Piano Professional Issue 57 January 2022

JANUARY 2022 | ISSUE 57 | www.epta-uk.org Introducing new EPTA UK Chair Aaron Shorr Reflections and lessons from teaching online by Liz Giannopoulos and Hephzibah Isherwood Interviews with Melanie Bowes and Matt Walker Technique with Jenny Macmillan and Sergio Pamies New music for piano solo, piano trio and group piano, news from EPTA UK Corporate Members and a review round-up, including the latest LCM Syllabus

Specialist Music lies at the heart of Wells Sejin Yoon and Bridget Yee BBC Young Musician 2020 Piano Finalists Wells is one of the four English Specialist Music Our state-of-the-art performing and recording Schools supported by the Department for venue, Cedars Hall, has hosted many recitals and Education, and has specialist music places available masterclasses with the following musicians: as part of the government’s Music and Dance Scheme. Pierre Laurent Aimard, Martin James Bartlett, In the keyboard department there are specialist Imogen Cooper, Peter Donohoe, Barry Douglas, schemes of study available on piano, organ Mei Yi Foo, Benjamin Grosvenor, Christian and harpsichord. The department enjoys an Blackshaw, Stephen Hough, Angela Hewitt, international reputation as a centre of excellence Elisabeth Leonskaja, Alexander Melnikov, and in recent years 12 Wells pianists have reached Steven Osborne, Yevgeny Sudbin, the finals of the BBC Young Musician Competition. Mitsuko Uchida, Roger Vignoles, Ashley Wass The School has close links with Wells Cathedral, providing unrivalled opportunities for organ scholars. Generous financial bursaries of up to 100% of fees and music tuition are available across all instruments. Wells musicians receive a first-class, pre- professional training from teachers who are world- class musicians themselves, many of whom are active performers and teach at UK conservatories.

JANUARY 2022 | ISSUE 57 | 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 Introducing Aaron Shorr as Chair of EPTA UK annual subscription £12 7 How online lessons have influenced teaching (inc P&P). and learning by Liz Giannopoulos Editor Talia Girton 9 The opportunity of limitations e: [email protected] by Hephzibah Isherwood Design 11 Remembering Margaret Murray McLeod Helen Tabor by Sue Craxton w: helentaborcreative.com Advertising enquiries 12 Homage to Vienna by Nancy Litten e: [email protected] 19 Teaching Group Piano with Melanie Bowes 24 Independent publishing and composing Subscribers to Piano Journal: Annual subscription is £7 (inc P&P) with Matt Walker Contact Nadia Lasserson 34 Carver Road, London SE24 9LT 27 First lessons on balance between hands Tel: 020 7737 7307 / 020 7274 6821 by Jenny Macmillan e: [email protected] 30 Bebop Piano: Examining Bud Powell’s All EPTA UK enquiries Left-Hand Techniques by Dr Sergio Pamies The Administrator EPTA UK PO Box 77560 35 Octave Exercises by Elena Cobb London WC1A 9RX 38 Improvisation and performance anxiety Tel: 0771 931 6333 (Tue–Sat, 10am–1pm) e: [email protected] by Dr Xenia Pestova Bennett w: www.epta-uk.org Registered Company England 1945055 41 Reviews Registered Charity 293698 46 Corporate News 48 Regional News Honorary Treasurer 50 New members • Bursaries John Nye 51 Services to members Please see the EPTA UK services 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 EPTA UK continues to forge A welcome from the new ahead with new ideas Editor of Piano Professional Talia Girton Welcome to your (delayed!) 57th edition her arrangement of “Sonata ‘Pathétique’”. Also of Piano Professional magazine. featured are interviews with group piano specialist The year we’ve just left behind (2021) Melanie Bowes, and independent publisher Matt was a wild ride for all of us, having spent the first Walker along with reflections on what we’ve half of the year teaching online and the second learned from teaching during the pandemic by Liz half trying to regain our footing. Nonetheless, Giannopoulos and Hephzibah Isherwood. Finally, EPTA UK continues to forge ahead with new ideas you’ll find our reviews of piano publications and and plans to serve our members. As I write, we are albums as usual, notably, an in-depth look at the wrapping up our year-long National Performance new LCM handbook. Programme (huge thanks to Liz Giannopoulos), developing a three-year strategic plan to offer Talia Girton, Editor more to our members, and redesigning the EPTA UK website to make it more accessible and fit for purpose. We are delighted to announce the appointment of Aaron Shorr as Chair of EPTA UK. Along with the addition of Angela Fogg, trustee, Andrew Higgins, trustee and Regional Organisers’ Coordinator, Yvonne Cheung, administrator, John Nye, treasurer, and Peter Lipman, CEO, the management committee is confident that the governance and leadership of our charity are most certainly on the right track. We sincerely thank all those who formerly served on the management committee for their dedication to the betterment of piano teaching. We are also incredibly grateful for the tireless hours of unpaid work graciously donated by our trustees, especially Vice Chair Anthony Williams. Our appreciation extends to our wonderful regional organisers who have been hard at work planning in-person events again safely. You’ll see a preview of what’s to come this year (see p. 48) and you can stay up to date with events all over the UK by visiting www.epta-uk.org or by checking our regular newsletter; it’s delivered weekly on Sundays straight to your inbox. In this issue, we take a look at bebop piano technique with Sergio Pamies, lessons on balance with Jenny Macmillan, and octave exercises with Elena Cobb. Xenia Pestova Bennett presents an intriguing article on improvisation as a means to alleviate performance anxiety and Sue Craxton offers a personal remembrance of beloved pedagogue Margaret Murray McLeod. Nancy Litten tells the tantalising tale of the inspiration behind her collection of piano trios, “Romantic Vienna”, and generously provides a preview with |  4  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

NEW EPTA UK CHAIR Introducing Aaron Shorr Chair of EPTA UK The Board of Trustees is the Royal Over-Seas League, BBC Proms, Menuhin Festival, delighted to announce Brandt, Bromsgrove, Park Lane Munich Biennale, Hanover Expo, the appointment of Debut Series and the Moray Paganiniana in Genoa, Venice Aaron Shorr as chair of EPTA UK. Piano Competition. In 2011, he Biennale, Instrumenta Festival Aaron studied at the became Artistic Director and Mexico, the Skopje Days of New Manhattan School of Music in Chair of the Jury for the Scottish Music, Cyprus International New York and the Royal Academy International Piano Competition. Contemporary Music Festival of Music in London, where he and the Istanbul Biennale. He received their most prestigious As well as appearing as soloist has broadcast frequently for prizes for performance. His at London’s South Bank in over radio, including BBC Radio 3, BBC teachers have included Alexander thirty concertos, he has toured Scotland, Classic FM, Bavarian Kelly, Solomon Mikowsky, Gary extensively as a recitalist and Radio, Swiss Classical Radio, ABC Graffman, André Watts, John chamber musician worldwide. Australia and WQXR New York. Browning and chamber music More recent performances have with Joseph Seiger, former duo included tours of Italy, Germany, Aaron has extensively recorded partner of legendary violinist France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, for Naxos, Mettier, Olympia, NMC Mischa Elman. Holland, Turkey, Australia, China, and Meridian. His recordings Since settling in the UK in Japan, Korea, Mexico and the of Beethoven with duo partner 1984, Aaron has established an United States. He has performed Peter Sheppard Skærved have international career as soloist, extensively in the United won wide acclaim. He has also chamber musician and educator. Kingdom appearing in concerti, enjoyed close associations He is also a grade and diploma solo recitals and chamber music with living composers and has examiner for the ABRSM. In concerts at the Wigmore Hall, given countless premieres and 2006, he was appointed Head St. Martin-in-the-Fields and performances of works, including of Keyboard at the Royal St. John’s Smith Square and those by Hans Werner Henze, Conservatoire of Scotland. festivals throughout Britain. George Rochberg, Sadie Harrison, In 2013, he was awarded a He has also appeared in major David Matthews, Paul Moravec, Professorship from the RCS and, European Festivals including the Elliott Schwartz, Jörg Widmann, from 2013–2015, also served as Michael Alec Rose, Jeremy Dale Acting Director of Music at the Roberts, Judith Bingham, Rory RCS. Aaron is currently Professor Boyle, Marek Pasieczny and and Head of Keyboard and Sidika Ozdil. Collaborative Piano at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. His The current acting chair, Peter students have gone on to win Lipman, said, “We are elated and major prizes at international greatly honoured that Aaron has competitions including the decided to lead EPTA UK on the Rubinstein International Piano next chapter of its journey. With Master Competition, Tel Aviv, Aaron’s appointment we now UNISA, Pretoria, Rio, Brazil, have a strong board of trustees Munich, St. Petersburg, Tokyo, with a wealth of international Viñes – Spain, Piano Campus – experience who will help grow Paris, Redding-Piette and the the membership and expand our Schubert Competition in the activities.” Czech Republic. His students have also won prizes in major Stay tuned for a full-length UK competitions, including feature article from Aaron in the next edition of Piano Professional. |  5  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

Do you have Private Medical Cover? SPECIAL Transfer & Save with HMCA OFFER Up to Your choice of hospital & specialist 40%* NHS queues avoided discount for members of No age limit Tax free NHS cash benefit European Piano Claims settled promptly Teachers Association Excellent UK based service *This discount is also available to you if you do not presently have private medical cover. Call today for a no obligation quote on OVER 01423 799949 40 or enquire online at www.hmca.co.uk/eptauk YEARS PROVIDING SERVICES TO MEMBERSHIP GROUPS Rated ‘Excellent’ by our customers on This advertisement is produced and presented by HMCA/S PLC (trading as Hospital Medical Care Association, HMCA and HMCA Members) which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN:307587). HMCA/S PLC is a company registered in England, company number: 01362094, registered office: Beech Hall, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, HG5 0EA. HOME

REFLECTION How Online Lessons have influenced teaching and learning by Liz Giannopoulos In recent months there have been many lessons has led to greater independent learning debates about video-conferencing between lessons too. platforms, camera angles, microphones and headphones. Alternative exam formats have Encouraging Self-Evaluation been launched and new examination boards have emerged. We have all faced our own unique We discovered that compromised sound and personal and professional challenges. video quality affected the quality of the feedback As we begin to emerge from the pandemic and we were able to give. In some cases, we realised re-engage with in-person teaching, it seems an that a student’s technical set-up had a much opportune moment for the teachers at Encore greater impact on the lesson than our own Music Tuition to reflect upon our experiences facilities. This presented more opportunities to of online teaching. Intentionally checking the encourage self-evaluation which we know can help accuracy and validity of our teaching assumptions students engage with their musical learning. is an essential element of critical reflection. During the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, our Asking students to self-assess the accuracy of teaching assumptions were challenged more than their finger work or the range of their dynamics, ever before and we had to adapt quickly to find for example, helped them to determine their new ways to connect with, inspire, encourage and performance weaknesses and identify appropriate develop our students. Here we consider the ways practice strategies. Greater self-awareness led to in which the shift to online tuition influenced improvements in independent critical evaluation teaching and learning and assess any longer- which, coupled with autonomous motivation, lasting impacts. resulted in students recognising their own achievements. Promoting Independence and Autonomy For some students, we introduced the The shift to teaching online shone a spotlight submission of mid-week videos which we reviewed on the extent to which our students relied on their together during their lesson. This practice has teacher for participatory support. For example, proved to have ongoing value in preparation for with teacher tempo setting hampered by even the performance. smallest online time delay, younger students, in particular, displayed a rather fluid sense of pulse. Alternatives to Modelling This, in turn, impacted rhythmic accuracy and fluency. Addressing this through call and response Before we fully invested in multiple-angle activities and mindful autonomous tempo setting webcams, opportunities to demonstrate for have remained features of face-to-face teaching. our students were significantly reduced. We Online lessons necessitated a more ‘hands off’ consistently support our students by modelling, approach, and so our students became – and have showing and telling, and we discovered that continued to be – more independent as learners two of these three elements were significantly because they couldn’t lean on us in the same way. reduced in a remote setting. Whilst experienced Now that we are back to face-to-face lessons teachers adjust the degree of support to match we have found that more independence during the needs of the individual learner, suddenly we needed to modify the degree of help in response to a changing environment. Without the support of modelling, the importance of accurate verbal |  7  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REFLECTION instructions was and our own small amplified. This led to team was bolstered by a review of the clarity the sharing of ideas, of language we were resources, challenges using, particularly when teaching rote pieces to we have found that more and triumphs. Whilst online teaching early learners. In addition independence during may not be ideally to providing clearer, more suited to all learners, articulate instructions, almost all our students we found that sharing have continued to thrive lessons has led to greater musically. They too, a pre-recorded video were encouraged by a demonstration was a viable alternative sense of community to in-the-moment independent learning which grew from demonstrations. repertoire and reading challenges, online Variety and Place between lessons too recitals, virtual musical collaboration and a An increased reliance on verbal instruction shared responsibility for meant we had to allow more time during lessons the health and well-being of students, teachers and for students to follow directions. We asked more families. questions to check understanding and found Critically reflecting on our experiences will ensure that allowing more space for pupils to process the lessons we have learned as teachers during the information was vital to ensure absorption. pandemic will continue to shape our teaching in Different learning preferences seemed to assume all contexts. Encore Music tutors had never taught greater significance and we became more creative online before March 2020, but remote lessons have as problem-solvers. In some cases, teaching now become part of our offering, allowing us to became more visual, using more cards, visual aids respond flexibly to student or teacher absence. and games. Some lessons even felt faster paced as Even now, as I write this article, a member of my a result of changing activity more frequently. household is self-isolating with COVID and my students will have their lessons online for at least Social Interactions the next 10 days… here we go again! We all keenly missed personal interactions during lockdowns. Reading body language and picking up an emotional undercurrent or nuance is very Liz Giannopoulos is the founder and director of difficult on a video call. We all have a renewed Encore Music Tuition Ltd, a thriving piano teaching sense of the value of the social aspects of teaching group in SW London. and learning music. As teachers, we discovered that we are adaptable. We were able to draw strength and support from the wider teaching community |  8  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REFLECTION The Opportunity of Limitations by Hephzibah Isherwood During the pandemic, one thing has consistently stood out to me as of utmost importance – Creativity. This is an essential part of every teaching practice, and something that this pandemic has really pushed to the forefront of our lives. Music is inherently creative, but to truly thrive you need not only to have a creative pursuit, but a creative approach to life, learning, and limitations. I am in the early days of establishing my piano teaching career. It has been a challenging experience trying to get this off the ground during a pandemic, but it has also been a uniquely inspiring time. Music has broken barriers. I have found myself teaching piano during COVID response befriending calls to people who are chronically ill or suicidal, and heard them laughing again. I have witnessed the wonder of exploring the expression of emotion through music and harmony, and heard the joy as people share something beautiful in the midst of a dark time. It has been a privilege to join with so many other inspiring teachers who have shown incredible resilience through this time supporting students to unlock their ability to learn, providing community and collaboration during a time of isolation, and inspiring a weary population to rediscover moments of joy through music. Through this journey I have come to a conviction – that creativity can be born out of limitation. In my first ever composition lesson, my teacher told us to set limitations: maybe using one rhythm or one note, teaching us to think outside the box about how to make it musical. Through this journey I have come to a conviction – that creativity can be born out of limitation. This is just a small example of a big principle. Music has taught me that we are not creative because things are easy, but because of the challenges. We are creative because, when faced with limitations, we are forced to find a different way of doing things. We are creative because the obstacles in our lives teach us to discover new paths in order to keep pushing |  9  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REFLECTION Creativity arises from the determination to keep on keeping on and to stick with it despite the forwards. Creativity arises from the determination to keep on discouragements. keeping on and to stick with it despite the discouragements. As teachers we have the opportunity to train others not only in music, but in the resilience of creativity in the face of limitations. These principles permeate music learning, and are more vital than ever in this time! Learning to embrace the opportunity of limitations is something that is so liberating, not only in discovering the true creative potential of ourselves as teachers, but also of our students as we teach them to thrive creatively. The need for this is especially acute at this time, and the benefit from it is especially powerful. Here are three practical ways to refresh your creativity: Connect – Other people bring a fresh perspective, ideas, resources, and an opportunity to collaborate. Challenge – Lean into the challenges and explore how to turn them into opportunities. You’ll be amazed at the creative ideas that come from this! If you have no challenges, why not set yourself one? Celebrate – When a challenge is overcome, a goal is achieved, a creative solution found, or a moment of joy shared through music, celebrate it! This will remotivate and inspire you to keep going! Keep on keeping on! Discovering the power of music as effective rehabilitation from her own chronic illness, Hephzibah is now building her own business teaching piano, using music within community, and exploring the use of music to promote wellbeing. She continues to train in performance and teaching, while collaborating with other organisations to bring music into healthcare settings and increase accessibility for those who are disabled. |  10  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TINRTIBEURVTIEEW Margaret Murray McLeod (1936–2021) - a personal remembrance by Sue Craxton Ifirst met Margaret in 1975 when she became Stop Press my piano teacher. I studied with her for two wonderful years. I was lucky enough also to We are sad to announce study piano pedagogy with her. It is thanks to her the death of Malcolm Troup, that I passed an LRAM and LGSM in piano teaching former chair of EPTA UK, on at the age of 18. 8 December 2021 aged 91. His charismatic presence I have many happy memories of this time. as performer, educator and chair of many Through Margaret I was exposed to the joy of musical organisations inspired generations accompanying and playing chamber music. Even of students, performers and audiences. A now, some 50 years later, I remember vividly student of Guerrero in his native Toronto, turning pages for her Radio Scotland broadcasts of Troup forged a formidable international career, song cycles by Schubert, Schumann and Mahler, and meeting his future wife Carmen, whom he the piano quintets of Elgar, Fauré, Schumann and married in 1962, whilst in Chile on his first Brahms. The most memorable performance for me South American tour. As Professor of Music at was the Harpsichord Concerto by Manuel de Falla - City University, he pioneered degrees in sound Margaret was magnificent. She awoke in me a love engineering and recording, and fellowships of chamber music and accompaniment that shaped in music therapy and Jewish music, young my future career. fields he championed through his life. Malcolm was Editor of EPTA’s Piano Journal for over a Her influence will live quarter of a century (1987–2014), oft regaling readers with his lyrically-phrased editorials, on through the thousands interviews and reviews. Dynamic chairman of both the BPSE and IEBS for many years, he of piano students and displayed characteristic panache as performer and writer until very recently. A fuller obituary teachers she inspired. is scheduled for the next issue. Margaret’s expert analytical skills and knowledge, in particular but not exclusively, about articulation and ornamentation in Baroque and Classical music, continue to influence my teaching today. And of course it was Margaret who encouraged me to join EPTA. We stayed in touch as the years rolled by and I would often phone her for advice. She was my musical mother and role model: always calm, dignified, caring and passionate about music. Her influence will live on through the thousands of piano students and teachers she inspired. A moving and heartfelt tribute to Margaret by former Chair of EPTA UK, Murray McLachlan, can be found at: https://pianodao.com/2021/09/30/margaret- murray-mcleod-1936-2021-an-appreciation/ |  11  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REFLECTION Homage Johann Strauss II Monument in Vienna’s Stadtpark to Vienna by Nancy Litten Reflections on EPTA Stadtpark in Vienna is a I remembered the name Austria’s International wonderful place. Apart Heiligenstadt, where Beethoven Conference, October from the opulent spa had written his anguished 2019, and the pavilion and the Wienfluss Testament. It is a wine-growing inspiration behind wending its way through the village of the suburbs, and the Classical Vienna and middle of its 28 acres, wooded previous evening we had enjoyed Romantic Vienna - Well groves reveal statues of Bruckner supper at an inn there. Loved Solos Arranged and Schubert. Johann Strauss the for Piano Trio Younger has his own ornamental I was able to have a good arch under which he is playing a look round before the others golden violin. My photographing got there by public transport. of him was interrupted by a call It is full of interest. You can for group photos on the steps, summon up the agitated so I duly lined up and grinned for syncopation of the Tempest’s last the camera. It gradually dawned movement, said to have been on me that this was not my party. incorporated into the composer’s The guide and EPTA delegates improvisations when a horse on their way to Beethoven’s galloped past the window. house had already moved on and The most moving sight was disappeared from view. There Beethoven’s grand piano with a was nothing for it but to exit huge metal tunnel attached to the park and hail a taxi. ‘Which enable him to hear better. house?’ inquired the driver; Beethoven stayed in several One afternoon I explored the houses in the city. Fortunately, centre of Vienna, including the Mozarthaus. I was struck (sorry!) by its large golden clock. It |  12  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REFLECTION Above: Beethoven’s grand piano; right: said must also be by Beethoven. Turca from K331 and Rondo from Golden clock in the Mozarthaus So I arranged the Adagio from K545; Haydn’s finale from Sonata his Pathétique sonata and the in D HOB XVl 37 and one of his has 23 notes (tiny organ pipes) audience loved it. The parts songs ‘She never told her love’. and the owner, Count Dyem, were of equal difficulty, (about My violinist and cellist not only commissioned Mozart to write grade 6 level) unlike the ‘piano played them through with me, his Adagio and Allegro in F minor concertos’ many composers but made suggestions regarding K594 for it. Also in the museum write in chamber music. What fingering and bowing. This was is Mozart’s application to be a if I were to arrange more piano during a COVID winter so we conductor at the cathedral next pieces by Viennese composers were masked and all the windows door, the Stephansdom. Nothing for a collection? Fortunately, my were flung open. came of it! publisher, Andrew Higgins of Alfred UK, was also attending For the sequel I spread the net Back in the square I was the conference. After listening a little wider, including J Strauss accosted by a liveried musician to a recording of the Adagio he the Younger’s Blue Danube waltz inviting me to a concert encouraged me to go ahead. (you can’t really leave him out of in the Imperial Hall of the a book called ‘Romantic Vienna’!) Beethovenplatz that evening. The next step was to find I found a charming Fantasie for It was a programme of Haydn, other suitable movements from piano by Bruckner so that he Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert piano sonatas; I needed to be could be included, along with ‘An and J. Strauss l and ll given by able to ‘hear’ the distribution Sylvia’ and a selection of piano the Vienna Royal Orchestra. of the music between the three waltzes by Schubert. What riches The players are drawn from the instruments before I put pencil there were to choose from in top orchestras of the city and to paper. Some lent themselves Brahms! I picked his Intermezzo singers and dancers from the to arrangement better than op. 76 no. 7, and Ballade op. 118 Vienna State Opera. Because others, being more ‘orchestral’ no. 3, which upped the overall the band was so small (about in texture. I also wanted well- difficulty for the three players to 12 instrumentalists) it was known tunes which people would grades 7–8. accompanied throughout by recognise. ‘Classical Vienna’ a pianist, and strangely, this ended up with the opening I remember the glories of combination worked really movement of Beethoven’s Vienna with delight; you could well. There was more chamber ‘Moonlight’ and the Tempo di call these pieces my tribute to the music to enjoy as part of Menuetto from Sonata in G op. composers who have lived and the EPTA programme in the 49 no. 2 to add to the Adagio worked there. I hope to increase sumptuous baroque theatre of already written; Mozart’s Alla the accessibility of chamber music the huge Schoenbrunn Palace by presenting piano pieces and (the Schloss). It was the private songs in another form. So often performance space of the Holy string players enjoy ensemble Roman Emperor Joseph and his opportunities much earlier than wife Maria Theresa. pianists, whose parts tend to be out of the reach of school-age This set me thinking. Back in youngsters. And don’t forget their 2010 I had performed with a role as encores for professional violinist and cellist (pictured right) performers; playing an in a programme of Beethoven arrangement of a well-loved piano piano trios. There were two big piece makes the audience smile! works, The Archduke and the Ghost, but we were stumped for Nancy is well known as an an encore, which my colleagues adjudicator, examiner, pianist, writer, speaker and arranger. She has had 15 books published by Alfred UK and her pieces feature in ABRSM, Trinity College London and MTB publications and syllabuses. You can see a sample from her first collection of piano trios, “Classical Vienna”, overleaf. |  13  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

? #### œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ3 œ œ œ œ ‰ 3 œ œ œ œ œ Ó ˙˙˙ www { Sonata ‘Pathétique’? œ œ œ ww œ œ œ ppp ˙˙ ° MUSIC ˙ ˙ ##<“#‘#> ˙˙ ˙Ó ø Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Sonata in C minor op. 13, mvt 2 Vienna, 1799 °Violin Adagio q = c.38 & bbbb 42 ∑ ∑∑∑ ∑ ∑ ¢Violoncello B bbbb 42 œ œ œ™ œJ œ œ œ œ œ™ nJœ œ œ™ œ œ œ nœ mp œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœnœœ œœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ œœœœnœœœœœ {?bbbb42 œœœœœœœœ Piano p ? bbbb42 œ œ œœ œœœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ °7 bbbb ∑ ∑œ œ œ™ Jœ œ œ œ œ œ. œ. œ. œ. œ œ & mp ¢B bbbb œ Jœ ‰ ? œ œœ œ œ -œ -œ {?bbbb œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ 33 œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œnœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ & œ. œ. œ. ? bbbb œ œ™ ‰ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ °12 bbbb œ™ nœJ œ œ™ œ œ œ nœ œ œ. œ. œ. œ. œ œj ‰ & œ™ ‰ ¢? bbbb ˙ ˙ œ- -œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œœj ≈™ œrK œ œ œ œ Jœ ‰ {&bbbb œœ œ œ œ œ œnœœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ 3 œœ œ œ œnœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ ? bbbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 5 3 2 1 œ2 œ œ 4 œ œ œ 1 œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ °17 bbbb ∑ œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. nœœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. nœœ. œœ. <b>œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. nœœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œœ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. & ≈ ¢? bbbb œ. œ. œ. œ. bœ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. {&bbbb œ œœœœ œ œœœœ œ œœœœ œ nœ œ © œ™ œ ©3 n ? bbbb ∑ ∑ ∑ œ œ™ œ œ ∑∑ °22 bbbb ≈ œœ. œœ. œœ. ≈ nœœ. œœ. œœ. œœj ‰ Œ |  14  | ∑ www.epta-uk.org œœ & Œ ‰ œ™ œ œ nœ œ œ œHObœMEœ œ cresc.

&bbbb œ œœœœ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ © œ™ œ œ œ™ œœ ∑ ∑ {?bbbb MUSIC ∑∑ ∑ °22 bbbb ≈ œœ. œœ. œœ. ≈ nœœ. œœ. œœ. œœj ‰ Œ ∑ Œ ‰ œ™ œ œ nœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ ≈ œ. œ. œ. ≈ œ. œ. œ. œJ ≈ Rœ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ & ¢? bbbb œj ≈ œr œ œ œ œ cresc. ˙ cresc. {&bbbbnœœnœ œ3bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œnœ œ œbœ œ œj ‰ Œ ? œœ nœœœ œœ ‰ œ™ œ œœœnœ œ œ œœœbœ œ œ ∑ ˙ ? bbbb ∑ Œ œ œ œ °27 bbbb ˙ ˙ œœ œ™ œj œ œ œ œ & p ¢? bbbb ˙ ˙ œœ œœ œ œ -œ -œ p {?bbbb ˙˙œ nœ œ bœ œ nœ œ œ ˙˙œ nœ œ bœ œ nœ œ bœ œœœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ ™ œ œ œ œ œœj œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œnœœ œ œ ? bbbb ∑ ∑ œœ œœ œœœœ œ °32 bbbb œ™ nœj œ œ™ œ œ œ nœ œ œ. œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ & ¢? bbbb œ œ œ œœ œœ œŒ œ {?bbbb œœ™ œ œ œ œ œnœœj œ œ œ œ œ œœ ™ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œnœœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ . . . . œœ œ œ œ Jœœj ‰ œ œ œœ œœ œœ ‰ œ & ? bbbb œ œ œ œœ œœ œ j‰ œ œœ °37 bbbb œ bœ œ œ œœŒ œ bœ œ œ & ¢? bbbb ∑ cresc. œ œ œ. nœ. œ. œ. bœ. œ. œ. œ. Jœ ‰ Œ 333 {&bbbb ∑ ∑ bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ? bbbb b œœppœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bœ 3 œ 3 œ œ 3 œ 3 œ 3 3 3 3 œœ œ œœ œ °40 bbbb œ œ Œ œ bœ œ |  15  œ| #### œ œ œ. œ. œ wwœw.eœp. tHaœ-O.uMk.oErg & cresc. sf 3 sf 3

{?& bbbb ∑ ∑ bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bbbb b œœMppœœUSœœIœœC œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bœ 3 3 œ œ 3 3 3 3 3 3 œ œœœ œœœ œœ °40 bbbb œ œ Œ œ bœ œ œ #### œ œ œ. œ. œ œ œ. œ. & cresc. sf 3 sf 3 ¢? bbbb œ œ œ. nœ. œ. nœ. bœ. bœ. bœ. œ. œj ‰ Œ #### 3 3 3 3 cresc. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. sf sf {&bbbb œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ #### œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ ? bbbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bcœœresœœc. œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ #### œsœœf œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ sœœœf œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ °43 #### œ œ œ. #œ. œ. >œœ. >œœ.j ‰ Œ œœœœ Œ & sf 3 sf p ¢? #### 3 œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. s>œfj ‰ ∑ œ. œ. œ. œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ sf pp {&#### #œœ œœ œœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ∑ ? #### #sfœœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ sœfj ‰ œ Œ œœœ °46 #### œ œ Œ œœœœ bbbb nœ™ œj & ¢? #### œ œ œ #œ œ. œ. nœ. œ. œ. œ. œJ ‰ Œ bbbb ≈ 3 3 œ. œJ ‰ 333 œ. œ. bœ. nœ. rf {&#### œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bbbb bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ? #### ∑ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ∑ bbbb °49 bbbb œ™ nœj œ™ -œj œ œ & 3 cresc. mp ¢? bbbb ≈ œ. 3 œ. œJ ‰ ≈3 œ. œ ≈3 œ. œ Bœ œ nœ. bœ. œ. bœ. nœ. mp rf cresc. {&bbbbbœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ ? nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œcresœc. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ p œ bbbb œœœ œ œ œ °52 bbbb œ™ œj œ œ |  16  | œ œ œ™ www.epta-uk.org & HnœOj ME

{?&bbbbbœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œcresœc. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ p MœUSIC bbbb œœœ œ œ œ °52 bbbb œ™ œj œ œ œ œ œ™ nœj Jœ œ œ œ œ œ™ nJœ & ¢B bbbb œ™ {&bbbb œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ nœœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœœ œ œ œ ? bbbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ °55 bbbb œ œ™ œ œ œ nœ 33 & œ œœœœœœ ¢B bbbb œ œ™ œ œ œ nœ œ œœœœœœ {&bbbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ nœœ œ œ œ œ œ 33 œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ ? bbbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ °58 bbbb œ j‰ 3333 œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ nœ œ. œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. & œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œœ p œ œœ ¢B bbbb œ Jœ ‰ ? œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œœ œœ œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. p3 3 3 3 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ {&bbbb œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ f œœ œ j ‰ œœœ œœ œœ œœœ nœœœ ? bbbb œœ ∏∏∏∏∏ °62 bbbb œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. nœ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. & ¢? bbbb œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ nœ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. {&bbbb œœœ™™™ nœj œ œœ ™ œ œ œœœ nœœ œ œ 3 œ œœ 3 œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ ? bbbb 3 œ. 3 œ. œ œ. œ. œ. œ œ. œ. œœ œ. œ. œœ œœ œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. 5 œ. œ. œ. œ. 4 œ. œ. œ. œ. 4 53 2 13 5 2 1 4 2 1 5 4 2 1 5 °66 œ™ nœ œ œ œ œ. œ. 3 œ™ © œ œ & bbbb œj ‰ ‰ 3 |  17  | œ. œ. œ œ œ œ Œ www.epta-uk.org HOME œ œ™ nœ

{? bbbb œM5. 3œ3.Uœ2.Sœ1.IœC3.3 œ. œ nœ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œ. œ. œ. œ œ. œ. œ. œœ œ. œ. œœ œ™ nœ œ. œ. œ. 5 œ. œ. œ. 1 4 œ. œ. œ. œ. 4 5 2 1 4 2 5 4 2 1 5 °66 bbbb œj ‰ ‰ œ™ nœ œ 3 œ™ © œ œ Œ & œ œ œ. œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ œ 3 ¢? bbbb œJ ‰ Œ ∑ Œ‰ {&bbbb œœj ‰ Œ ∑∑ pp ? bbbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœœœœœœ œ œ 3 °69 bbbb ∑ ∑∑ ∑∑ & œ œ œ œ. œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ Jœ ‰ Œ ∑ Œ œj œnœ œ œ œ œ Rœ ≈ Rœ ≈ Uœ ¢? bbbb 333 rf 3 3 pp {&bbbb ∑ Œ œjœ œ œ œ œ œ. Jœ ‰ œjœnœ œ œ œ œ. œj ‰? œœ Rœ ≈ Rœœ ≈ U œœ 3 33 3 rf rf œœ œ pp œJ œ ? bbbb œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœœj ‰ ‰œ Jœœ ‰ œ œœr≈ r≈ U œœœœœœœœœœœœ œ œœ Sonata “Pathétique” from Classical Vienna Arranged by Nancy Litten “(The pieces) are all beautifully constructed and should present no particular problems to pianists and string players around the grade 6–7 mark. This equality of technical challenge is a very positive thing. Litten has potentially solved one of the overriding difficulties facing all chamber music education when pianists are considered, and for this we should be extremely grateful.” - Murray McLachlan (Concert pianist & Head of Sonata 'Pathétique' from Classical Vienna, arrangedKbeyybNoaarndc,yCLhietttheanm(’2s 0S2ch0o6oUlKo,f9M7u8s1ic4)70613532) \"(The pieces) are all beautifully constructed and should present no particular problems to pianists and string players around the grade 6–7 mark. This equality of technical challe(n2g0e2is0a6vUerKy,p9os7i8ti1v4e7th0i6ng13. L5i3tt2en) has potentially solved one of the overriding difficulties facing all chamber music education when pianists are considered, and for this we should be extremely grateful.\" Murray McLachlan, concert pianist and Head of Keyboard, Chetham's School of Music |  18  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

INTERVIEW Melanie Bowes shares her expertise on group piano teaching with editor Talia Girton Talia Girton: Tell us about need our students to stay on your initial interest in group the same piece, and move to pedagogy. the next, together. So adding challenges to each piece is Melanie Bowes: My how we can manage individual background is in school pace (see the example on the classroom music teaching, next page, “Sunflower Dance”). so group teaching has always We also need to work with a been my focus. My interest cyclical curriculum structure, as in group piano pedagogy opposed to the linear one used began when I started teaching more traditionally for piano younger children outside of learning. Constantly reviewing school – something I started in and consolidating skills and order to make piano learning concepts is ideally suited to the more accessible – and saw how beginner stages of piano, and much they thrived in a group to the way that children learn setting. I am fully convinced more widely. by the benefits of collaborative learning and making music as TG: How do you approach a social endeavour, as opposed note reading in a group to an isolated one. setting? TG: How does group teaching MB: Music-making, and the compare to private lessons? Is it possible to give practical application of playing the piano, are our individualised attention to each student? priorities. If we took our learners at the pace they could read at, we might limit meaningful musical MB: There are many benefits to a collaborative experiences. We need our learners to be relatively learning setting; it is the usual mode of learning independent at each stage of their learning as we for children. Through groups we can make aren’t able to correct every error immediately like music together and play interactive games to you can in private lessons; this affords a great both introduce and consolidate concepts. Other opportunity to develop this very important learner activities include listening tasks, composing, characteristic (we know that music can develop and improvising. Managing individual progress many other learner characteristics such as self- is a main concern when comparing to a one-to- motivation, practice skills, etc.). When it comes one context; a change of approach is required in to notation, we ‘scaffold’ the learning, starting group learning. The group teacher needs a plan for with secure knowledge of where the notes are on differentiation, ensuring that pieces have various the piano, finger numbers, rhythms, counting; we challenge levels that add depth for those who need use singing, rote learning and a pre-reader stave extending, and that simplify for those who need (thereby capturing all different learning styles); support. In one-to-one lessons a student simply then we move onto the treble clef, and finally the moves onto the next piece when mastered, but we bass clef. Breaking notation up in steps, making |  19  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

INTERVIEW sure that students can make music at every stage, playing lots of games, and generally persevering, helps in what is perhaps the most difficult part of their piano learning journey. TG: What are some important considerations for teachers interested in starting group lessons? MB: Teachers need to believe that their beginners Melanie Bowes is the Founder of KeyNotes Music, are going to thrive in a group setting. A mindset a group piano program, focusing on collaborative attuned to the many benefits of group learning group learning in the foundation stages of piano. helps to make the techniques work. A shift in outlook is also required when it comes to student On the next page, Melanie shares the example attainment; children will learn differently in a of “Sunflower Dance,” to illustrate how to apply group, and you will teach differently, therefore appropriate pacing to individual students in a group outcomes will also be different. A major setting. She shares the following notes: consideration is teaching space and equipment. Where are you going to teach your groups? Which Whilst it is relatively straightforward to make instruments will you use? Will every child have different difficulty levels in duet and ensemble their own piano or keyboard? How to group your repertoire, it is less straightforward when it comes students is also important: group teaching can to learning solos. We need our students to be open up your lessons to younger students, but constantly challenged; the way that they move at they do need to be grouped together, as 4–5 year different paces means that you risk some finding olds have very different learner needs to children the piece too easy, and are waiting for others age 6+. You need to plan your lessons; your class in the class to catch up. So we provide different objectives, how to manage individual learners’ challenge levels. needs. Finally, you need to think about a consistent lesson structure from week to week. Here is an example of one of our build-it-up solo pieces. All students learn Challenge 1 and TG: What resources do you offer to teachers then when/if they are ready, they can move onto through your company, KeyNotes Music? Challenge 2, then Challenge 3. The teacher only has to teach one piece but adds the points of difficulty MB: KeyNotes Music is a group piano program when appropriate. The skills and techniques are where teachers are supported to set up classes built up through the challenge levels. There may be for their beginner students. There is self-paced six students in a class all working on the different training, marketing and admin support, and access challenge levels, but they are able to play the to five programs, for students age 4 to adults. Our piece together when they have mastered their programs use cyclical curriculum structures and own challenge version. Students are motivated challenge levels for each piece, and has a mix of to practise as they want to move through the solo, duet and ensemble repertoire. To find out challenge levels. more, visit www.keynotes-music.com. |  20  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

MUSIC |  21  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

music |  22  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

MUSIC |  23  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

INTERVIEW www.epta-uk.org Member spotlight: HOME Independent Publishing and Composing with Matt Walker Talia Girton: Tell us about your family and early years. What got you interested in music? Matt Walker: My granddad bought me a keyboard when I was about 7 – probably on a whim! My family wasn’t particularly musical but was very supportive. I met my wife (who plays clarinet and piano, and who has co-written a couple of publications) at a choir I accompanied for. It’s no exaggeration to say that music became and made my life. TG: Who were your first teachers, mentors and music idols? MW: I remember hearing Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer as a child and thinking, “I want to play that!” I still love ragtime above all other genres. I did my piano grades when I was at school, and then for some reason studied architecture at university. I don’t know why. Didn’t like it, wasn’t good at it. After graduating I started playing and teaching piano, and still do. TG: Tell us about your experience composing. MW: I have always loved composing, predominantly for solo piano but also for choirs and musicals. I’ve had songs performed by choirs in the USA, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the UK. I co-wrote three amateur musicals premiered in Scotland, and my most recent series, PLAYTIME, involves short musical plays for school assemblies. TG: How did you get into independent publishing? How do you choose pieces for your publications? MW: Independent publishing was more of a necessity than a choice. Sheet music publishing is notorious to get into. I am still unclear how one would go about getting taken on by a large sheet music publisher – although I would welcome the opportunity! For novels, on the other hand, a writer submits to a literary agent who then sells to publishers. It took me ten years and six novels to land an agent for a thriller (‘Shark Bait’, if you’re interested). Unfortunately it didn’t sell, but instead of letting it become a forgotten ‘trunk novel’ my agent suggested I self- publish it. So I was familiar with the process before I thought about self-publishing sheet music. And it all came about because I was looking for a piano book full of favourite children’s songs, where the pieces progress from complete beginner to preparatory level. I couldn’t find |  24  |

INTERVIEW one, so I wrote one – Favourite Children’s Songs For Piano. I have now published over 35 titles, including the bestselling Lesson One To Grade One and 110 Easy Pieces For Piano. Some are publications of my own compositions, like Light & Shade, or Demons (see the next page for a sample of my work) but others include well-known favourites. The most important thing is to ensure every piece I include is in the public domain – so traditional and classical pieces. TG: What are your plans for the future? Any upcoming projects or events? MW: My main goal is to be able to make a living off my writing. At the minute I publish a new book each month, and I’d like to maintain that schedule. My most recent publication is A Very Different Christmas, which is a 30-minute musical assembly play retelling the nativity story but set during the time of COVID. I am also planning a series of interactive music theory books. Matt is a piano tutor, composer and author. He has written and published over 30 books, including the bestselling series Favourite Children’s Songs For Piano, Lesson One To Grade One, Step-By-Step Sight Reading For Piano and 110 Easy Pieces For Piano. He also writes the combined adventure story/maths workbook Tales of Numera series for kids, and thrillers for adults. presents 2021 winner Piano trios by Trio Bohémo Dvořák Haydn Sunday 20 February 2022 at 3pm & Liszt 30th Anniversary Concert Performed in the round Matouš Pěruška violin Kristina Vocetková cello Jan Vojtek piano London SW1P 3HA |  25  | Tickets £20 (students £10) by phone: 020 7222 1061 Online: sjss.org.uk/whats-on Supported by The Tertis Foundation/The Adrian Swire Charitable Trust www.epta-uk.org HOME

music |  26  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE Fleirsssotns on balance between hands by Jenny Macmillan Music comes alive through its variety – fast notes and slow notes, short sounds and long sounds, strong tones and soft tones, combining well shaped phrases (thinking horizontally) and well balanced sounds between the hands (listening vertically). Melodies need to be beautifully shaped and accompaniments carefully moulded (see my article in the January 2021 issue of PP on Alberti basses) but, also, importantly, the hands must be well balanced. Let the melody sing out, and let the accompaniment do just that – accompany, but not dominate, the melody. In the early stages, it is enough for students to work on shaping each hand separately. But when they start to play with hands together, they embark on a journey of discovering two separate qualities of sound, one in each hand, and learn how to differentiate between melody and accompaniment. I teach pupils to make small sounds by keeping the fingers close to the keys and to make strong sounds by stretching the finger and pinning the note down with a relaxed, rounded hand and finger. This idea can be demonstrated with a football metaphor: if one plans to kick a ball a long way, one takes the foot back further than if one wants simply to dribble it. when they start to play with hands together, they embark on a journey of discovering two separate qualities of sound |  27  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE Encourage students to listen from the bottom up rather than the top down. Work on just the first note of a piece, playing the starting note in the RH strongly (if the melody is in the RH) and holding it down while playing the first note in the LH softly; then vice versa – play the first note in the LH softly followed by the RH strongly. Listen to the sounds. Repeat several times. Then play the first bar of the melody strongly, followed by the first bar of the accompaniment softly, and then the first bar HT. See example 1: Lightly Row Folk Song. Focus on the RH. Set up a big singing RH. Play the first phrase, listening to the RH, watching the RH. Then play the first phrase again, this time HT, but still watching and listening to the RH. And vice versa – set up a soft LH, then add the RH. Repeat several times daily. Exaggerate – play the LH too softly and the RH very strongly. Take that to extremes and mime the LH, first on its own, and then while playing a strong RH. Then play the LH allowing a few notes to sound very quietly, and again while playing the RH. Then aim for all the LH to sound very quietly while playing the RH strongly. Practise each hand separately with eyes closed. Then play HT looking only at the RH (particularly important to focus on the hand that needs to sing out), but then also looking only at the LH. Play HT looking at the LH but listening to the RH, and vice versa. Play HT with eyes closed, listening only to the accompaniment or only to the melody. Continuing with hands separate practice is essential for learning to listen to the two different qualities of sound required from the two hands. All these suggestions should be played repeatedly. One trick I find sometimes works miracles is to give the pupil a large heavy book to hold in one hand and a small light book in the other hand in order to feel the difference required in the sound. Or to ask them to imagine the accompanying arm is filled with helium. Of course, sometimes the melody is in the LH, and so that will need careful practice as we are more used to projecting and listening to the RH. It’s useful to review an old, easier piece with a LH melody to develop this skill, rather than working at it in a new piece. Direct the pupil to listen carefully to the melody, watching that hand rather than the accompaniment hand, practising in all the ways already suggested for a singing melody. See example 2: Happy Farmer by Schumann. There may be two-part writing in one hand. For clarity, accuracy and shaping of each voice (melody), I would recommend practising the two voices in two separate |  28  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE hands. Also try singing one melody and playing the other melody. For balance, I suggest practising in one hand very slowly, listening to the balance between the voices. See example 3: bars 8–9 of Melody by Schumann. If there are more voices, practise each voice on its own, shaping each musically. Then play any two out of three (or four) voices, or any three out of four voices. Play one voice strongly and mime the others. Practise bringing out each voice in turn as a solo. See example 4: Gavotte in G minor by Bach. Sometimes a melody needs to be brought out of a single line of music. In this case, first pick out just the melody, listen to it carefully, decide how to shape it. Then play just the non-melody notes very softly, or even miming them. And then put it all together, singing out the melody and miming or very softly playing the accompanying notes. See example 5: Minuet 1 from Partita No. 1 in B flat by Bach. Learning to balance the hands well can take many months. It’s an ongoing project, not something that is mastered in a few days. Keep suggesting different ways for students to work on balance, and encourage them to repeat each way several times at every practice session. The bass is often the most important line after the melody. Encourage students to listen from the bottom up rather than the top down. In order to change the colour of a phrase, it is sometimes necessary to bring out the bottom or inner parts rather than the top line. Well balanced melodies, or melody and accompaniment, can transform the music and help bring out its character. In my next article, I’ll discuss first lessons on down-up technique. Jenny Macmillan is a Suzuki piano teacher and teacher trainer. She teaches children in her studio in Cambridge and directs an online Suzuki piano teacher training course. Her short YouTube tutorials on studying 60 standard elementary piano pieces have been viewed thousands of times. You can read more of Jenny’s ideas for practising in her book, Successful Practising: A handbook for pupils, parents and music teachers, which has become a valuable resource for many students and teachers. For more details, please visit www.jennymacmillan.co.uk. You can watch a 7-minute video of Jenny demonstrating what she explains in this article on https://youtu.be/hoX1fTws7is. |  29  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE Bebop Piano: Examining Bud Powell’s Left-Hand Techniques by Dr. Sergio Pamies Bud is the most influential pianist of the last ten years, I think. No, I don’t think that – I know that it’s true! John Lewis (Modern Jazz Quartet) Pianist Bud Powell has been credited as a major figure in the evolution of jazz piano. Some of his innovations have been associated with other artists such as saxophonist Charlie Parker and drummer Kenny Clarke, since all of them were contemporaries and together contributed to a specific style of jazz called Bebop. Bud Powell is often discussed in jazz history textbooks as a pianist who was able to adapt Charlie Parker’s melodic language to his right-hand improvisations. However, in jazz piano methods, he is often mentioned in the discussion of left-hand techniques, as the pioneer of a certain type of chord voicing. Jazz educator Mark Levine names these particular shapes “Bud Powell voicings” in his popular method The Jazz Piano Book. What exactly was Bud Powell’s contribution for using these voicings? Some students may think it was a harmonic innovation. However, stride pianists such as Fats Waller, and jazz pianists such as Earl Hines, Art Tatum and Teddy Wilson, used these voicings before. An in-depth analysis is required in order to understand Bud Powell’s left-hand techniques and the benefits of using them, so pianists can apply them successfully in the appropriate context. |  30  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE Construction of Bud Powell’s voicings These Bud Powell voicings are built using a basic structure consisting of two or three notes, including the root of the chord plus one or two guide tones (the 3rd and the 7th of a chord). This allows pianists to form various combinations, using small (3rds) or big (7ths, 10ths) intervals that would result in more open voicings. Fig. 1 Different configurations of “Bud Powell voicings” The fact that they can be constructed using large intervals such as 10ths makes playing them in the low register possible without sounding muddy. Roots can go lower than C3, but it is recommended to keep the guide tones (3rds and 7ths) above it. In certain cases, such as when navigating a iim7-V7-IMaj7 chord progression, the roots of the chords do not need to be re-articulated: the melodic motion in the top voices is enough to underline the harmony with sufficient clarity since it highlights the guide tones’ resolutions (the b7th of the iim7 chord resolving to the 3rd of the V7 chord, and the 3rd of the V7 chord becoming the 7th of the IMaj7 chord). Fig. 2 Omitting the root on the V7 chord Advantages of Bud Powell’s voicings As Mark Levine points out, these voicings are located in the low range of the piano, allowing pianists to improvise and create melodies in the middle register, around middle C. Besides liberating the powerful middle range of the piano so it can be explored with the right hand, these voicings have an important advantage: they provide harmonic clarity without compromising too much the color of the chords. The root and the guide tones are the only three necessary notes to spell a chord quality (major 7, m7, dominant). Therefore, these voicings provide all the harmonic information needed to create a harmonic progression, while allowing pianists to take liberties with the chord extensions in their improvised lines as well. Fig. 3 Example A implies natural extensions on the V7 chord and Example B implies altered extensions; they both use the same Bud Powell left-hand voicing. |  31  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE Another interesting option is the possibility of adding passing chords to a chord progression, such as tritone substitute dominants or passing diminished chords. This technique allows pianists to create harmonic and rhythmic interest, imitating bebop drummers’ improvised comping on the snare drum. Fig. 4 Example A implies a regular iim7-V7-IMaj7 progression in the left hand. Example B features tritone substitute chords and a passing diminished chord in the left hand. Contextualising Bud Powell’s voicings Jazz pianists need to understand the roles of each instrument in the rhythm section, and how these roles have changed throughout jazz history and its different styles. As I mentioned before, pianists such as Fats Waller, Earl Hines, Art Tatum and Teddy Wilson used similar voicings to the ones discussed in this article, but Powell started using them in a different way, mainly regarding rhythm. In earlier styles, the emphasis was in the left hand, since pianists had an important role providing a steady quarter note pulse for the rhythm section. During the bebop era, bass players would walk in quarter notes and drummers would play time in the ride cymbal, while improvising some accompaniment in the snare and bass drums that featured syncopated rhythms. Some people describe this technique popularised by bebop drummers such as Kenny Clarke, Max Roach or Roy Haynes as “dropping bombs”. Bud Powell used these voicings in a syncopated manner reminiscent of these drummers. In jazz piano trio or quartet setting, he tended to play his left hand more sustained and more sparsely, whereas he would “drops bombs” more often when playing solo piano in order to fill the space. In both cases, he played his left hand at a softer dynamic level than the right hand, so the focus would be in the improvised lines – especially in trio settings – to avoid getting in the way of the bass player. This technique was adopted by later pianists such as Al Haig, Duke Jordan, Barry Harris or Horace Silver, who would use it in trio or quartet settings successfully. Later pianists such as Ahmad Jamal, Red Garland and Bill Evans started using rootless left- hand voicings in the middle range. However, Bill Evans kept using them when playing solo piano, and these voicings are still used extensively today by many jazz pianists. Transcribe, play along with recordings, and experiment. Learn these techniques and explore them over different jazz standards from the American Songbook and jazz compositions from the bebop era written by composers such as Charlie Parker, Tadd Dameron, Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell. Play along to the recordings in order to understand how these bebop pianists used |  32  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE he played his left hand at a softer dynamic level than the right hand, so the focus would be in the improvised lines dynamics and the balance between both hands. Experiment using these voicings in a jazz piano trio setting versus solo piano. Rhythmic balance is important as well: if your improvised lines in the right-hand feature long 8th-note ideas from downbeat to downbeat, try to play your left hand in a more syncopated fashion. If your right- hand ideas are already syncopated, try a more downbeat-oriented sustained left hand to provide contrast. Another useful device is to lock in both hands by playing some important rhythmic resolutions together. Fig. 5 Rhythmic balance The next example is a transcription of the first seven measures of Bud Powell’s solo on his original composition Oblivion, that illustrates some of my previous observations. Fig. 6 Bud Powell’s solo on Oblivion I wrote the following example to provide more ideas on how to apply these www.epta-uk.org techniques to bebop compositions such as Charlie Parker’s Confirmation. HOME |  33  |

TECHNIQUE Fig. 7 Sergio Pamies’ improvisation over Confirmation Recommended listening Powell, B. (1950). Jazz Giant [CD]. New York: Verve. Powell, B. (1952). The Amazing Bud Powell [CD]. New York: Verve. Further reading Gitler, I. (1966). Jazz Masters of the 40’s. New York: Da Capo Press. Gourse, L. (1997). Striders to Beboppers and Beyond: The Art of Jazz Piano. New York: Franklin Watts. Lyons, L. (1989). The Great Jazz Pianists: Speaking of their Lives and Music. New York: Da Capo. Paudras, F. (1998). Dance of the Infidels: A Portrait of Bud Powell. New York: Da Capo. Dr. Sergio Pamies is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and educator from Spain. Pamies has recorded four albums under his name, and has performed in festivals in Europe, Asia, and America. Pamies is currently Assistant Professor of Jazz Piano at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati (USA). www.sergiopamies.com |  34  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

TECHNIQUE Octave Exercises by Elena Cobb “The hand should fall on the keys just with its own Elena Cobb is a pianist, teacher, composer, weight - as though to play pianissimo.” entrepreneur, educator and founder of EVC Music who made a huge international impact on young pianists. Fr. Chopin EVC Music was founded in 2016 with vision to inspire young pianists all over the world with a wide- The quality of piano technique is vital to the ranging repertoire which gives young performers the success of our pupils and it is our job to help them confidence and energy to express their enthusiasm to develop technically and emotionally as pianists. and desire to communicate. The annual showcase at the Royal Albert Hall for EVC composers gives pianists These exercises are for pupils at intermediate outstanding performance opportunities as well as and advanced levels. They will help them learn to promoting EVC’s educational titles, many of which play in octaves and develop hand strength, span are now featured on major exam boards worldwide. and stretch. EVC Music catalogue helps teachers and pianists source music which really captures the imagination Exercises 1–3 are based on broken octaves and while simultaneously developing technique and are excellent for learning how to glide from 1st to giving genuine pleasure. 5th finger. They will also help to figure out how and when to relax hands, palms, wrist, forearm, upper elenacobb.com arm and shoulders between the notes. www.dogsandbirds.co.uk Exercise 4 is for double octaves. Playful and systematic All four are based in C major but can be transposed to any key. method for teaching piano Our hands are very delicate so practice should be maintained in a way that doesn’t harm the Developed for 3–7 year olds: tendons responsible for the actual movements of no need to know the alphabet our fingers: “Tendons are fibrous cords, similar to a rope, and Three tutor books, a teachers’ are made of collagen. They have blood vessels and guide and a sol-fa book cells to maintain tendon health and repair injuries. Tendons are attached to muscles and to the bone. Small Animal Tiles: aid reading, As the muscle contracts, it pulls on the tendon and ear-training and composition the tendon moves the bone to which it is attached as well as any joints it crosses.” Source: www.assh.org/ Provides a strong foundation for handcare singing and learning music About the Octave Exercises Rapid progress and fun guaranteed 1. My advice is only to play these exercises: • Slowly • No louder than a mezzoforte • With warm hands • With muscles toned • With mind focused 2. When practising, make sure to sit with both feet on the floor and not crossed in front or behind. Back should be straight and one should have three points of support: • Feet • Fingertips • Bottom New PP Ad 134 x 89.indd 1 www.epta-1u2k/0.7o/2rg015 21:51 |  35  | HOME

TECHNIQUE OCTAVE EXERCISES Exercise 1 œœœ œœœ Elena Cobb œw œw {& 44 5œ œ œ œœœ œœœ œœœ œw œw œw œœœ œœœ œw 1 œw œw cresc. œœœ œœœ mp œw œw œœœ ? 44 œ œ œ œw œw 1 5 w5 œ wœ wœ 7 œœœ œœœ w œ1 œ œ œœœ œœœ & œw œw w {? œ œ œ œœœ w wœdim. wœ wœ œw œw w œœœ œœœ 1 5 œœœ 12 wœ wœ wœ wœ wœ w & œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ w {? wœ wœ wœ wœ wœ p œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ w w Exercise 2 Elena Cobb {& 44 œ1 5 œ œ wœ œœœ wœ œœœ wœ œœœ œw œœœ œw œœœ œw œœœ œw mp simile ? 44 œ œ œ œœœ œw 1 wœ œœœ wœ œœœ wœ œw œœœ œw œœœ œw œœœ 5 w w 23 wœ œœœ wœ œœœ wœ œœœ & œœœ œw œœœ œw œœœ œw {? wœ œœœ wœ œœœ wœ œœœ wp œœœ œw œœœ œw œœœ œw w And now play this exercise down and conclude it on a semibreve Copyright © 2021 EVC Music Publications Ltd www.elenacobb.com www.epta-uk.org |  36  | HOME

TECHNIQUE Exercise 3 œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ Elena Cobb œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ {& 44 œ œ œ œœ w œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ w 1 5 œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ 15 mf mp cresc. w ? 44 œ œ œœ w œ1 œ œ 1œ 55 simile 34 œ œ & œœ œœ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ w œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ w { dim.?œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ p œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ w w Exercise 4 3 33 Elena Cobb 33 3 œœ œ œ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ w {& 44 œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ w œœœœ œ œ œ œ- œœœœ œ œ œ œ- œœœœ œœœœ 33 p simile 3 3 3 œœœœ œœœœ w 3 œœœœ œœœœ w ? 44 3 3 œœ œ œ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœ œ œ œœœœ œœœœ 33 œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œ œ œ -œ œ œ œ œ- non legato 43 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 33 33 33 w & œœœœ œœœœ w œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ w œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ w {3 3?œœœœ œœœœ 3 3 33 33 œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ 33 Copyright © 2021 EVC Music Publications Ltd www.elenacobb.com www.epta-uk.org |  37  | HOME

PERFORMANCE Improvisation and performance anxiety While I was an undergraduate student in by Dr Xenia Pestova Bennett piano performance and composition many years ago, I happened upon in performance? The old saying of “fake it till a wonderful book by viola player Stephen you make it” very much applies. In fact, things Nachmanovitch. “Free Play: Improvisation in Life going “wrong” might not necessarily be bad! and Art” was passed around among friends, with This is the reason we all missed the magic of live everyone invited to underline passages that were performance during the COVID-19 pandemic: relevant to them (by the time we were finished, the unpredictability also means that incredibly virtually the entire book was full of lines, doodles beautiful, unexpected moments and spontaneous and scribbles!). The text introduces an attitude discoveries can arise that were also unplanned for, that allows us to look at our whole lives as creative along with mistakes. acts. Nachmanovitch reminds us that when we are making music or performing in any other way, Becoming more comfortable with the concept of we are in fact free to explore and experiment, improvisation can help. Improvisation doesn’t have discovering like children and embracing spontaneity. to take place in a stylistically appropriate idiom: We can apply this concept to enhance the more we simply aim to be able to keep going (and make traditional aspects of our piano playing and help some sort of noise!) until we can jump in where students struggling with performance anxiety. we are meant to be again. We can borrow from the Whether in a lesson, recital or exam situation, philosophical approach of American composer John sooner or later, in one way or another and often Cage, which is so special: any sound can be musical, when they least expect it, students will experience it’s how you listen to it. Have a go at the following something going “wrong”. No matter how much intervention with students to start cultivating preparation we put in place for them ahead of time spontaneous performance. we can’t predict every scenario that might arise. The sooner we and they make peace with this, the Intervention: Free Play better they can move on with putting energy into performing rather than worrying about it. Step One: Be kind to yourself and accept that Many of my clients are amateur musicians who you will make mistakes. Let go of rigidity. There are highly accomplished in their professional fields. is no way around it – you will not be “perfect” in They are often comfortable with speaking in public, every performance (whatever that means, anyway), confident standing up in front of large groups of and ultimately that’s just fine. We must lower strangers, and regularly present in high-stakes imaginary and unrealistic standards and allow situations such as board meetings or sales pitches. things to happen, good and bad. However, they find it incredibly difficult to perform in a musical capacity for friends and family. Why? Step Two: Establish a safety net in a chosen Undoubtedly, experience and exposure help. piece or passage of music with important However, one of the other reasons could be that structural “salient points” that you could jump to if if one stumbles slightly when speaking, one can something unplanned happens. The next time you “improvise” out of the situation quickly, provided go through this piece on your own, try interrupting one knows the material well. It is also possible to the flow on purpose (as if something went wrong take a micro-pause and “recalibrate”, gathering in performance). Once you are comfortable with thoughts while taking a breath or a sip of water. jumping to the next point in the grid, see if you This is obviously different in a performance can improvise for a few seconds by simply “making situation when we are presenting fixed material, noises” to keep sound going for a while. This can either by memory or from the score. Or… is it? of course be some sort of riffing in the same key, What if our nervous student has a significant but if that does not happen for you, it can be memory blank or loses their place on the page simply anything at all – whatever is under your fingers! Think of it as giving your brain a chance to recalibrate, as you would if you were giving a lecture and took a moment to clear your throat |  38  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

PERFORMANCE Damien Wojcik or say “um”. Then, jump to the next point. Even Further Resources: if this sounds awful for a few seconds, there is a good chance that your audience won’t notice or Befriending Performance Anxiety: Practical Tips for will forget about it once you come back in and keep Musicians of All Levels going as if nothing happened. Remain confident – you will be pleasantly surprised at how little of Online course exploring creativity, improvisation, what you think is terrible people take in! breathwork, movement and focus exercises https://xeniapestovabennett.com/wellbeing/ Step Three: If the concept of improvisation is perform/ completely new, text scores and graphic scores are a great starting point, while also fun to try John Lely and James Saunders: Word Events: (see the example of “Leaves” on the next page). Perspectives on Verbal Notation (Bloomsbury) These ways of making music and art allow us to become child-like again, approaching creativity A thorough companion to learning about text with an open and uninhibited innocence that is scores with weird and wonderful pieces included in so often missing from our adult lives. Research1 the collection that make a great introduction to this shows that diversifying experiences helps reach approach. more innovative solutions to problems, thinking outside of the box. At the same time, playing can Stephen Nachmanovitch, Free Play: Power of boost positive mood and creativity2. Playing with Improvisation in Life and the Arts (Penguin Putnam) sounds like toys, exploring what they do, making deliberately non-musical noises with instruments This book should be compulsory reading for all (such as extended techniques – a whole world to musicians! explore) or objects (try actual toys such as music boxes, mechanical gadgets or anything that makes Michael Nyman, Experimental Music: Cage and a sound) and learning to structure and perceive Beyond (Schirmer Books) these in musical ways are excellent training tools for performance. You can use the list of resources An introduction to the older generation of below as a starting point. composers and musicians, including examples of text scores that are fun and simple to realise Described as “a powerhouse of Pauline Oliveros: Sonic Meditations (currently contemporary keyboard available at https://monoskop.org/images/0/09/ repertoire” (Tempo), Oliveros_Pauline_Sonic_Meditations_1974.pdf) “stunning” (Wales Arts Review), “ravishing” A classic collection of text scores encouraging (Pizzicato) and intuition and communication from a pioneer of “deep “remarkably sensuous” listening”. Accessible to all levels of ability, requiring (New Zealand Herald), nothing but an open mind. pianist Xenia Pestova Bennett has earned Randy Raine-Reusch: Selection of Graphic Scores a reputation as a (available at https://www.asza.com/r3sc.shtml) leading interpreter of uncompromising repertoire alongside masterpieces This beautiful collection of free graphic scores from the past. Her latest recording release opens a door on a new world: the delicate images are “Gold.Berg.Werk” (Ergodos) features a radical inspired by Japanese brushstrokes, at times featuring reinterpretation of Bach’s Goldberg Variations with elements of standard notation as well as verbal live electronics by Austrian composer Karlheinz Essl. instructions to realisation. There is no right and She is an Associate Professor at the University of wrong, just fun exploration and play. Nottingham. As a fully trained yoga and breathwork instructor, Xenia also leads workshops and courses on Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it performance anxiety management. for Life (Simon and Schuster) https://xeniapestovabennett.com Lessons on creativity and life from one of the world’s greatest choreographers. 1 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/acp.2857/full, accessed 21 September 2021 2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1693418/, accessed 21 September 2021 |  39  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

music |  40  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REVIEWS Reviews Featuring new sheet music and the new LCM Piano Syllabus Reviews by Melvyn Cooper, Fred Scott, Laura Backhurst, Matas Jankauskas and Sue Craxton SHEET MUSIC give pianists, keyboardists and festivals, whether performed instrumentalists a chance to enjoy individually or as a group. Highly New Music By Paul Ayres nursery rhyme songs in a very recommended. Concerto on ‘I Want to Hold Your unique way. Hand.’ Melvyn Cooper Five Two-Part Inventions on ‘Motivations 3, 4 and 5’ are from Nursery Rhymes a series of graded, commissioned Eric Craven Motivations 3, 4 and 5 piano pieces. They are three short Pieces for Pianists Volume 2 Re-Imaginings contrasting pieces, each in a Divine Art Edition, Brandon, USA, different style. 2020 All these pieces are original ISMN 979-0-58079-21-7 compositions by Paul Ayres, a In the score of ‘Re-Imaginings’ it modern composer of considerable states that they are from a set of It is a great joy when materials recognition. ‘Twelve Piano Pieces: Each taking a appear that satisfy artistic and well known Choral Work and playing pedagogical aims at the same The ‘Concerto’ is in the style of around with it. Sometimes light- time. Students, teachers and the a Baroque/early Classical piece heartedly and cheekily, sometimes wider public should be thankful to on this very famous Beatles song. seriously - But always with love’. composer Eric Craven for his Pieces It has everything: part playing, for Pianists - Volume 2. This new finger passagework, articulation, At the end of each of these three and stimulating collection is a great ornaments, RH thirds and intervals, pieces, Paul writes: ’This piece is find on many levels. Importantly, alberti bass figures and broken one of twelve re-imaginings of Craven generously offers the octaves, and will appeal to pianists well-known choral works, which performer the role of co-creator. In who are either unfamiliar with I created as the “mystery theme the introductory composer’s note the original song, or those who tunes” for a YouTube series, he writes: are familiar, and want to ‘hunt The Coral Cwiz. These videos the melody’ so to speak through were designed to entertain and ‘Each of the twenty-five pieces is the very clever maze of quavers, challenge fellow music-lovers presented in my Non-Prescriptive semiquavers and demisemiquavers. in the lockdown period of early Low-order format which means that In G Major and with many changes 2021, whilst most live singing there are no instructions regarding of time signature, this very effective activity was in hibernation. The interpretation. variational composition will bring set comprises: Angel Cake (based challenges but joy to intermediate on Franck), Ave felix corpus (Byrd), ‘The performer is free to decide and advanced pianists. There are Crazy curates (Haydn), December is some very instructive interpretive in my mistress’ heart (Morley), El Rag markings in the score. At the (Elgar), Joy in Four (Bach), Locus ist beginning it states ‘no pedal (18th Eighties (Bruckner), Ode to Sorrow Century Style)’ and at bar 75 ‘with (Beethoven), O nata luv (Tallis), pedal (20th Century style)’. This work Pergoleswing (Pergolesi), Rejoice would make an excellent recital in the Gym (Purcell/Satie), and piece for pupils’ concerts, teaching Swan Upping (Gibbons). This is the or private study. solo piano edition – arrangements for other instrumental and vocal The ‘Two-Part Inventions’ are combinations are available’. also variational and young pianists will want to ‘spot’ the nursery These four very individual sets of rhyme the variation is based on. works will make splendid teaching The score states that it is ‘For Any pieces in addition to providing a Keyboard OR for Any Two Melody refreshing choice of repertoire for Instruments’. These pieces will performance at pupils’ concerts and competitive and non-competitive |  41  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REVIEWS upon the parameters of tempo, wonderfully. The listener can should be committed to the process dynamics, phrasing, pedalling and imagine transitioning between of continual learning and renewal, the general articulation of the notes rooms in a lavish mansion such so too should exams as methods of and, by doing so, determines the as that in The Great Gatsby. In motivation and measurement be outcome of each performance.’ one room, we hear The man I rejuvenated as perceived necessary love, one of Gershwin’s favourite by consideration of observable Herein lies the great worth of melodies, languishingly slow and outcomes. With this in mind it this collection, that performer dreamlike; whereas the mood has been encouraging to see a collaboration is essential for changes completely in others such proliferation of examination boards meaningful performance. The as Swanee, making you want to kick catering for a multiplicity of musical responsibility lies with the would- off your heels, hitch up your flapper styles and genres, geared to both be interpreter to negotiate true dress and dance the night away! solo and ensemble music-making. independence of thought and execution, presenting a way for our One can almost taste the The latest offering from London students to exercise much needed exquisite champagne grandeur College of Music is something of a creative initiative and decision of I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise revelation in this respect. making in their musicianship. with its cheeky, playful phrases interspersed between romping Particularly admirable is the In playing through the pieces I classic jazz chords. I didn’t want the emphasis the 2021–24 syllabus was struck by the quality of Eric journey to end! places on the following key words: Craven’s invention. The highly balance, love, useable skills, idiomatic writing and reasonable After the short but sweet problem-solving, communication, but not insignificant technical Gershwin treats, Andante from lifelong learning, creatively demands are articulated within a African–American composer challenging, effective, enhance. strong and characteristic harmonic Florence Price’s piano Sonata in There can be no serious argument language. E minor follows with beautiful against the need to instil these allusions of the Deep South and qualities in our teaching. A syllabus Here is no facile and shallow references to spirituals. Perfectly focussed in this way has to be offering comprising waves of understated, allowing the richness worth engaging with, stimulating tedious and conventional ostinati. of the rippling melodies to speak an understanding of how best to The soporific, anaesthetising for themselves. prepare a candidate for more than effects of that too familiar kind simply a rote, perfunctory approach of muzak are fully countered by Lastly are Barber’s six dances to examination. Eric Craven’s active and searching from Souvenirs, evocative of New musical vision. York tea parties. These have Fred Scott such clarity of line and a sense of Recordings of both volumes of deep joy and indulgence of the Pre-Preparatory Handbook to the Pieces for Pianists have been enveloping harmonies with Leung Grade 2 made by Mary Dullea for the Métier not afraid to enjoy each moment label, one possible approach out of the slower Pas de Deux before The LCME Piano Pre-Preparatory of the multiplicity that are made engaging us in the race in her Handbook begins with exercises available by the invitation to rendition of Two step. An absolute bearing relatable titles and unique participate in remaking the music delight! characters with the aim to assess along with the composer. the student’s ability to play legato, Leung shares gentleness of touch staccato, non-legato, slurs, etc. A truly inspiring prospect. and beauty of tone with precision, Fred Scott strength and glorious technique. A gorgeous spectrum of 1920s jazz PIANO ALBUM REVIEW piano to please any listener. I just wish each transcription could have That’s the Berries! New York Nights been longer so the party isn’t over by Jacqueline Leung too soon! “Vintage...this era was the Laura Backhurst epitome of classiness and indulgence yet there was a sense EXAM SYLLABUS REVIEW of timelessness to it.” So say the words of pianist Jacqueline Leung London College of Music that perfectly lead us into her Examinations Piano Handbook journey amongst Gershwin’s rarely 2021–2024 Review recorded 18 original transcriptions in her second album ‘That’s the Introduction berries! New York Nights’. In the same way that teachers The album depicts the scene |  42  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REVIEWS One delightful example is Knock Tree by Spanswick, and Ketchup by Naturally, the Grade 2 Handbook Knock (Who’s There?) in which the Wendy Stevens. follows the same format with learner performs an extended piano a generous number of scales, technique by playing legato with In the Step 2 Piano Handbook arpeggios and broken chords. one hand and knocking on the piano a D major scale is added, as is However, the study La Candeur by with the other in time; this proves the requirement to play up to Friedrich Burgmüller is much more to be engaging and beneficial for an octave. The A minor scale is compelling than that of Grade the young student. presented as the harmonic variant, 1, displaying a more varied and which is useful in preparation for dynamic texture. The pieces cleverly combine the grade 1. It may have been helpful to technical challenges found in the indicate here that scales are to be The learner can choose to exercises and are mostly of similar played legato, as is the case in the perform Bach, Haydn, Schumann, difficulty, though the ones in list B Grade 1 Handbook. The exercises Podgornov, Mier and Watts amongst are a bit longer. The works I would go a step further and introduce many others of each list. The recommend from list A are Wintry mirroring quavers patterns, agility Scherzo in F by Joseph Haydn, from Wood by Marcel Zidani and 1, 2, development for the weaker fingers, list A, strikes as an elaborate work 3, 4, 5, Once I Caught a Fish Alive and Alberti bass to name a few. for the grade, especially bearing in arranged by Melanie Spanswick. mind its suggested Allegro tempo From list B I enjoyed The Grand The pieces I would recommend marking. I was also delighted to Entrance and On The Magic Carpet from list A are Little Story by August see, from lists B and C, Chagrin – both composed by Spanswick. Eberhard Müller and Smooth and d’Enfant by Flor Peeters and The Most of the pieces are in five finger Crunchy by Elissa Milne. From list B – Cheshire Cat by Nikki Iles. Overall, positions, though there are changes Honey Bee Boogie by Olly Wedgwood Grade 2 is significantly more of position in a few of them, and an arrangement by Melanie ambitious. which are neatly described in the Spanswick of Theme from Jupiter performance notes. from The Planets, by Gustav Holst. Matas Jankauskas The Step 1 Piano Handbook The Grade 1 Handbook differs Grades 3 to 4 introduces five finger scales in from the previous three with its Each book at Grade 3 and 4 is the keys of C major, G major and A large Technical Work section, a C beautifully designed and includes minor and has additional pieces to list for the pieces, sight-reading, all elements of the exam; there choose from in both lists. Whilst the and aural tests. It made me happy is no need to purchase any other inclusion of scales is certainly the to see a packed list of scales and publications such as scale or sight- right step, I think it may have been arpeggios, which makes the LCME reading books. Making a direct more useful to include a thumb technical work for this grade richer comparison with ABRSM, the scales shift using four notes (fingers than the ABRSM’s 2021 & 2022 are slightly more difficult in that 1, 2, 3, 1 going up, and 1, 3, 2, 1 syllabus, provided one didn’t opt for there are a few more and most must going down) instead of playing the the study instead, which consists be prepared hands together. The five fingers in succession. Also, only of broken chords almost alternative study option I believe the scales might benefit from a throughout. would require less preparation for metronome marking given that they most students. are found in each of the pieces. Three pieces must be chosen There is the additional test from each list A, B and C, and one of ‘Discussion’ which evaluates Once again, I enjoyed the of the three must be from the traditional piano-specific pedagogy characterful way the exercises featured ones in the handbook. including an explanation of were presented, particularly those One can choose from composers the working parts of a piano, a that introduced new rhythmic such Mozart, Kabalevsky, Gedike, demonstration of certain concepts concepts – The Waltzing Fairy and Satie, Gaudet and Wedgwood, to and basic knowledge of the Banana Milkshake. Here, the learner name some. The featured pieces composer for each piece. The aural can familiarise themselves with a have many technical and artistic tests are pretty standard and the waltz concept and off-beat rhythms nuances, as well as extended piano sight-reading appears to be slightly in a manageable yet gratifying techniques, such as tapping the easier than ABRSM. In terms of way. There is a delightful range piano or snapping fingers, as found repertoire, there is the welcome of contrasting works, despite in the Boogie Woogie Bear by Anne inclusion of many female and also the obligatory song from Frozen Crosby Gaudet. Each work that’s living composers as well as film of course… There’s an enjoyable presented in the handbook seems music, popular, world and more duet arrangement by Spanswick of to be appropriate for the grade, and Romantic pieces providing a wealth Camille Saint-Saëns’ Elephant from my recommendations are Dance of options. The Carnival of the Animals, among Song by Johann Sigismund Scholze, At Grade 3 in list A, we have other pieces that stood out to me Das Kind ist müde by Friedrich the delightful La Gracieuse by – Out of This World and Kittens Up a Baumfelder, and Yerevan Mourns by Elias Davidsson. |  43  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REVIEWS Burgmüller which requires quick be a great recital piece. but with hands separately and to dexterity with demisemiquaver List B has some really engaging be played both piano and forte. turns in both hands; it is my There are contrary-motion scales personal list A piece of choice pieces including my choice pick of two octaves and chromatic due to its beautiful melody. A2 of B1 Clouds by Maykapar which, scales in selected keys over three is Saygun’s Playful Kitten which despite the challenge of playing octaves. Contrary-motion chromatic although is in an easy C pentatonic, in 5 flats at grade 4 and in a 6/4 scales should start a major third is incredibly quick. A3 is Très Vite by time, provides a glorious study apart. In Grade 6 a selection of Telemann which appears to be the of interesting harmonies and diatonic scales must be prepared slightly more simplistic choice. impressionism. B2 is a short over four octaves with both legato but grand Prelude in Db major by and staccato articulation, legato List B again starts with my American pianist Catherine Rollin hands separately and together personal pick, The song of twilight which will probably prove to be a and staccato over four octaves but by Nakada with its tender Japanese popular choice. B3 is Schumann’s with hands separately. Contrary- harmony and sweet melody Kleiner Morgenwanderer which motion and chromatic scales also evocative of a gentle evening. B2 is requires crisp and neat mastery feature with contrary-motion Reinecke’s Canzonetta which offers of dotted rhythms in this pastoral chromatic scales starting on the an exciting left hand to master with delight. same note. Technical work for both arpeggiated chords. Finalising list B grades should be performed with is Parlow’s Falling Leaves providing a List C again will provide a difficult musicality. Arpeggios in Grade challenge of bringing out different decision for most as all three pieces 5 must be performed over two voicings in a completely staccato are a treat. It begins with The octaves, forte only, and Grade 6 landscape. Goblin and the Mosquito by Florence demands them over four octaves, Beatrice Price. Students could have forte only, with Dominant 7th and List C spoils us and once again such glee imagining the naughty Diminished 7th arpeggios over three my pick is the first piece The goblin playing havoc in a call and octaves, only forte. Eternal Vow by Tan Dum from the response with the high pitched film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon mosquito! C2 is my personal choice Each grade offers choices of with its understated lyricism and with the delicate Shall by Halim repertoire with differing periods, dreamlike quality; a joy to play. C2 El-Dabh which portrays dancing moods and styles. It is wonderfully is the jazz-inspired Easy Walkin’ with Egyptian embroidered scarves. refreshing to find some unknown by Rocherolle with a great walking Although it appears simple for or little heard pieces by more bass line. C3 certainly provides a Grade 4 at first, students will need obscure composers. Each of the fun challenge with Sonny Chua’s to pay attention to detail to give nine pieces includes a useful and Dog Hungry with a quick 200 the piece the finesse it deserves. informative short biography of the crotchet BPM set within a 5/4 time The list is completed with Phillip composer in addition to advice on signature. Keveren’s jazzy Way Cool which, interpretation such as articulation, being the most modern piece of the cantabile, touch, tone, pedalling, The repertoire at Grade 4 also has three, will definitely appeal to many phrasing, dynamics and hand some gems. A1 is Bach’s Polonaise students. crossings by some eminent pianists, in F which although played at a teachers and composers. The LCM high tempo, I believe to be a fairly Laura Backhurst Handbooks are user friendly with simple option. A2 is the Chromatic clear printing of the syllabus and Polka by Kohler which is twice the Grades 5 and 6 scores. For guidance, metronome length of the Bach and contains The Grade 5 and 6 handbooks markings are also given. some challenges in dexterity. C3 is each contain nine of the listed the longest and my choice piece, pieces, three for each list, Melvyn Cooper Grieg’s cheeky Elfin Dance which together with the scales, arpeggio, depicts such naughtiness and would discussion, sight-reading and aural Grades 7 and 8 tests requirements for each grade Highlights of the LCME materials along with the required studies. are that the performance of scales The books also include little useful and arpeggios can be substituted hints and tips on the requirements. by the playing of studies. Speaking Both grades offer the options of as someone who was taught the sitting the technical requirements usual regimen of orthodox technical or instead preparing a study. work, and while not dismissing For Grade 5, selected diatonic its importance, I am inspired that scales are required over three it is possible to move beyond octaves and performed legato, this tradition as part of LCME’s piano and forte. Staccato diatonic requirements. After all, an athlete scales are also over three octaves |  44  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

REVIEWS does not need to demonstrate BOOK REVIEW the wide range of topics covered components of a training regime are technical considerations, sight- before displaying their skills in the The Thoughtless Pianist reading, scale fingering, practising proper context. Reflections on meditative piano effectively, playing from memory playing and dealing with excess adrenaline. The communication necessary Bernard King These are often illustrated for talking about music is a highly Published January 2021 by by helpful and down-to-earth desirable component of LCME. We Matador, an imprint of Troubador analogies for example: may have had the experience of Publishing Ltd. a more reticent type of student Paperback 192 pages When we drive efficiently, we pay from whom we’d love to hear more www.troubador.co.uk/matador little attention with our conscious engagement about the music ISBN 978-1-80046-203-8 mind to what we are doing being learned. I am sure many physically with the car, but instead of us talk too much, maybe even I have no hesitation in focus on the road we are driving and demonstrate too much in order to recommending this book to the scenery. In fact, on one level fill what we perceive to be silences students, teachers and performers. we do not drive the car at all, but in lessons that imply nothing is I often start reading books of this instead drive the scenery – which being learned or taught. Thankfully, type but find myself unable to finish would ultimately translate into the more studies and literature have them. This, in contrast, I found ideal situation of not really being appeared advocating for those of gripping from start to finish. The concerned with playing the piano, a more introverted disposition, many anecdotes from pianistic but with creating the music. for example Susan Cain’s Quiet: giants such as Rubinstein, Neuhaus, The Power of Introverts in a World Schnabel and Alicia de Larrocha There are many useful tips for That Can’t Stop Talking (Penguin, (to name but a few) illustrate the teachers. These include a story 2013). In a culture that seems author’s wide-ranging expertise in about students of Leschetizky, who to value more demonstrative both teaching and performing. placed a small plate of dried beans demeanours, the ‘Quiet’ can easily at one side of the piano. After a assume a kind of defeatism and The book begins by considering student successfully repeated a invisibility contributing to a loss the power of the unconscious tiny phrase, one bean would be of self-worth. Any way that we can mind in determining the outcome transferred to the other side. An address this and encourage those of our efforts to learn, practise unsuccessful repetition would of our students who are more of a and perform. How do we connect require all beans to be returned to challenge to work with is ultimately with the essence of the music the starting side. rewarding for both learner and and that elusive Peak Experience? teacher alike. Much of the book is concerned I think my favourite anecdote with addressing these questions. in the book comes from the late The materials for the final two It is filled with practical advice on British pianist Sydney Harrison, grades are especially noteworthy. how to overcome self-doubt and where he said that the art of It is refreshing to see options to establish deep inner calm. Among practising was to find out what you perform unfamiliar composers; had to do in order not to have to teachers may not immediately practise! know the music of Modesta Bor, D’Auenbrugger, Kjerulf, Pejačević, Bernard King studied in Paris Bonis and many others, however with Marcel Ciampi and Vlado comprehensive introductory notes Perlemuter, was a professor are usefully provided in the grade of piano at the Royal Scottish handbooks thanks to the bold Academy of Music and Drama selections of those who compiled (now the Royal Conservatoire of the exam repertoire, Daniel King Scotland) and was co-founder Smith, William Alexander, Ates of the Scottish International Orga, Melanie Spanswick and Piano Competition. He is also a Imogen Hall. qualified psychotherapist and hypnotherapist. His website, www. Fred Scott confidentmusicalperformance. co.uk, includes further information on the question of anxiety in relation to musical performance and offers help to those who experience difficulties in this area. Sue Craxton |  45  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

CORPORATE NEWS Making our business your business DOGS AND BIRDS available in January 2022, the next £4,250 for overseas members Dorian and Miss Bell: Piano 30 in February 2022, and the final Fees include full board and set of 31 videos in March 2022. accommodation at the ESTA Lessons in the Forest Summer School See www.dogsandbirds.co.uk for After many years of work, Elza sample videos, further information “The ESTA PG Cert has given me the and Chris Lusher of Dogs and Birds and access. tools to analyse my own technique, are happy to release a set of puppet helping me to become a better videos to inspire young children ESTA player and teacher. I have enjoyed to learn the piano. These videos The ESTA PG Cert is designed being able to exchange ideas with work through D&B Book 1. Here the colleagues outside of my immediate animals come alive and captivate for teachers who want to enhance circle, including our excellent the children’s imagination through their approach to teaching through mentors.” action and games, to make learning a programme of study that is both even more fun. academic and practical. Successful FINCHCOCKS completion represents one third of A message from Finchcocks In this series of 91 videos (around a Master’s degree. The ESTA PG Cert 15 hours of lessons), Dorian, a dog, is about developing as a reflective Programme Director Jennifer learns the piano from his teacher, practitioner; someone who is willing Maslin: Miss Bell, a bird. to stand back and look at what they are doing, and contemplate Finchcocks would like to thank Each video covers only one changing aspects if they need to. all its loyal guests – longstanding element of the Dogs and Birds and new – for their support and approach, for example Finger The course offers a well- attendance during the extremely Exercises, Improvisation and structured programme with highly- difficult stretch of the pandemic. Composition, Rhythm and Pulse, experienced mentors facilitating We were very lucky to be able to Singing and Playing Pieces, and Ear- a blend of face-to-face and online reschedule most of our lockdown Training. learning: courses to later in the year, and to meet in person for some very joyful Child inserts, in which Elza Unit 1: Teaching piano technique music-making in the latter half of teaches one of five students (Ella to children and young people 2021. Rose, Eric, Ethan, Leilah and Ling), learning the piano. form part of each lesson. They This year we look ahead to a clarify those aspects of the method Unit 2: How children and young fantastic programme, hopefully that the puppets just can’t show – people learn to play the piano. without any glitches! We will be for example finger positions. revisiting some old favourites from Unit 3: Teaching strategies our permanent team of world-class These videos will be a great for piano teachers working with tutors Graham Fitch, David Hall, resource for both parents and children and young people. Florian Mitrea and Warren Mailley- teachers. They will work similarly Smith – as well as hosting courses to our, “Notes and Lesson Plans to Unit 4: Developing a piano for esteemed international friends Book 1 for Parents and Teachers” teaching curriculum for children such as Professor Emeritus William but contain more up-to-date and young people. Westney and Dr Vedrana Subotic. information, and focus on visual aspects to stimulate and engage Special discounted rate for EPTA Some highlights which I am the children’s interest more members: particularly excited about are: effectively. £3,250 for members of EPTA • Chopin: Not an island with These video lessons are a result Daniel Grimwood of a collaboration between Dogs and Birds and Iain Lauchlan, a • Applied Theory with David Hall BAFTA award winning creator of the • Keyboard Music from the Tweenies. The puppets have been Baroque with Steven Devine produced by renowned puppeteer • From healthy technique to Neil Sterenberg. natural artistry with Penelope Roskell The first 30 videos will be • Beyond Stage Fright – Tackling performance nerves with Charlotte Tomlinson • Jazz for Classical Pianists with David Hall • ...and of course our heavenly Piano Retreats! |  46  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

CORPORATE NEWS I have worked at Finchcocks PEREGRINE PIANOS THE PIANO TEACHERS’ COURSE for three years now and I love “One size fits all.” Many things in UK it more than ever. As a teacher and performer myself, I’d highly life come in a universal fit and this This academic year, The Piano recommend teachers and students is very convenient as high-volume Teachers’ Course UK has adapted alike to experience the piano manufacturing influences the price to run a successfully international magic Finchcocks invokes: whether we pay. We should not however hybrid course, with students coming for a CPD boost; to complement assume that a “one size” piano is together from around the world to weekly lessons in preparation for suited to every player and we at raise the bar in piano teaching. Our a performance; or as a reward for Peregrine’s Pianos are on a mission first residential/online long weekend getting through the trials of 2020-21! for happy customers! in October welcomed a combination of students and tutors in person Find more details at Buying a piano with a keyboard at the Purcell School of Music, and www.finchcocks.com at the wrong height is as bad as online from their homes, some buying a pair of trousers that do braving the time difference until the Jessica Gale & Warren Mailley-Smith not fit! Buying a piano made for early hours of the morning to take NORMANDY PIANO COURSES recreational playing can never part in a varied schedule of lectures, be right for playing the music of workshops and group tutorials. Shostakovich. And of course, at the end of the day the pianist needs All our courses are designed with an instrument on which his or her the piano teacher and their students musical prowess and need for self- in mind. We help create musicians expression can be realised. who love music, through four strong pillars on which our philosophy is The picture illustrates a built – our Guiding Principles. customer’s sitting room complete with a 190cm August Förster grand Learn and develop your teaching piano recently supplied by us; and practice with our expert Principal this customer told us that we can Tutors and Guest Lecturers, count him as a happy customer! providing you with all the tools you will need. Enrolment open CORTOT HÉRITAGE for 2022–23 (online attendance Following the highly successful available for all courses): www. recent EPTA webinars on the pianoteacherscourse.org/courses pianistic ideas and ideals of Alfred Cortot, subject to easing ‘Thanks so much for organising of the current COVID-19 sanitary what was a life-changing event, loved restrictions, Normandy Piano every minute.’ – 2021–22 Cert PTC Courses is organising a ‘Cambridge student Piano Day’ this spring with the much-acclaimed French-trained Under the Directorship of Patrick Hemmerlé and Michael international pianist and Stembridge-Montavont. pedagogue Masayuki Tayama In association with EPTA Wessex, a full weekend EPTA event is in the For the piano teachers who feel process of being planned for 2022. there must be more to learn. T: 07833 687473 https://patrickhemmerle.com/ E: [email protected] https://patrickhemmerle.com/ reviews/ https://www.cortotheritage.com/ biographies/ https://www.coachhousepianos. co.uk/gallery/ |  47  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

ABOUT EPTA UK Regional News 2021. And EPTA West Midlands is planning its own celebration of EPTA KENT eleven years now and is basically pianists and new piano music. PIANO CIRCLE a second-hand bookstall. Music Sunday 23 January 2022, 3pm– that is surplus to requirements is On 15 May 2022 there will be 5pm brought in and sold at low prices. two concerts premièring exciting Forte Piano School, Hopsack House, This gives us cash ‘for a rainy collections of piano music by Pattenden Lane, Marden, Kent day’. It is separate from our main Coventry composer, Robert TN12 9QJ funds which are used to engage Ramskill. He had already completed speakers, adjudicators and master- 24 Preludes for piano. It was a Four times a year Kent EPTA holds a class leaders, and to hire venues. happy coincidence that he has Piano Circle. This is a free event, as a We hope that those events will be also assembled a new collection different member of the Circle offers paid for by the tickets bought (but of 26 educational piano pieces to host each one and provides tea/ sometimes the amount falls short!). for elementary to intermediate coffee and cake all round. Numbers pianists. Mostly new works, the normally reach about eight; Kent The next Piano Circle is at Forte set includes four pieces which are is a very large county, but we are Piano School in Marden, where re-workings of songs written for delighted that members travel from we shall be welcomed by Peter Coventry primary schools. The places as far apart as Maidstone, Simpson. You can find contact whole album takes its title from one Bromley, Folkestone, Ashford and details for the event on the EPTA such song – Land of the Tiger. Medway. It is held from 3pm–5pm website. on a Sunday afternoon. After easing On Friday 12 November this year everyone in with refreshments, the Nancy Litten, EPTA Kent RO Land of the Tiger was officially first half is for teachers to perform launched at an event hosted by solo pieces; the second half is EPTA BRISTOL EPTA West Midlands and Coventry for duets and discussion of pupil University. Local teachers, along repertoire. Audience members are 3rd Open Piano Platform with two Coventry University also encouraged, so that no-one Saturday 2 April 2022, 10am–noon students, performed a selection of feels they have to perform. Indeed, St Francis’ Church Bedminster, 278 pieces, with Robert Ramskill himself at our last Piano Circle, an EPTA North Street, Bristol (BS3 2AN) playing the title track. member from Yorkshire joined us via Zoom, settling back to enjoy all Bristol’s Open Piano Platform Everyone found the music very the music and having a chat with is open to all and intended for well written for the piano, with each of us individually as we passed players of all ages and abilities. The great rhythmical and harmonic by the laptop! format is emphatically informal and interest and the potential to develop friendly. pianistic skills in an enjoyable way. There is an opportunity to spend money, and that is on our Music Participants pay £1 to perform Prizewinners from EPTA West Mart. It has been running for a piece of their choice on a grand Midlands’ competitive Festival on piano. Friends and family are 20 March 2022 at Solihull School welcome to come and listen for will perform individual pieces from free. Soft drinks, tea, coffee and Land of the Tiger in Coventry on biscuits will be available for a small 15 May 2022. The 24 Preludes will charge. be performed by established local pianists on the same day. Contact (and subscribe to) [email protected] Copies can be ordered via for details. www.composersalliance.com EPTA WEST MIDLANDS For further details, contact Philippa Rainbird, Regional ‘LAND OF THE TIGER’ Organiser in Coventry: A new collection of piano works [email protected] for elementary and intermediate pianists by Robert Ramskill Coventry, birthplace of pianist Denis Matthews and once Britain’s Motor City, is UK City of Culture |  48  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

ABOUT EPTA UK EPTA SOUTH LONDON REGION December to end a very successful year! If you would like any YAMAHA MUSIC SCHOOL information about classes or joining the team, please contact Bethany The Yamaha Music School at Norman at ffh-musiceducation@ Fairfield Halls in Croydon has had bhlive.org.uk a very successful autumn term as their Junior Music Course students have passed their first exams! These students joined at 4–5 years old when the school opened its doors in 2019. They are now moving on to the next step by progressing to the Junior Extension Course. All students at Yamaha Music School in Croydon are currently working towards their first ever concert at Fairfield Halls on 12 Regional Organisers BELFAST GLOUCESTER OXFORD John McParland, 028 9058 3997, Pippa Harrison, Julie Craven, 01235 765728, [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] BRISTOL HERTS / BEDS SCOTLAND W Daniel Lloyd, [email protected] Christine Walker, Emma Sinclair, 07799 100867, or Sophia McKett, [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 0117 946 7641 KENT SHEFFIELD BUCKS/BERKS Nancy Litten, 01622 682330 Pearl Woodward, 0114 266 0399, Richard Heyes, 01234 712599 / [email protected] [email protected] 01582 414818, [email protected] LANCASTER SURREY Yvette Price, 07932 962360 Julie Cooper, 0208 397 5655, CAMBRIDGE [email protected] [email protected] Ilga Pitkevica, 01954 210189 [email protected] LONDON N / E SUSSEX E Marta Maroto, Kevin Smith, 07583 251118, CARDIFF [email protected] [email protected] David Pert, 029 2052 0736 / 07786 998454, [email protected] LONDON S SUSSEX W Frederick Scott, Sarah Plumley, 01903 883265 CHANNEL ISLANDS [email protected] [email protected] Alan West, 01481 249371 / 07781 411119, [email protected] LONDON SE SWANSEA Talia Girton, 07467 152188 Hyelim Morris, 07949 684401 DERBY [email protected] [email protected] Beate Toyka, [email protected] LONDON W WEST MIDLANDS Alberto Portugheis, 020 7602 9515 Philippa Rainbird, 024 7667 4118, DEVON [email protected] [email protected] Ekaterina Shetliffe, 07505 884271 [email protected] MERSEYSIDE WESSEX Bernie Hailwood, 0151 342 6918 Lynda Smith, 01722 325807, EAST MIDLANDS [email protected] [email protected] Susan Grange, or Sue Craxton, [email protected] NORFOLK [email protected] Benjamin Howell, ESSEX [email protected] YORKSHIRE CEN Theresa Chapman, or Matthew Preston, Simon Burgess, 0113 287 6126 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] or Sharon Goodey, [email protected] NORTH EAST Janet Nicolls, 0191 281 8048, [email protected] |  49  | www.epta-uk.org HOME

ABOUT EPTA UK New members Bursaries Athen Ayren Andrew Higgins Constantin There are two bursaries available Professional Regional Organiser Nikolakis-Mouchas to EPTA UK members. London N Co-ordinator and Full Professional We offer bursaries at the Trustee Oxford beginning of each academic year David Baldwin for EPTA UK members embarking on Student Helen Hodge Sue O’Hagan CPD, and for talented pupils of EPTA UK Herts Full Professional Full Professional members who may be having difficulty in London N Surrey paying for their piano lessons. Michael Boyd Full Professional Benny Hui Louise Oliver To apply for a bursary, please Manchester Full Professional Full Professional download a form from the Members’ Manchester Sussex W Area or ask the EPTA UK office to send Jenny Bray you one. There should be a financial Full Professional Ellie Jaggers Oona Prendiville ‘need’ to qualify to be eligible and all Yorks N Full Professional Full Professional decisions in this respect are made by Bedford Central North East the EPTA UK Management Committee. Jane Brown Applications for bursaries are accepted Full Professional Anita King Jane Seilly up to 30 June and will be assessed Wessex Full Professional Full Professional throughout July. Overseas East Midlands Cherry Campbell ■ Mark Ray Memorial Fund Full Professional Urszula Lahdeaho Darach Sharkey South Yorkshire Full Professional Student The Mark Ray Fund was established for North East members wishing to embark on Continued Yvonne Cheng Minah Lee Professional Development (CPD) to further Administrator Student Ashley Solano their skills in piano teaching. London SE Hernández Orla Duncan Student ■ John Bigg Scholarship Fund Full Associate Joanne Love London Belfast Full Professional This scholarship fund helps musically- Yorks Cen Elearnor Stobbs talented students with the cost of piano William Alexander Full Professional tuition with an EPTA UK teacher. Scholarships Eddie Lauren Mackie Surrey are awarded only to applicants who show true Full Professional Full Professional commitment to the piano as their first and Scotland East Wessex Jackie Summers preferred instrument. Nominations are invited Full Professional for a limited number of bursaries for 2022-23. Sarah Furbank Yukiko Makita- Sussex E A minimum standard of approximately grade Full Professional Kilgannon 5 is expected. The bursaries will be awarded E Midlands Student Michael Taylor on the basis of a letter of recommendation London W Full Professional from the teacher together with a letter of Wei Jing Goh Belfast intent from a parent or parents and a letter Full Professional Paul Marks Joffe of support from another professional person Belfast Full Professional Graeme Walker (e.g. school teacher, doctor) who is familiar Cardiff Full Professional with the family’s circumstances but is not a Roger Grant Scotland East relative. Applicants should have been studying Full Professional Robert Myers the piano for at least two years and must be Sussex W Full Professional Vasiliki Zlatkou under 18 years of age. Kent Full Professional Janet Harrison London N Full Associate Eniko Nagy Bristol Full Professional Russell Thompson Oxford and Trudi Craig Wakako Hasegawa Joint Full Associate Hyuk Namkoong Bucks/Berks London S Full Associate Sheffield Barbara Heap Full Professional Sheffield |  50  | www.epta-uk.org HOME