  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

technique How soft Some composers is soft? indicate excessive dynamics by Trevor Barnard After more than 30 years of Bars 65–71 Te m p o I teaching and working with colleagues, I believe some {&bbb w Œf f ff bb f f f fff f f Œ teachers pay too little attention to ? bbb #nwww w interpreting very soft and very loud #w ∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏ pp dynamics, from pppp, ffff and sfff. ° f #fff f Problems with dynamics may result ∑ bb f f f from practising long hours alone without coaching or by not recognising f when a composer writes excessive ø dynamic markings. In Chopin’s Nocturne in G Minor, Op. 37 no. 1 (see Fig. 1), the {&bb ‰ fj f 3 f #F f fff ff change from pp to ff is too extreme in ffff the musical context. This is a common f dilemma for musicians who try to be true to the printed score, yet the music ? bb fff f fff f fff line sounds off. f f f The pp marking at the start of the ° fø passage is reasonable for the dreamy character of the music. In bar 71, however, {&bb F f™ f f f f f f fff the composer wrote an excessive dynamic, ff, an increase of five dynamic levels jf from the preceding bar. By raising the volume only two or three levels to mp or 3 ff mf, the music retains an intimate quality and avoids sounding harsh. ff ff ff ff 3 ? bb f f f ø f ° Fig. 1 To learn to convey dynamics students might find it helpful to imagine an actor on stage reciting the lines of a play to an audience, speaking in a larger-than-life voice instead of a conversational tone to project words and emotions so the audience easily picks up his intentions. |  27  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE A less extreme example is this {Bar 1 7 f f . f. ff f . . >ffff. ffff ≈ ffff ffff ff fff etc. passage from Edvard Grieg’s “Wedding- & ## ff f ff fff °>ff. ff ≈ ff ff Œ? day at Troldhaugen” in Lyric Pieces, Book 8 (see Fig. 2), which leaps suddenly sempre pp Œ from pp to f. The composer obviously wants increased brightness, but for the &## ff ff ff ff thin texture of the music a marking somewhere between mp and mf is more ° appropriate. It is worth remembering that p and pp markings are often not all Bar 21 > >> > that soft. ff f f f ff f ff f f f ff f {&## ∑ To learn to convey dynamics students might find it helpful to imagine an actor f on stage reciting the lines of a play to an audience, speaking in a larger-than-life ? ## >ff ff. ff. >ff ff. ff. ff ff ff ff ff ff voice instead of a conversational tone to project words and emotions so the °° ° ° audience easily picks up his intentions. In the same way a pianist projects Fig. 2 dynamics to convey the emotion of the music. To help students I recommend q = 96 that the dynamic levels from ppp to mp be raised up a maximum of one level {& 4 f f f f F ff F fŒ higher, depending on the context of the 4 ffF F fŒ music and physical surroundings, so the notes sufficiently sound. Training f ff students to use dynamics should take place from the start of musical ?4 Ó instruction with scales practised slowly 4 at all levels from ppp to fff. When practising with the hands together, each {& Ó f f ffF F fŒ hand could play at a different dynamic ?f f f f F ff F fŒ level, then exchange levels until the hands become independent. This could Fig. 3 be applied to such beginning pieces as the “Imitation and inversion” from Bar 1 f >f ™ f f f Mikrokosmos, Volume One no. 23, by Béla Bartók (see Fig. 3). # e = 9 2 f ff fff f f #fff f ™ #### øø #### The piece is marked f throughout, {& 2Œ although this is a little strong for 4 single-note lines in each hand. It might be prudent to consider an mf level to p f f #fff f ™ avoid a harsh sound. Unless a student is ambidextrous it is difficult to play ? # 2 fff louder with the left hand than the right hand but there are steps to overcome 4 this. First play the entire piece f in both hands, then with the right hand f and °ø the left hand p, then switch the dynamic levels in each hand. A final exercise is to {&Bar# 9### ffff fffff f f fff fffff f f alternate the dynamic balance between the hands every three bars. pp In Robert Schumann’s Kinderszenen, ? #### ff f f ff f f ff f f ff f f Op. 15 no. 12 (see Fig. 4), the change from p in bar 1 to pp in bar 9 becomes °ø øø troublesome because of the thicker chords. Although using the soft pedal in Fig. 4 bar 9 alleviates some of the difficulty, |  28  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE a firm-sounding p (about halfway {&#### c ‰ ffff-3 ffff- ‰ ffff-3 ffff- ‰ ffff-3 ffff- ‰ ffff-3 ffff- ‰fff-3f fff-f‰fff-3f fff-f‰fff-3f fff-f‰ ffff-3 ffff- between p and mp) in both hands p Œ f F-™ f™ f will project both the single notes and chords at the opening and give greater ? #### c Ó dynamic contrast nine bars later. The left hand should play with a gentle ° ømf cantabile ø firmness so the top notes in the right- hand melody stand out in a cantabile {&#### ‰ 3 fff- ‰ 3 fff- fff- fff-3 fff- ‰ #nfff-3 fff- ‰ #ff-3f ff-f manner. Practically speaking, the overall F cresc. dynamic level here is between pp and fff- fff- f p. The use of the soft pedal changes J ø the timbral quality on a grand piano ? #### F- f3 f f3 as well as muffles the sound to some J extent, which should help to control and articulate the chords. ø øø The dynamic mark of ppp is on Fig. 5 the borderline of being an indistinct dynamic level compared to well-defined {&#### ffff 3 ffff Œ Œ p F pp and p levels. Music marked with pppp F or more usually results in inaudible ffff f sounds, which only the performer hears. f 3 pp ( u n a corda ) Sergei Rachmaninoff tends to use ‰ ffff ffff extreme dynamics, such as those in ? #### Œ 333 ø Mélodie, Op. 3 no. 3, an intermediate- w level piece that has a wide and & ‰ ffff ffff ‰ fff fff ‰ fff fff Fig. 6 impractical range of soft sounds from w pppp p to pppp. The mf opening suggests a ° bold melodic line in the left hand that is consistent with the Romantic warmth of {&#### f- F- ? ff ™™ & f 3 fj F ™™ this composer’s compositions (see Fig. 5). Óf F f f F ‰ The piece ebbs and flows until the final section. Although the composer ppp specifies a more contrasting and hushed version of the main material, the pp to & #### ‰ nnffff-3 ##ffff- ‰ nnfff-3f##fff-f fff-ø 3 fff- 3 fff- 3 pppp marking is definitely not feasible. ° ##fff-f nnfff-f One inconsistency is the pp on the first fff- ‰ fff- ‰ crotchet followed by a sudden change to ø pppp on the second beat (see Fig. 6). Fig. 7 Four bars later this extreme change is exacerbated by a small crescendo Training students to use culminating in ppp (see Fig. 7). dynamics should take place from the start of musical At the other end of the dynamic range, this composer uses ffff to get extreme instruction with scales intensity from performers, but it is not practised slowly at all levels always helpful. Thick chords at such an extreme dynamic should be played from ppp to fff. carefully and without forcing the sound to an abrasive level. Similar to raising all soft dynamics from pp to mp up a notch, dynamics from mf to fff should also increase, using discretion. To avoid harshness I suggest lightening the lower voices, allowing the top note to stand out in a cantabile manner. In highly intense moments discretion should be followed, as in Edvard Grieg’s “Wedding-day at Troldhaugen”. Here ffff distorts the sound and is unnecessary; |  29  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE ff serves the music adequately. Grieg {&## bbbffff bbbfffffff poco rit. #nfffff #n fffff af tnefm po raises the dynamic level to no louder ? ## bbbfff than f prior to this passage; at the a Œ bbbbffff Œ #nnfffff f tempo he chooses fff instead of ff, n w> nw making the most of this highly intense 3 moment (see Fig. 8). It is almost an overreaction. The weight of the surges npŒwiù fbbbfff Œ n#fff #nnfff &nn#fffj ‰ ? in the left hand will complement the nw right hand only by lightening the lower nw> nw> voices of the right hand. The right >fff hand is written with thin textures and {&## #f f fff fff > f ff fff relatively high on the keyboard so there > > > ‰ is no justification to force the sound in any way. The overall dynamic support ? ## fff f f f f f 5 f f f takes place in the left hand and any J attempt by the right hand to match the >ff f #f f f f f volume adds an unpleasant, abrasive quality to the sound. 5 Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C# Minor, {&## f>fff. ffff ≈ ffff ffff ff #fff Op. 3 no. 2, stakes a strong claim for fff having the most extravagant dynamic fz fff fff JŒ levels in the entire piano repertoire (see Fig. 9). ? ## fffj Fig. 8 Even though this is an emotional {&#### L e n>t o > > - fff- - nnnfff-j ##fff-j piece, the range of ppp to sffff far cf f ‰ fff #fff ‰ ‰ exceeds the necessary dynamics w nf f F to convey the expressive power of > F pfff-ppfff- . . F the music. Early on in bar 3 the first ff w ‹‹#fff- nnff‰. ###fffJ- ‰ fff- F exaggerated dynamic of ppp appears. w ‰ f J A pp is all the contrast necessary to set ? #### c > > F f. off the opening ff. Bars 9 and 13 use a f f F similar dynamic that is out of context. f f Reducing the dynamic one level is helpful here. The ppp pertains to chordal {Bar 36 >f f #f f f f #>fff nfff fff Fig. 9 figures, which should be played firmly & #### > pp so all notes sound with sufficient 33 >fff fff etc. conviction and carrying power. &#### #>ff ff fff 3 ff 3 ff 3 The climax of the Prelude begins fff, played intensely with broadened ff #ff ? phrases and rubato to give a sense of spontaneity to the music. The passage Bar 44 >FFF wÓ #>FFF begins fairly high in the treble region w of the keyboard, further supporting {&#### Ów ff #f>FFFFf the argument to not force the sound. w sfff Restrained loudness by reducing the >FFF dynamic to between f and ff combined sfff Ó with logical pacing will communicate w the musical message. All this is infinitely ? #### wÓ w preferable to a continuing decibel level w of harsh sounds. Fig. 10 The final two bars of the section, each marked with an sfff (see Fig. 10), again call for common sense and some expertise with playing sforzando. Any sf can be performed either by giving the note or chord extra emphasis, or by slightly delaying the note or chord, which automatically implies an |  30  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE accent, or by using a combination of { Tempo I >ffff #‹>ffff ‰ #nn#>fJfff ‰ ###>ffffJ ‰ >ffffn>ffff ##‹>ffff ‰ #nn#>fffJf ‰ ###>ffffJ both approaches, which I recommend &#### c ‰ >ffff here. Some restraint of sfff guarantees & RH c >fff pesante > > sffff > > the richness of the sound of the bare FFFF nnff f nnff f octaves. Therefore, these chords should #### f > f be played no louder than ff with the FFFF right hand at a softer level than left hand to avoid any hint of harshness. {? #### c ‰ >ffff >ffff ‹‹#>ffff ‰#n##>ffffJ ‰###>ffffJ ‰ ffffn>ffff ‹‹#>ffff ‰#n##>ffffJ ‰###>ffffJLH>fff pesante>sffff The richer succeeding chords, marked ? F nnff > >> ff, should be a little lighter in contrast, #### f > nnff f though played with a more uniform c f FFFF f dynamic in both hands, somewhere between f and ff. F This is not the end of the story, as Fig. 11 far as Rachmaninoff’s use of excessive dynamics in this piece. At the return Trevor Barnard, pictured above with student Yoo Jim of the A section (the piece is in ternary Germaine, taught at the New England Conservatory and The form), the composer leaves the pianist University of Melbourne. He studied with Herbert Fryer at with little doubt as to the dynamics. the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music He uses the rather odd sequence of fff in London. pesante and sffff in successive bars, showing little logic here (see Fig. 11). The sffff continues for over a page, further exacerbated by repeated accents above each quaver beat. The last page of the piece, marked dim., offers relief from the sffff. In the final bar, marked ppp, there is a sense of moderation. The pianist should carefully observe the marking and yet be sure that all the notes of the last chord are heard. Dynamics should always be performed within the context of the music. All ff and fff passages should be played with discretion. I know of no music school that includes specific guidelines to interpret dynamic markings. Such an initiative would be helpful to all pianists from intermediate to advanced, many of whom are ill informed in this area. Article previously published in Clavier, February 2001; reprinted with permission |  31  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

concert review Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra at the BBC Proms, 31 July 2022 by Yvonne Cheng Asequence of anxious and urgent the recitatitve and aria Abscheulicher! diminished sevenths from the Wo eilst du hin? / Komm, Hoffnung first few bars of Silvestrov’s (Monster! Where will you go? / Come, single-movement Symphony No. 7, Hope) from Beethoven’s Fidelio – another composed just over a decade before masterpiece that was conceived during the Maiden protests in 2014, signalled turbulent times (Napoleon’s defeat was the birth of the Ukrainian Freedom just one year after the opera’s celebrated Orchestra (UFO) and its UK debut at premiere on 23 May 1814 in Vienna). this year’s BBC Proms. The opening In the BBC Proms radio interview, motif inevitably resolves and blends Wilson said the choice “[was] a direct into a “Kitsch”, heartstrings-pulling, statement to Putin against tyranny mellow piano solo passage (Oksana [and] oppression”. Monastyrska, not to Gorobiyevska) that could be mistaken be outshone by the scintillating horn for an Ennio Morricone film score – section led by Dmytro Taran, conveyed casting a nostalgic ambience to the the strength and humanity of Leonore packed Royal Albert Hall. with dexterity and brilliant, rich tones in Following in the footsteps of the Beethoven’s formidable vocal lines. Bamberg Symphony, the East-West Divan and the World Orchestra for Peace, For its penultimate piece, the to name a few great orchestras and UFO tackled Brahms’s profoundly musical partnerships that materialised intricate and immersive E minor fourth from times of political crisis, the symphony. In diametric contrast to month-old UFO is a reaction to Russia’s the cries of despair (the diminished invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sevenths) at the beginning of the and comprises professional Ukrainian programme, the falling thirds figure that musicians from all around the world. hangs on the frame of the entire Brahms Several male players have been symphony is restrained, magnificent, temporarily granted exemption from inward-looking, searching and endless. martial law to join this tour. Ukrainian- The concert was closed with a gentle Canadian conductor, Keri-Lynn Wilson, is – perhaps irenic – paraphrase of the the mastermind behind this ambitious Ukrainian National anthem, “We Do and compelling project. Exist”, by the recently passed fellow The repertoire choices for the countryman Yuri Shevchenko. programme were perfectly matched to the occasion. Kyiv Conservatoire and The UFO received a standing ovation RCM-trained pianist Anna Fedorova for its phenomenal debut as the soloists exceeded expectations with Chopin’s returned to the stage, wearing Ukrainian warm-blooded yet delicate F minor colours, to take their final bows together Piano Concerto No. 2, which was with Wilson. premiered in 1829 by the composer himself in the years he was displaced from his own homeland. Under Wilson’s baton, the strings ebbed and flowed effortlessly alongside Chopin’s singing lines, intensified by Fedorova’s polished touch and elegant bassoon countermelodies (Mark Kreshchenskyi). The climax of the concert was former National Opera of Ukraine soloist Liudmyla Monastyrska’s performance of |  32  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE The Singing Piano Student Moveable Do Solfa or the Alphabet - Does it matter? by Starr Meneely “You must sing if you wish to play.” it used. It’s not impossible to learn this way, but This is the advice that Chopin gave to his the experience is unnecessarily odious. piano students. He encouraged them to I began to properly consider this idea many listen to singing and take singing lessons. years ago while teaching one of my students. Her musical journey with me had begun like everyone This is interesting because else, mostly visually with lots Chopin isn’t remembered as a of games and explanations. I composer of vocal music, he was a decent teacher and my composed almost exclusively for students generally progressed piano solo, and yet his advice When we sing, we well, however this student to his students was that they was struggling more than should sing. interact with music others did. It wasn’t for lack Indeed, singing has been a of interest, she loved music and adored her lessons, she foundation of music education since the time of the medieval in the way that we just couldn’t grasp any of the monastery; even before then concepts I presented to her. we find elements of singing Finally, during one particular woven throughout the lives of lesson something important interact with language.our earliest ancestors. Singing dawned on me. My student is found at the formation of had been working on a simple language and extends beyond to the highest levels folk song for weeks without success. We were of musical composition. both at the end of our patience with it and I was Despite the evidence that singing exists nearly ready to just leave the piece and move on to throughout human history, modern instrumental something new when I had an inspiration. I asked education sometimes doesn’t include any singing her to close her eyes, play the piece from memory at all. As piano teachers it’s easy to approach and sing along. The result was both disastrous our lessons completely visually. We present our and pivotal. She knew the words of the song but students with printed notes on a stave and show that was where the understanding ended, every them black and white keys on the piano. Then we single note she played and sang was incorrect. In begin a process of matching a printed note to a that moment I realised that she had absolutely no key on the piano. The fact that pressing the keys idea about the concept of pitch. Furthermore, she results in the creation of sound is often treated as was not making any connection between pitch and a pleasant consequence of the process. However, the direction of keys on the piano. This was when exposure to music in such a detached way is similar everything about my teaching changed and singing to learning a spoken language without ever hearing became part of every lesson. |  33  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE \"My Bike from Level One\" This is one of the first pieces in Level One. The solfa SO - MI and basic rhythm are incorporated into this \"My Bike\". Students have the chance to try this piece in different positions which immediately provides an introduction to transposition and basic keyboard geography. They are also encouraged to use finger number 3 to help support an open hand and good alignment. \"My Boat from Level Two\" When we sing, we interact with music in the Each of the pieces in Level Two is presented way that we interact with language. It makes sense to us in the same way that any form of in two different ways, once in solfa and once on communication makes sense. This rudimentary the stave. Students are familiar with the solfa understanding is hardly even cognitive, it is concept having come from this approach in the simply an expression of our ideas and emotions. first level. When they are presented with the stave In contrast, musical notation is not music, it is and landmark notes they easily understand how a representation of music. Music is sound. It is to read the stave. Level Two progresses gently in vibration and resonance. Music is a reflection of this way until students are reading simple pieces the world and our experience in it. When we sing in the grand stave using landmark notes and solfa we begin to understand this intrinsic quality of together. The fingering continues to encourage an music, how it moves and functions. Then, when open hand with good alignment and sparing use presented with musical notation, we quickly of the thumb. make connections between sound and the printed notation that represents it. Singing comes first and reading is second. Teaching piano students to sing before they play does not mean that the piano lesson is transformed into a vocal lesson. It simply means that students begin to develop the skill of listening and using their voice from the beginning. We can do this with our students using Moveable Do Solfa, which is a concept found in the pedagogical principles of Zoltán Kodály. However, it is not just within the Kodály method where these ideas are seen. The concept of using solfa in this way is found throughout many different music education traditions, including in England where the 19th- century teacher Sarah Glover invented Norwich Sol-fa, which was a way of teaching children to sing using moveable solfa and a notational system based on solfa syllables. The “Moveable” part of singing in solfa is simply the relationship between pitches within a given tonal centre and moving Do (tonic) to different pitches, in other words, transposition. Piano students take to this concept easily. When piano students learn to sing moveable solfa first it is easy to recreate the music on the piano in any key. This process effectively awakens the musical language within a student, develops their aural abilities and allows them to make the necessary connections between sound, the instrument and printed notation. This is a wonderfully free way of learning music, where students discover the range and movement of their voices, the flexibility of musical sound and how it corresponds to the non-movable |  34  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE mechanism of the piano and notated music. was a powerful lesson in my teaching journey. When we present students with the musical These days I can sit and think about any one of my students and know exactly how confident they are alphabet, A B C D E F G, we introduce them to a with singing and pitch. I know where their aural “fixed” concept of music where a specific label is strengths are and where they need to practise. My fixed to a specific pitch. This system is necessary lessons are full of singing and I can’t help but feel and important for our students if we want them that this way of teaching is almost like watching to enjoy reading and studying repertoire, but the music teach itself. it is useful to remember that the fixed system of notation is a rather crude and somewhat I agree with Chopin’s advice; if we wish to play, cumbersome way of representing the natural we must sing. moveable quality of music itself. Starr Meneely has been Students can easily recognise the limitation in teaching piano for more notated music when they have first been exposed than 25 years. She is the to the aural relationships between musical sounds. creator of the PianoForte This process is similar to reading printed words in Method which teaches their first language. They can “hear” in their mind students to play the the language that printed words represent. They piano through Moveable can hear inflection, emphasis and meaning within Do solfa and singing. a written text. This happens as well with music. She is also currently in Students can hear and understand the layers and the Master’s programme depths of sound that printed notation is unable to at Chichester University convey - but only if sound has come first in their where her research is focused on Singing and Folk musical experience, if singing has come first. Music in Piano Pedagogy. When it occurred to me on that day several She lives in Surrey, England, with her husband and years ago, that my student had no idea about four children. pitch, I began to realise that I didn’t know if any of my students understood pitch or could sing. www.pianofortemethod.com Although it seems absurd to me now, I had never heard many of my student’s singing voices. That | 35 | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE Seven doing your pulsing prep each articulate just like the Teacher Reminders time. Hand. Once you have got the for My Pupils: skill, ask someone around you to 4. EMPTY BARS/ PLANNING close their eyes; then play four A Valedictory BARS: When trying to get a short times, using Teacher Hand three passage hands together, pulse times and the other once. See by Muriel Levin for a whole bar in between each if they can spot when the Pupil attempt. Also try a whole bar of Hand plays. To help prepare your LEFT HAND, then same bar with performance, here are BOTH HANDS, alternating this 7. HOW NOT TO GET IN seven strategies which several times. YOUR OWN WAY: If a passage you may recognise from your feels awkward and a bit hard to piano lessons. When you can PLANNING BARS are very control, it might be because it is do them yourself as part of similar, except once you have being played across your body, your practice, and recognise pulsed your empty bar, play ONE or it squashes up your arm a bit which ones to choose for which bar three times over (that is if it too close to your body. But those purpose, that’s when you will doesn’t still need an empty bar are the notes the composer has make really fast progress! in between each shot). The third asked for. What to do? First, play time you should think of the bar it an octave further away: down 1. PULSE before you play. coming next and plan how to for the left hand or up for the Let your wrist count by moving play it. Do this a few times, and right. The arm will now feel MORE down/up gently while fingers sometimes actually play the FREE, and the difficulty might rest on the keys. This really next bar! well have melted away. connects your brain to your body. Apply this to numbers 2, 3 and 5. REVERSE PRACTICE: If you then try it at the original 4 below. When using alternate Aim to learn the LAST bar of a pitch, you might realise that hands, the non-playing hand section, then the penultimate, you could SHIFT YOUR BODY to should be pulsing, not snoozing! and gradually add bars working give yourself more space, for away from the end, but always example, shifting your weight 2. BOX PRACTICE: Three times playing towards the end, which onto the right (or left) hip. Also in a row, all good, no cheating. will be easy and nice to look check seat height, which may not forward to. NB: This does not be at optimum for you, and can But can you judge where mean you play backwards! play a vital part in allowing you exactly to “draw” your box? See ease of access. No. 3 for a good hint. 6. TEACHER/PUPIL: We all tend to have one hand which AND FINALLY! 3. TARGET PRACTICE: It is is more skilful than the other. If you find yourself often useful to aim for the first For tricky melodic passages, STUMBLING or HESITATING quite note in the next bar, then STOP, especially those which need a lot, this is YOUR BRAIN asking repeat as BOX practice, always to be phrased and articulated you to give it MORE THINKING identically in either hand, TIME. You should take notice SING first, then play each hand of this request and give it what alternately at a pitch which suits it is asking for. A new, slower either hand. Lead with your tempo would be just the thing. Teacher Hand, LISTENING all the Your brain will love this, and be time. Amazingly, the Pupil Hand very happy to work for you to get learns how to play, phrase or everything sorted out. J Muriel Levin has enjoyed a career of over 50 years as a teacher, recitalist, and ABRSM Examiner and Adjudicator. She was a very early Member of EPTA and colleague of EPTA UK’s late Founder, Carola Grindea. We look forward to future articles from Muriel as she continues to share her wealth of knowledge! |  36  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

WORKSHOPS PIANO SAFARI meets READY TO PLAY Workshops with Katherine Fisher & Sally Cathcart In association with The Curious Piano Teachers Manchester, 7 May 2022 Oxford, 14 May 2022 I attended the The Jacqueline du Pré Music Building ‘Piano Safari Friends at St Hilda’s College in Oxford provided meets Ready to Play’ a beautiful backdrop for U.S. author workshop at Forsyth’s in Katherine Fisher and myself to do a joint Manchester yesterday presentation, ‘Piano Safari Friends meets and it was FABULOUS! Ready to Play’. We were delighted to be I have seen Sally’s joined by lots of teachers both online Webinar that she did for EPTA earlier in the year, so knew and in person! The three-hour workshop a little about it and have started to use her material in my was full of music and ideas flowed. lessons already. I haven’t used the Piano Safari method yet, Blackwells Music Shop also joined us although one of my piano-teaching friends uses it and has with a stall full of new and familiar raved about it to me. So, I was very keen to learn more about repertoire. Teachers who joined us live both, and I wasn’t disappointed! Sally and Katherine were left with big smiles and complimentary both very welcoming, and the freebie resources were much copies of both books. appreciated. The presentation was informative, interactive and fun, and it has certainly given me plenty of ideas to Sally Cathcart, author of the Ready to incorporate into my lessons. I’m really excited to be taking the Play series concepts of both Ready To Play and Piano Safari Friends further, and will make both methods the foundation of my teaching in the future. Well done, to both Sally and Katherine, and THANK YOU! If you can get to this event, I can’t recommend it enough. Yvette Price, RO Lancaster PIANO SAFARI & JUAN CABEZA Workshops with Katherine Fisher & Juan Cabeza In association with EPTA London London, 26 May 2022 The last of three Piano Safari UK Workshops took place in London at the delightful venue of Craxton Studios. The house, once the home of Harold Craxton, is tucked away in a side street off the Finchley Road and is now a recording/rehearsal studio. The focus of this event was the Piano Safari series itself with Katherine carefully guiding teachers through the main features and principles that make this such a compelling series for the young beginner. With books on laps, the essential concepts were carefully explained and clarified. Many teachers were familiar with the method and were keen to share their experiences directly with the co-author; this always makes workshops interesting and collaborative. The second half featured Juan Cabeza whose Diversions and Piano Train Trips books feature useful pattern pieces to develop reading, memory, transposition and confidence in students. Juan’s illuminating and comprehensive talk on how to create effective and expressive pieces from short motifs was thorough and interesting with sales of his books reflecting this. A thoroughly enjoyable day finished mid-afternoon with teachers disappearing into the London streets anxious to test and trial the ideas presented throughout the day. |  37  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

SQUARE PIANO A Square Piano in Edinburgh by Eva Doroszkowska Felix Yaniewicz A chance discovery of an unusual square piano Dixon unravelled the life of the musician behind the with a signature in Indian ink inscribed “Yaniewicz painting, learning of her ancestor’s contribution & Green” is currently on display this summer to musical life as violinist, composer, impresario in Scotland. The piano is key to an exhibition and business entrepreneur dealing in musical celebrating the musical life and legacy of Felix instruments and publishing. Yaniewicz, a Polish-Lithuanian violinist and composer who co-founded the first Edinburgh The piano, rescued from a private house in Music Festival in 1815. A series of events and a Snowdonia by Douglas Hollick, was found in a display of artefacts explore music and migration in dilapidated condition. The instrument was lovingly Georgian Britain at the Georgian House, Edinburgh. restored by Hollick, tracing careful research into The exhibit will be open to the public until 22 the story behind the piano’s decoration which October. advertised business premises in London and Liverpool. Hollick gave the piano a new lease A happy accident brought an advert for a of life whilst Dixon set her sights on raising square piano to the attention of Josie Dixon, the money to bring the piano to Scotland and find a great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Felix suitable home to display it on a permanent basis. Yaniewicz, 1762–1848 (formerly Feliks Janiewicz). Hatching a crowdfunding campaign, she drew in “I hadn’t given much thought to Yaniewicz over the contributions from America and Europe. She also years,” she says; despite growing up in a musical enlisted the help and hearts of the Scottish Polish family with his portrait in her grandmother’s home. community, eager to celebrate Polish-Lithuanian His mysterious debonair looks reminded her of ties to Scottish cultural life. “When I saw that the “a cross between Beethoven and Mr Darcy,” she final contribution to reach our target had come adds. She considered it just another part of family from a daughter of a Polish veteran who had collected money at both his 100th birthday and mythology, like the funeral, I was deeply moved. There is a lot of heart plaque in Scotland in this project!” marking Yaniewicz’s contribution to the The piano is a fine example of domestic square first Edinburgh Music pianos, popular at the time for their neat practical Festival. Recalling to a colleague the loss of a size and appealing for their expression and tonal Stradivarius and Amati, once part of her family shading. Already put to good use, it has featured in heritage (evidenced now by an empty ornate inaugural concerts with early keyboard performers double violin case), some inspired random googling Steven Devine and Pawel Siwczak who admire led her to the piano. The instrument’s discovery its dulcet tones. “To play on it has a special kind saw her delve down a rabbit hole into an absorbing of sensation,” says Siwczak. Luckily the most research project which kept her occupied during important part of the piano, the sound board, lockdown. With input from specialists in the field, remains intact. Devine points out it is a wonderful Ornamental cartouche above the keyboard with the addresses of Yaniewicz & Green’s premises in London and Liverpool www.epta-uk.org |  38  | HOME

SQUARE PIANO example of a square piano more than likely Yaniewicz’ signature licensed by Yaniewicz from Clementi. Square pianos inside the piano were crucial to the fortepiano’s taking centre stage in musical culture. Devine explains, “The square Yaniewicz used his piano revolution facilitated the acceptance of the name as soloist piano as the natural successor to the harpsichord. and composer Without them the modern piano may not have to promote his evolved.” The piano’s permanent home will be music business, at the Scottish-Polish Cultural Association, just courting wealthy around the corner from where Yaniewicz lived in patrons along the Edinburgh: a fitting conclusion to its journey. way. Marrying in Unique styling of the legs and drawers 1799, he moved The exhibition also tells the story of Feliks to Liverpool and opened a ‘Music and Musical Janiewicz, born in Vilnius. One of the exhibits Instruments Warehouse’ in partnership with J. is a seal with the family crest and motto “Pro Green. As a co-founder of the Philharmonic Society, Lithuania,” indicating he was part of the Polish/ he was influential in the promotion of new music Lithuanian szlachta (nobility). Enlisted at the age from Europe, including an oratorio by Beethoven. of 15 to the royal orchestra of the “Last King of He later moved to Edinburgh, a city undergoing Poland” – Stanislaw August Poniatowski – Janiewicz rapid development fuelled by transatlantic trade. perfected his technique in Warsaw. Regular Settling in Scotland, he co-organised the very first performances were part of Poniatowski’s famous Edinburgh Music Festival, in which he performed. Thursday dinners - the weekly gatherings of artists A bold and innovative curator, he focused concerts and intellectuals showing support for Poniatowski’s on instrumental music, promoting advertisements enlightenment principles. around composers rather than musicians. The festival was such a success that both Dublin and The king funded the young violinist’s travels Liverpool invited Yaniewicz to organise similar to Vienna and France, bringing his virtuosity to events. He gave his last concert aged 69 and the attention of Mozart and Haydn. Writing from though an elderly man, a surviving letter from Vienna, the famous tenor Michael Kelly remarked Paganini to Yaniewicz addressing him as “Master” that he had heard two of the foremost performers demonstrates the honour and prestige bestowed on the violin in the world, “One being Janiewicz, on him. He died at the grand old age of 84. a young man in service of the King of Poland. He touched the instrument with thrilling effect. Yaniewicz‘s most valuable legacy is his violin His concertos always finished with some pretty concerti with a strong emphasis on virtuosity and Polonaise air.” elements of Polish dance and melody. After a Paris debut in 1787, Janiewicz took His early string trio inspired 20th-century a position under the patronage of the Duke of composer Andrzej Panufnik who found the Orleans. Forced to flee to Britain in the ensuing score in the Warsaw archives before he escaped tumult of the French Revolution and partitions communism and, like Yaniewicz, found refuge wiping the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth off in Britain. Yaniewicz’s concerti are currently the map, he was far luckier than the French Duke, undergoing republication in Poland and guillotined soon after. Bloodshed and chaos on excitingly the Scottish Chamber Orchestra will be the continent saw many musicians washed up on programming the third violin concerto later this British shores. The Morning Chronicle comments of year. the time, “The alarming consequences of a musical flood means it is difficult to stop up one’s ears if Yaniewicz wrote only a few piano pieces, but the one did not also have to protect one’s pockets at discovery of this domestic piano is at the heart of the same time!” a story which tells of the tenacity and creativity of an émigré musician who had a lasting impact on An advantageous time to be a musician, the British concert life. rising popularity of printed music and mass production of domestic instruments saw musical For more information, visit www.yaniewicz.org life in Britain boom. Anglicising his name to Felix Yaniewicz, he was recognised for his fine leading of the orchestra, regularly appearing on the London concert scene. One critic wrote, “He wraps us all in Elysium throughout his Concerto, interlacing beautiful airs of simplicity and passion.” His first violin concerto was also arranged for keyboard by his colleague and fellow émigré Dussek. Concertising all over Britain and Ireland, |  39  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

new music Alexis Ffrench isn’t afraid of fusing his music with weighty issues. For years, the pioneering pianist has used his music to highlight mental health, discuss diversity and challenge the classical world to be more inclusive. Truth is his most powerful and political to date, and also his most optimistic. “I imagined what the world would look like if everybody had the opportunity to ask themselves the questions GUIDING LIGHT‘who am I?’ and ‘what is my purpose in the world?’ and what we, as a human race, could create and change together.” ‘Guiding Light’ is the beautiful first single from the album released in May 2022. The official sheet music folio for Truth is available on musicroom.com. GUIDING LIGHT By Alexis Ffrench Warm and relaxed ~(h = 50) ˙ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ™™ œJ ˙˙ {&b 22 œ œ œ œ œ™ œJ ˙ œœ™™ Jœ œ œ œ œ mp ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ œ˙ œ œ &b 22 Ó con P {&b œ™ Jœ ˙ œ™ œJ œ œ œ œ w œ™ Jœ œ œ œ œ &b ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙˙ ˙œ œ œ ˙˙ ˙˙ www {&b wœ™ Jœ ˙ œœ ™™ œ œœ œ œj œœ ™™ œJ ˙˙ œœ ™ œJ œj œœ œ œ œ &b ˙˙ ˙˙ œJ ™ ˙˙ ˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ {&b œw™ œJ ˙ ˙˙ œ˙ œ œ œ ww ˙˙ œ œ œ œ &b ˙˙ œœœ™™™ & œj ˙ ˙˙ œœ™™ ? œJ ˙ www Copyright © 2022 UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING LTD. All Rights in the U.S. and Canada Administered by UNIVERSAL - POLYGRAM INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING, INC. All Rights Reserved Used by Permission Sheet Music Reproduced by Kind Permission of Hal Leonard Europe Ltd. |  40  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

new music {&b œœ™™ Jœ ˙˙ ˙˙ œ œ œ œ œj œœ™™ Jœ ˙˙ ˙˙ œœœœ &b w˙ ˙ ˙˙˙ œ™ œj ˙ ˙˙ ˙œ ™ œj ˙ w ˙ {&b œœ™™ Jœ ˙˙ œœ™™ œJ œœ œ œ œ œ ww œœ™™ Jœ œ˙ œ œ œ &b ˙˙ œ™ œj ˙ œj œ™ œ™ œj œ œ œ œ˙ œ ˙ w ?w ˙ ˙ { œ™ œ œj ˙˙ œœ ™™ Jœ ˙œ œ œ œ œj œw™ œj œ™ œ œj œœ™ œ œj œj œ˙ œ œ œ &b œ œj www ? b ˙˙ œ˙˙ ™ mf œ˙˙j œ™ œ˙ œ œ œ˙ œ œ˙˙ œ {&b œ™ œ œj œœ™™ Jœ œ™ œj œ˙ œ œ œ ww œœœœ Œ ˙ œj œ™ ˙˙ ˙ ˙ mp œwœ™™ œj œ œ ?b ‰ œj œ ‰ œj œ ˙ ˙ ww {&b œjw ˙ œ œ œ œ œœ™ œ œj ˙˙ ˙˙ œœœœ œj ˙ ?b œœ ™™ œj œœ™™ œj œœ™™ œj ˙ œj œ™ œ™ œj œœ™™ w w ˙ ˙ w |  41  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

new music {&b œjw œœ ™™ œj œ œ œ œ œj Ów ˙ œœ™ œ œj œ˙ œ œ œ ?b œœ ™™ œj œœ™™ œj ˙˙ ‰ œj œ œœ ™™ œj œ™ œj œ œ œ ‰ œj œ w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ { œ™ œ œj œj ˙˙ ˙˙ œj œ œ œ œ œj œœ ™™ œ œœ ™™ Jœ œœ™™ œJ œ œ œ œ &b œ J mp œ™ œj œ œ ‰ œj œœ ‰ œj œ ‰ œj œ ˙˙˙ ˙ w &œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ? b œ˙ œ œ {&b œJ wœ™ Jœ ˙ œœ™™ œj œ˙˙ œ œ œ ww Œ ‰ Jœ œ œ œ œ &b ˙˙ ? ˙ ww &˙ ˙ œ˙œ ™™ œj ˙ ˙ {&b ˙w œ™ ˙œ ™ œ˙ œ œ œ œœ ™ œ œj ˙ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ œ &b wœ™ œj œj ˙ œj œ˙™ œj ˙œ œ œ Œ ‰ œj œ™ œj ˙œj œ™ ˙ ˙ {&b œjww ˙ œ œ œ œ œ™ œj ˙ ˙‰ œJ œ œ œ œ œ œ &b wœ™ œj œ™ œj œ™ œj œœœ™™™ ? œJ œ œ œ œ™ œj ˙˙ œ œ œ ˙ w ˙ |  42  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

new music {&b œœ™™ œj œj ˙˙ ˙˙ œœ œ œ œ œ œj œ˙™ œj œ™ œj œ‰ ™ œ œJœj œœ œœ œœ œœ ?b ‰ œj œ ˙œ ™ œj œ™ œj ˙ ‰ œj œ ‰ œj œ ‰ œj œ ‰ œj œ ˙ ww ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ {&b wœ™ œJ ˙ ˙œ™ ? Jœ ˙˙œ œ œ œ www www & 23 ? b ˙˙ œ˙ œ œ œœ™™ œj ˙ ˙ 23 œœ ™™ œj ˙ ˙˙ ˙ {&b 23 œj œ™ œJ œ™ œj œœ™™ œj 22 ˙w˙ ˙˙ œ œ œ œ 23 œj œ ™ œj œ™ œj œ˙™ œj 22 œ œ˙ ˙ mp œ™ Jœ ˙œj œ™ 23 ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ 22 ? b 23 ˙˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ 22 œw™ œj Ó {&b 22 www œœ™™ œj œ œ œ œ œj œœ™™ œJ œœ™™ œj œœœ™™™ œj ˙˙ ? b 22 wœ™ œj ˙ ˙˙ ˙˙˙ ∏∏∏∏∏∏ ‰ œj œ ‰ œj œ ˙˙ ˙œ™ œj ˙ ˙ {&b ˙œ™?b˙ œj ˙œ œ œ œ ˙œ™ Jœ ˙˙ ? œw œ œ ˙ √www ˙ ˙œj œ™ ˙˙ ˙˙ rit. p ˙˙ ˙˙ √ w |  43  | w www.epta-uk.org HOME

REVIEWS ABRSM Syllabuses Review by Christopher Baxter, Angela Fogg and Nadia Lasserson Piano Exam Pieces 2023–2024 Dussek and Loeschhorn. Once Richard Uttley, Yulia Chaplina and Initial – Grade 3 again, contemporary composers, Nikki Iles. This makes it so easy all of them EPTA UK members with for students to listen to the entire Every two years, the examination pedagogical expertise, have been syllabus (not all parents like their boards bring out new syllabuses invited to contribute: Elissa Milne, children to be using YouTube) so and all teachers and students await David Blackwell, Nancy Litten and they really do have greater choice, the selections with avid interest Andrew Eales alongside well- especially of the alternative pieces and curiosity. established composers such as that are not in the book. William Gillock, Florence Price and The new syllabus offers a far Martha Mier. Secondly, inside the front page wider range of repertoire than ever is a very clear description of what before, with a total of thirty-nine Nadia Lasserson is required for the traditional face- pieces in each grade. Once again, to-face exam and the new recorded every student is catered for with all Piano Exam Pieces 2023–2024 Performance Grades. Again, very conceivable musical styles on offer Grades 4 & 5 useful for pupils and parents to at every level. have easy access to this information It’s that time in the piano and for teachers wanting to check The old “Prep Test”, which was teacher’s calendar for the great something quickly. Of course all never marked but just offered a revealing of the new exam syllabus this information is available on the Certificate with comments, was for the next two years from ABRSM. ABRSM website as well. There are replaced for the first time in 2021 So ‘what is new?’ I hear you ask. also good reasons given for learning by “In” or Initial Grade with just Well, the ABRSM has endeavoured and practising scales and arpeggios, two scales, and arpeggios with to make the whole syllabus more working on your sight-reading five notes. It is clearly here to available to pupils and teachers. and developing aural skills. As stay and is opening new doors Now, when you buy your copy of teachers we all know these things for contemporary composers to the book you now also receive a but it might not always be easy to cater for this level of performance. download code which allows you convince students and parents who As in all the AB Grades, there are to download all 39 pieces on the would rather just play the pieces. three lists of nine pieces in total, syllabus for free. Increasingly in requiring a selection of one from recent years there have been more The choice of pieces for both each list. A further 33 pieces are and more pianists recording the grades is huge. There has been also offered as ‘Alternatives’ thus syllabus and making it available much research into female opening an enormous range of on YouTube, but here you have the composers of piano music recently repertoire all within a five-finger definitive versions from pianists and this is reflected here with just hand position and small chords of Dinara Klinton, Robert Thompson, under a quarter of the composers seconds or thirds. There are some classics by Gurlit, Kabalevsky, Reinagle, Carl Orff and Diabelli, and the contemporary pieces are by well-known pedagogues of the day such as Walter Carroll, Pam Wedgwood, Joan Last, Peter Gritton, Mark Tanner, Karen Marshall and June Armstrong, to name a few. Grades 1–3 are accepted as Level 1, Grades 4 and 5 Level 2 and Grades 6, 7 and 8 Level 3. The repertoire in Grades 1, 2 and 3 have no surprises on the Classical side, with Bach, Beethoven, Diabelli, |  44  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REVIEWS and arrangers being women. Apart from the previous syllabus, there musical characteristics, rather than from names like Louise Farrenc, are clear merits to this decision. Style and Period, guarantees a Cécile Chaminade and Florence The pieces presented in the new balanced programme, even in the Price who we are all certainly more Exam Pieces books are all fresh Practical Grades where this is not a aware of than we were 10 years ago, additions, and the overlapping prescribed requirement. In List A of there are many female composers pieces are taken from and remain Grade 8, the pieces by Bach, Mozart composers from more modern in the alternative lists. In addition, and Schubert are quicker in tempo times: Valerie Capers, Heather there are now 13 pieces in each list and demanding of technical agility; Hammond, Alison Mathews, Martha for each grade, extended from the the expressive and lyrical pieces Mier, Nikki Iles, Victoria Borisova- previous 10. in List B are by Coleridge-Taylor, Ollas, Catherine Rollin, Dorothy Louise Farrenc and Tchaikovsky; Piling, Bernadette Marion and At first glance, the general Albéniz, Debussy and the highly Chee-Hwa Tan. Let’s hope this is a level of difficulty appears to have appealing and virtuosic Over the beginning for these composers to increased somewhat in the new Bars by J.P. Johnson represent the deservedly have their music taken Grades 6, 7 and 8 syllabuses, but so-called character pieces included seriously. those working towards these in List C. higher grades certainly deserve There are all the traditional such an appropriate challenge. For Recordings of the full syllabus pieces still here. A Bach Invention, instance, in Grade 6, the intricate lists are now included as digital a Beethoven Bagatelle, Haydn, passagework of Heller’s Prelude in downloads via a code included at Handel, Gade and Granados. C sharp minor and R.R. Bennett’s the end of each book. Although Studies by Heller, character pieces The Child that is Born on the Sabbath these are not always the most by Prokofiev, Kabalevsky and Day, and the sophisticated control inspiring performances, the Walter Carroll, jazzy numbers from of tone colour necessary in R.N. clear and detailed recordings are Mick Cornick, Arlen and Martha Dett’s Honey and Elissa Milne’s certainly a valuable reference tool. Mier and even a piece by Einaudi. Indigo Moon are all considerable The pieces selected from lists challenges. The quality and The overall presentation of A B C in the book are also more variety of repertoire here is very these books is as logical as varied. For example, List A for encouraging, and the resulting ever, containing details of the Grade 5 includes Cimarosa, Haydn satisfaction from the musical and requirements for the exams, and a Jig by Chee-Hwa Tan, List technical accomplishment will complete lists of the technical B for Grade 4 has a jazzy piece generously reward the necessary requirements as well as by Valerie Capers, a lovely piece efforts. indication of where to find further Idylle by Cécile Chaminade and La information. The text is clear and Nouvelle Poupée by Tchaikovsky. It is commendable that this well-organised to facilitate page There are also several folk- ABRSM syllabus achieves a balance turns where necessary. song-based pieces from Bartók, between standard repertoire and a traditional Malay folk song, lesser-known and contemporary As mentioned in John Holmes’ Shenandoah from USA, a Bulgarian composers, encompassing a rich foreword, the commentaries offered Peasant Dance and Arirang from array of style and background, in the Teaching Notes book are Korea and arrangements of jazz while maintaining a consistent intended to offer additional insights standards Stormy Weather and Ain’t level of quality and integrity. in forming a valid interpretation, Misbehavin’. From the Grade 7 book, pieces by and are not designed to satisfy a well-known names such as Haydn, prescribed “ABRSM way”. Although With so much to choose from Chopin Moszkowski and Christopher this book does not extend to the I think it is going to be a very Norton are placed alongside equally alternative pieces (which has been enjoyable couple of years for those rewarding and colourful repertoire the case previously), there are many choosing the ABRSM exam board! by Marianne von Martínez, Jan inspiring hints and tips to help the Freidlin and Param Vir. learner on their way to a coherent, Angela Fogg stylistic and effective performance, This is the first syllabus release and the commentaries are Piano Exam Pieces 2023–2024 since the introduction of the helpfully divided into Musical Grades 6–8 Performance Grade exams, and Context, Technical Challenges and Piano Teaching Notes 2023–2024 the rich variety of repertoire and Performance and Interpretation. Grades Initial–8 the extended alternative pieces lists provide plenty of choice All in all, an appealing and The release of the new piano when programming for these inspiring set of resources to explore syllabus every two years is (although it is not obligatory to and enjoy over the coming years. still an exciting event, for choose the fourth piece from the teachers, learners and examiners syllabus). The recent decision to Christopher Baxter alike. Although I was initially organise the repertoire lists by disheartened to hear there would be a 70% overlap of repertoire |  45  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

CORPORATE NEWS Making our business your business Dogs and Birds Piano Method Preparatory Level. atmosphere. Each guest enjoys A Course for Teaching Piano to A unique and imaginative way for their own grand piano to practise complete beginners to start the on and plenty of time to dedicate Children Aged 3 Onwards piano - with no less than the world’s to their passion – with like-minded At the request of many teachers, most successful concert pianist, enthusiasts! Lang Lang. Aimed at 5–10-year we made a recording of the Dogs olds, the series progresses from Next year sees a return of ever- and Birds Teachers’ Course held on complete beginner to around Grade popular courses and tutors, as well Zoom in November 2021. Adding to 1 level, designed to inspire the next as some new exciting programmes it more recent material we formed generation of pianists with Lang to keep things fresh! a new online course, available from Lang’s passion and enthusiasm for www.dogsandbirds.co.uk. the piano. Here’s a glimpse of what guests can enjoy next year: In this course, lasting over six Now publishing alongside the hours in total, we give a clear existing Levels 1–5, the Preparatory • Piano retreats (with no structure enabling you to achieve Level introduces the basics of pressure to perform, only excellent results teaching children music and the keyboard through play!). the piano at a very early age. The fun games, diagrams, activities and course covers note recognition, online audio. Preceding Level 1, this • Courses by ability from lower finger positions, rhythm exercises book is the ideal introduction for intermediate through to and all the necessary musical complete beginners. with cartoon advanced. building blocks which make for a Lang Lang bringing the book to life, solid foundation. We use videos of taking young pianists step by step • Themed courses on the topics Elza’s students to demonstrate the through each section. of composition, jazz & blues, approach, as they work through the duets & accompanying with three Dogs and Birds tutor books, The entire series comprises six David Hall, Chopin - and leading to a seamless transition to books, each accompanied by online exploring the romantics - using conventional music. audio and progressing at a steady with Warren Mailley-Smith, as rate to help students have a fluid well as diploma preparation & This course contains our most learning experience from book to performance - and Beethoven recent pedagogy and since it is book. Creatively composed pieces - with Graham Fitch. streamable it will be updated when develop student’s hands equally new developments occur. Monthly for optimal playing and dexterity. • Guest visits by highly online “live” Q&A sessions are also Exclusive performances from Lang esteemed pianists and included. Lang are included from Level 1 pedagogues at the top of onwards. their field; including early We are offering 50% discount Baroque with Steven Devine, on this course until 31 October. Buy the entire series with 20% off the Mendelssohns with Daniel Use Coupon Code DBTCAUT22 at with code: LANGLANG20. Valid from Grimwood, Black Renaissance checkout. Sept 15–October 31. Available this Music with Beatrice Nicholas, autumn from fabermusic.com Penelope Roskell From Faber Music healthy technique to natural The international superstar Finchcocks artistry, Dr Vedrana Subotic, Finchcocks is delighted to Charlotte Tomlinson and pianist Lang Lang returns with his William Westney’s the Perfect latest publication The Lang Lang announce the release of its wrong note. programme for 2023. • Five extended 5-day courses: Offering luxury, residential piano To ensure a relaxed and courses for lower intermediate comfortable atmosphere, players through to professionals, places on these are open to grade-1 listed Finchcocks sets itself those who have attended at apart with its unique setting, world- least one weekend Finchcocks class tuition, top-notch food from course previously. our on-site chef, and an inclusive, encouraging and welcoming For more information, please see www.finchcocks.com/availability |  46  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

CORPORATE NEWS ISM Piano Trio Society Landmark holiday pay case in the The Piano Trio Society is Supreme Court delighted to be associated with The Supreme Court has handed the book launch of Gillian Perrin’s new publication “Past Sounds: down its judgment in the case of An Introduction to the Sonata The Harpur Trust v Brazel, finding Idea in the Piano Trio” (Austin in favour of Incorporated Society Macauley Publishers 2022 | ISBN of Musicians (ISM) member Lesley 978 1528991605), taking place on Brazel, and backing the ISM’s Sunday 30 October, 6.30pm–8.30pm interpretation of holiday pay law. in the David Josefowitz Recital Hall, Royal Academy of Music, This is a landmark case which Marylebone Road NW1 5HT. The determines how the holiday pay of programme will include a talk by workers who work term-time only the author Gillian Perrin and music should be calculated. The judgment performed by the Astatine Trio, represents the final appeal stage winners of the Piano Trio Society since Mrs Lesley Brazel approached Senior Intercollegiate Piano Trio the ISM in-house legal team for Competition 2022. advice in 2013. Mrs Brazel has been supported by the ISM from the Admission is free and by ticket initial grievance all the way to the only. Supreme Court. For more details, visit: Piano Trio Society’s website (www.pianotriosociety.org.uk) Gillian’s website (https:// gillianmargaretperrin.ampbk.com/) RSVP and enquiries: [email protected] This ruling will affect anyone who “... enthralling ... no more suitable Schott Music Ltd works term-time only and whose guide can be sought than in the Following the resignation of Sam hours can vary from term to term pages of this well-produced book, but who is contracted for the whole and the informative text of its gifted Rigby, Schott Music Ltd. is excited of a year. As the Supreme Court is author.” to announce that Paul Dyer and the final appeal stage for any legal Roberto García have accepted the case in the United Kingdom, this Robert Matthew-Walker, Musical Board of Directors’ invitation to ruling settles the issue and has Opinion take over the Directorship and been eagerly anticipated. jointly manage Schott Music Ltd. “ ... really excellent, sound and from 1 July 2022. On a practical level, it will mean unusual in its approach ... thoroughly that music teachers who are recommended.” Head of Operations, Paul Dyer, engaged on a term-time only basis has worked at Schott Music Ltd. will have certainty about how their Jane Faulkner, Founder and and sister company mds (music holiday pay should be calculated. Chairman of the Piano Trio Society distribution services) since 1985. Paul will assume responsibility Music teachers who are employed “ ... wonderfully compelling, for Administration & Operations on a term-time only basis should lucid and engaging new book on of the business and oversee the check how their holiday pay has the sonata...opens the topic out to management of the retail shop in been calculated. If you are an diverse readers.” London. Paul says, “Schott Music ISM member and you have any has been part of my life for nearly questions or concerns, you can Ayla Lepine, Ahmanson Fellow, 40 years, and I feel very privileged contact [email protected] The National Gallery, London to take on this role and delighted to Find out more at ism.org/holiday- “ ... ideal for sixth form music pay-brazel students ... would also appeal to a much larger audience ... easy to read and digest ...” Clare Dawson, former Director of Music, The London Oratory School |  47  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

CORPORATE NEWS have been given the opportunity to Problem 3: Starting with white The Piano Teachers’ Course UK lead such a strong team.” notes leads to the “collapsed wrist” As we gear up to welcome this that is so typical in beginners. Roberto García has been year’s students to our courses, we working in the music publishing A Proposed First Lesson are delighted to be working with industry since 1994. He joined If lessons start with the black two new tutors! Jill Morton and Schott Music Ltd. as the Head of notes the groups of three and two Kris Worsley join our wonderful International Sales & Marketing in black notes are identified and a and experienced team to deliver 2004. As well as joint directorship more natural hand position can career-changing courses to piano responsibilities, Roberto will quickly be established. When longer teachers of all levels of experience. oversee the management of both fingers (fingers 2-3-4) are placed With Jill a busy performer and Kris a the Contemporary Music and Sales over black notes a more natural published musicologist, they bring & Marketing departments. Rob says hand position is readily assumed. a diverse and valuable set of skills he is “very excited to be taking on The little finger and thumb drop and specialities to the Principal this new role and to work jointly with to the side slightly and a natural Tutor team. Paul in leading the company forward ‘arch’ with curved fingers is easier into the future”. to establish. Our courses are unique in The whole piano can be used their holistic and comprehensive Commenting on their through improvisation to encourage approach, nurturing and developing appointment, Managing Director the concept that the right end teaching and performing skills of the Schott Music Group, Dr of the piano is high, left low. simultaneously in teachers. After Thomas Sertl, says: “We are very The result is a lesson in which all, the majority of our piano pupils pleased that Paul and Rob have taken there is more creativity, involving will prepare for and perform in over the duties as directors of our improvisation which allows the exams, concerts, festivals and affiliate Schott Music Ltd. Based on imagination to flourish. Different competitions, so all the better that their many years of experience at rhythms are used immediately, we know exactly how to help them Schott Music Ltd. and in the music call and response phrase feel ready and confident. publishing industry, we are certain structures can be used, extra- that they will further develop and musical characteristics explored ‘I have developed as a teacher and expand Schott Music Ltd’s position in with younger children (bird song a performer this year. I loved that the the music industry and thus play an high, dinosaur low etc) and even PTC assessed both the teaching and important role for the success of the articulation can play a part (the frog performance aspects of our work, it’s Schott Music Group.” leaping versus the slimy snake). rare to find a course that does this.’ - 2021-22 Cert PTC student The Maestro Online Robin Harrison manages www. Join the PTC UK to take a deep- dive look at teaching approaches the-maestro-online.com, a portal and tools for every learner and of digital courses that are designed lesson scenario, discover how to as an add-on to existing 1-1 lessons inspire a deep appreciation for to further enhance students’ music from the earliest stages, and musicianship. Here is a sneak peak how to retain and motivate pupils summary of his feature article, as they advance. For a full course due out in the next issue of Piano overview, contact Rhiana: rhiana@ Professional: pianoteacherscourse.co.uk | 07833 687473 Should Piano Lessons start with Middle C? Enrolment open for 2022-23 (online attendance available for all The majority of commercial courses): www.pianoteacherscourse. tutorials commence with the org/courses location of middle C and place a thumb on it. White notes are taught For piano teachers who feel there first with black notes introduced at must be more to learn. a later stage. Problem 1: We locate white notes by their relationship to the black note patterns Problem 2: Students begin to perceive “C” as always being the thumb rather than considering “which finger should I put on this note?”. |  48  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

Regional News ABOUT EPTA UK EPTA KENT LONDON Sunday 9 October, 11am–4pm Wednesday 12 October, 6.30pm–8.30pm St Edmund’s School, St Thomas Hill, Coach House Pianos, 79–91 New Kings Road, Canterbury CT2 8HU London (SW6 4SQ) Two’s Company! Pedagogical Talk with Vanessa Latarche, Head of Keyboard at the Royal College of Music and Duet Masterclasses and Concert Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, with Spencer Payne and Stephen Dandridge in association with Coach House Pianos. Further details will be announced in upcoming Please let Nancy know if you intend to come. newsletters. For enquiries: [email protected] 01622 682330 / [email protected] Regional Organisers BELFAST HERTS / BEDS SCOTLAND W John McParland, 028 9058 3997, Christine Walker, Emma Sinclair, 07799 100867, [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] BRISTOL KENT SHEFFIELD Daniel Lloyd, [email protected], Nancy Litten, 01622 682330 Pearl Woodward, 0114 266 0399, 07504 303517 [email protected] [email protected] BUCKS/BERKS LANCASTER SURREY Richard Heyes, 01234 712599 / Yvette Price, 07932 962360 Julie Cooper, 0208 397 5655, 01582 414818, [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] LONDON N / E SUSSEX E CAMBRIDGE Marta Maroto, Kevin Smith, 07583 251118, Ilga Pitkevica, 01954 210189 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] LONDON S SUSSEX W CARDIFF Frederick Scott, Sarah Plumley, 01903 883265 David Pert, 029 2052 0736 / [email protected] [email protected] 07786 998454, [email protected] LONDON W SWANSEA CHANNEL ISLANDS Alberto Portugheis, 020 7602 9515 Hyelim Morris, 07949 684401 Alan West, 01481 249371 / [email protected] [email protected] 07781 411119, [email protected] MERSEYSIDE WEST MIDLANDS DERBY Bernie Hailwood, 0151 342 6918 Philippa Rainbird, 024 7667 4118, Beate Toyka, [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] NORFOLK WESSEX DEVON Benjamin Howell, Lynda Smith, 01722 325807, Ekaterina Shetliffe, 07505 884271 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] or Matthew Preston, or Sue Craxton, [email protected] [email protected] EAST MIDLANDS Susan Grange, NORTH EAST YORKSHIRE CEN [email protected] Janet Nicolls, 0191 281 8048, Simon Burgess, 0113 287 6126 [email protected] [email protected] ESSEX Theresa Chapman, OXFORD YORKSHIRE N [email protected] Julie Craven, 01235 765728, Matthew Palmer, or Sharon Goodey, [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] SCOTLAND E www.epta-uk.org GLOUCESTER Gavin Stewart, Pippa Harrison, [email protected] HOME [email protected] |  49  |

ABOUT EPTA UK New members Bursaries Starr Meneely Malcolm Miller Sandra Tetsola There are two bursaries available Full Professional Full Professional Trustee to EPTA UK members. Surrey London We offer bursaries at the Yulia Chaplina beginning of each academic year Gail Merrilees Sarah Scutt Trustee for EPTA UK members embarking on Full Professional Full Professional CPD, and for talented pupils of EPTA UK Lancaster Bristol Imogen Gornall members who may be having difficulty in Full Professional paying for their piano lessons. Gillian Geddes Kate Lingard- Manchester Full Professional Allsopp To apply for a bursary, please Scotland East Full Professional Oli Jackson download a form from the Members’ W Midlands Full Professional Area or ask the EPTA UK office to send Annali Lowdon London you one. There should be a financial Full Professional Catherine Cossey ‘need’ to qualify to be eligible and all Lancaster Full Professional Robin Harrison (The decisions in this respect are made by W Midlands Maestro Online) the EPTA UK Management Committee. Stephanie McQue Corporate Applications for bursaries are accepted Student Olga Vyoralova up to 30 June and will be assessed Merseyside Full Professional Anna Androsenko throughout July. Kent Full Professional Elizabeth Winters Herts Full Professional John Christian Lee Kent Full Professional W Midlands ■ Mark Ray Memorial Fund The Mark Ray Fund was established for members wishing to embark on Continued Professional Development (CPD) to further their skills in piano teaching. ■ John Bigg Scholarship Fund This scholarship fund helps musically- talented students with the cost of piano tuition with an EPTA UK teacher. Scholarships are awarded only to applicants who show true commitment to the piano as their first and preferred instrument. Nominations are invited for a limited number of bursaries for 2022-23. A minimum standard of approximately grade 5 is expected. The bursaries will be awarded on the basis of a letter of recommendation from the teacher together with a letter of intent from a parent or parents and a letter of support from another professional person (e.g. school teacher, doctor) who is familiar with the family’s circumstances but is not a relative. Applicants should have been studying the piano for at least two years and must be under 18 years of age. |  50  | www.epta-uk.org HOME