A quick plug! Hastings Poet-a-thon this Saturday
Hi all, I hope you’ll allow me a quick bit of cross-promotion… This Saturday 11 October, A LOAD OF POETS (a live literature event I helped to set up 3 years...
The Sunday Listen: 'Lwonesome Tonight' by PJ Harvey
One of the upsides of your parents getting older is they get more and more interested in legacy and finding out about their own ancestry. When death is...
The Sunday Listen: 'Step Right Up' by Tom Waits
Tom Waits’ ‘Step Right Up’ (1976) is one of those tracks that feels half-song, half-theatre. On the surface, it’s a fast-talking parody of advertising, where...
September 2025 Musical Miscellany: Lagoon Music, Hastings Jazz Festival, Fast Finger Technique, Policy Update
Happy Sunday one and all! A few things to share with you this month — some practical updates, a few recommendations, and even a piano looking for a good...
The Sunday Listen: 'On The Sunny Side of the Ocean' by John Fahey
In my studio (or, erm, my living room, really, let’s be honest), some of you may have noticed a single black and white photo on my bookshelves. The photo is...
Studio Notice: Autumn 2025 term begins on Thursday!
Hi everyone, A quick reminder that lessons will start from this Thursday 4 September 2025. Reminders will go about 3 days before via text and/or email, but...
The Sunday Listen: 'A Summer Long Since Passed' by Virgina Astley
I can do no better to introduce this week’s Sunday Listen with this comment found on YouTube: “Sounds like every happy memory I've ever had” Released in...
Studio Notice: Autumn 2025 Term starts next week!
Hi everyone, I hope everyone is enjoying the Bank Holiday Weekend. This summer has absolutely flown by… This is a very quick note to remind you all that term...
The Sunday Listen: 'City Life' by Steve Reich
This summer, I’ve spent more time in cities than I would have preferred - London, Leeds, Brighton, Dublin, Norwich; even a small fishing town such as...
The Sunday Listen: 'Lotus Land' by Cyril Scott
The very title, ‘Lotus Land’, conjures images of exotic beauty, languid dreamscapes, and perhaps a touch of escapism. For those who have heard Cyril Scott's...
The Sunday Listen: 'The Köln Concert' by Keith Jarrett
The Sunday Listen this week is a no-brainer, and one I have already recommended to countless students. The Köln Concert is the best-selling solo piano album...
Monthly Musical Miscellany – July & August 2025
A Quick Reminder on Autumn 2025 Term Dates I am now officially on my summer break and will resume teaching lessons on Thursday 4 September 2025. If you...
Booking Now Open For One-Off August Lessons – Places Limited!
Hello all! Only one more week of full teaching is left to go until I shut my piano lid and put down my guitars for a little while. I will, however, be...
Summer Holidays Reminder!
Hello everyone! A longer email with more information will follow next week, but for now, a quick reminder that I will be away August for a much-needed break....
Update: External Noise Expected Next Two Days
Hi all, Just a very quick note to let you all know that there’s some sudden maintenance work happening to the roof in my building over the next few days, so...
Monthly Musical Miscellany – June 2025
Hello hello, hi. It’s yet another musical pick n’ mix for you all. Please enjoy! Will June 2025 Summer Opening Hours I will be off entirely for five weeks...
The Sunday Listen: 'Newcastle' by Lankum
This weekend, I became a willing prisoner of a single song. Sometimes, a song doesn't just play for you; it absorbs you completely, it wraps around your...
Monthly Musical Miscellany – May 2025
Hello folks, Time for another hodgepodge of news, updates and other tidbits from the studio… Half Term and Bank Holiday opening times A very quick note to...
The Sunday Listen: 'Undertale (Main Theme)' by Toby Fox
What if I told you some of the most interesting and popular music being written right now wasn’t in the conservatoires or in top of the end recording studios...
Studio Notice: Closed 5 May; Minor Disruptions 6-7 May 2025
Hello one and all! A very quick note to let everyone know that I’m having some carpentry work done elsewhere in the apartment on Tuesday 6th May and...