The Sunday Listen: 'Time The Revelator' by Gillian Welch
Happy Sunday one and all! I’ve had something of a manic week so I haven’t been able to sit down today and write something. So in lieu of the normal mini-...
The Sunday Listen: 'The Drowned Girl' by Yann Tiersen
This week on the Sunday Listen, we’re looking at Yann Tiersen’s ‘The Drowned Girl’, although in all honestly I could have picked any single track from his...
Happy World Piano Day!
It’s World Piano Day! I don’t entirely know what this fully entails but it’s nevertheless a lovely opportunity to thank every single one of the fifty odd...
The Sunday Listen: 'Water Dances Part 1: Dipping' by Michael Nyman (arranged for two pianos)
I’ve recently really been enjoying the album Minimalist Dream House by the super sister pianists, Katia and Marielle Labèque. Howard Skempton, one of the...
March update: Easter holiday times, deadly accordions, Fat Tuesday, beavers
Hello all! It’s time for my semi-occasional missive. News, events and other ramblings below… Closed March 24/25 & Easter holidays Please note: I won’t be...
The Sunday Listen: 'Ay Walking Oh' by Sam Lee
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Sam Lee in a previous life, putting on events for The Nest Collective and The Song Collector’s Collective, around the...
February Update: Half Term, Irving Berlin's Piano, Neuroarts
Hi everyone, February news and miscellania below! Half Term First off, a quick reminder that I will be away the week Monday 17 February to Sunday 23 February...
The Sunday Listen: 'Succotash' by Herbie Hancock
Well, January whizzed past! Time to pick up the pace and get back to some blogging… I absolutely love this. Even for those of you who are initially jazz-...
The Sunday Listen: 'Palais De Mari' by Morton Feldman, as performed by Igor Levit
This week’s delicately dissonant Sunday Listen is well, ok, some of you will have to go with me on this… At a time when the concert halls of the world were...
Reminder! Lesson price increase from December 1
Hi all, Just a brief, as mentioned in the last newsletter in October and on the website, as of today, prices per lesson are increasing marginally. So please...
The Sunday Listen: 'Piano Sonata No.20' (2nd movement) by Schubert
This week on the Sunday Listen, we’re going back to classical with the second part of one of Schubert’s last sonatas. Suffering from tertiary syphilis and...
October newsletter: New rates, Student of the Month, Joe Boyd, Xmas opening times
Hello one and all! It’s been a very busy few weeks here, and it’s so nice to see a big new cohort of students joining recently. Here’s the latest news…...
The Sunday Listen: 'Uncertain Smile' by The The
Good afternoon everyone! I’ve been busy recently prepping some work towards some Inclusive Music Education training, so this week’s recommendation is a short...
The Sunday Listen: 'Narcolepsy' by Ben Folds Five
It’s been short while since I shared any rock or pop on this blog, so this week’s Sunday Listen takes a look at ‘Narcolepsy’ by Ben Folds Five, a tune I...
The Sunday Listen: 'Gnossienne No.2' by Erik Satie
Good Sunday everyone! It’s been an incredibly hectic past couple of weeks, so this Sunday Listen we’re settling in to a quiet yet mysterious and expansive...
The Sunday Listen: 'Harry Piers 2021' by Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Hi all! I’m having a rest today after a long very happy day at the Book Fair yesterday. Back up to my usual musical tricks tomorrow. I’ll leave you with this...
September news: Keybird, method books, Hastings Book Fair
Hello one and all, Welcome to the September news update! Autumn term officially kicks into gear in a couple of weeks, and it’s been nice gently welcoming...
The Sunday Listen: 'Sonata in D Major (K 119)' by Scarlatti
I recently discovered the recordings of Marcelle Meyer, and this 1954 recording of the glorious Scarlatti K119 Sonata is no exception to Meyer’s flawless...
The Sunday Listen: 'Un Poco Loco' by Bud Powell
Good afternoon all! I had great fun with one of my students this week diving into the basic elements of jazz improvisation, and riffing on a few one chord...
The Sunday Listen: 'Farewell to Stromness' by Peter Maxwell Davies
One of my students, Nigel, introduced me to this week’s gem of a Sunday Listen. ‘Farewell to Stromness’ is a lovely, folk-tinged, neoclassical pastoral by...