Heart of the Piano Podcast

The Heart of the Piano podcast is back! In this return episode, I dive deep into my ‘Grand Unified Theory’ of scales & arpeggios. This is a radical masterclass that breaks down the biomechanics of technique into basic ‘building blocks’ which every student can combine in unique and personal ways- and also addresses the hidden psychological barriers in adult students which prevent the acquisition of good technique. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, this episode will transform how you approach scales & arpeggios! If you’d like to watch the YouTube video based on this episode, you can view it here: https://youtu.be/JpwCkY3edTE Some Key Takeaways Good technique is the laziest way to get the sound that you want: Good technique is finding the “laziest” (most efficient) way to get the exact sound you want. There is no one ‘correct’ technique: Research shows professional pianists have unique signature combinations of movements even in simple scales. Interoception is Key: You can’t fix your technique if you can’t feel what’s happening inside your body. The “In/Out” Shoulder Secret: Most students don’t realise how important the ability to move the shoulder joint in and out is for playing scales and arpeggios. Sit on Your Bones: Sitting on your thighs makes you a “heavy lump”; perching on your sitting bones gives you agility and mental alertness. Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome back!: The new podcast vs YouTube format explained. 04:41 – Defining good technique: “The laziest way to get the sound that you want”. 07:01 – Why we practise scales: Navigating keyboard geography and building the essential habits that define a good pianist and musician. 15:04 – The science of patience: Neuroplasticity and breaking tension habits (6–8 weeks) vs permanent change (1–2 years). 16:11 – The transfer problem: Why scale practice is a waste of time unless done with musical intent. 17:17 – Healthy laziness vs slouching: Why posture dictates your mental alertness. 20:14 – The myth of the “one right way”: Why every professional pianist has a unique, individual technique- and the research on “audio fingerprints” that proves it. 24:26 – Playful experimentation: Why curiosity works better than striving when building technique. 30:00 – “Audiation”: Why imagining the sound is as important as the physical movement. 35:06 – Interoception & the “striving” trap: Why internal body awareness is vital, and how ‘striving’ shuts down interoception. 51:53 – The paradox of sports psychology: Research says internal focus disrupts performance, yet mindfulness (interoception) enhances it- so which is it?! 01:02:47 – Never play the same way twice: The importance of varied repetition, and how to find technical balance by exploring extremes. 01:05:27 – The anatomy of technique: (Start of Section). 01:06:19 – The wrist (axis 1): Flexion and extension (up and down). 01:08:31 – The wrist (axis 2): The wrist (axis 2): Pronation and Supination (rotation). 01:11:58 – The wrist (axis 3): The wrist (axis 3): Lateral movement (side-to-side). 01:14:09 – The fingers: Why it is generally better to play from the Metacarpal (big knuckle) rather than pulling with the distal joints. 01:20:14 – Intrinsic vs extrinsic muscles: How the finger muscles work and the Carpal Tunnel. 01:22:45 – Lateral finger movement: A motion that most students are consciously unaware of. 01:24:28 – Arm weight and the “Roman arch”: Using gravity and structural shape (not muscle tension) to support the hand. 01:32:10 – The elbow: Avoiding the “chicken wing” and using the elbow to facilitate wrist rotation. 01:37:15 – The shoulders: Differentiating between tension (Up/Down, Forward/Back) and useful movement (In/Out) to help the elbow travel. 01:40:38 – The sitting bones: Why sitting on your thighs kills your agility and mental alertness. Interested in personalised online piano lessons with me? I teach at all levels from beginner to advanced, do get in touch here for more information: https://heartofthepiano.com/contact My YouTube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/@HeartofthePiano, where you can check out my tutorials and performances. Glossary Proximal: Closer to the centre of the body (e.g., the shoulder is proximal to the elbow). Distal: Further away from the centre of the body (e.g., the fingers are distal to the wrist). Metacarpal Joint: The large knuckle joint where the finger meets the hand. Distal Joints: The two joints of the finger further away from the hand (the “hinges”). Interoception: Awareness of the internal state of the body (feeling what is happening inside). Exteroception: Sensitivity to stimuli originating outside of the body (e.g., sight, sound, touch). Audiation: Imagining music in your mind. Citations & References Piano Biomechanics (Proximal Joints): This study confirms that experts use proximal joints (shoulder/elbow) to reduce load on the distal joints (fingers/wrist). Furuya, S., et al. (2011). “Distinct inter-joint coordination during fast alternate keystrokes in pianists with superior skill.” Link to Paper. Expert Muscle Coordination (Furuya & Altenmüller 2013): Neurophysiological findings showing that experts have reduced co-activation of extrinsic finger muscles due to better proximal coordination. Furuya, S., & Altenmüller, E. (2013). “Flexibility of movement organization in piano performance.” Link to Paper. Whole-Apparatus Coordination (Wristen 2000): Quantitative data supporting the view that expert coordination involves the whole playing apparatus, starting from the larger joints. Wristen, B. G. (2000). “Avoiding Piano-Related Injury: A Proposed Theoretical Procedure for Biomechanical Analysis of Piano Technique.” Link to Paper. Variable Practice in Basketball: Research showing that practising shots from variable distances improves performance more than repetitive practice from a single spot. Landin, D. K., Hebert, E. P., & Fairweather, M. (1993). “The effects of variable practice on the performance of a basketball skill.” Link to Abstract. Pianist “Fingerprints” in Scales: The study analyzing unique timing profiles in scales. Van Vugt, F. T., Jabusch, H. C., & Altenmüller, E. (2013). “Individuality that is unheard of: Systematic temporal deviations in scale playing leave an inaudible pianistic fingerprint.” Link to Paper. Internal vs External Focus: The leading research on this comes from Dr Gabriele Wulf. Wulf, G. (2013). “Attentional focus and motor learning: A review of 15 years.” Link to Paper. Habit Formation Timelines (6–8 weeks): Research suggests automaticity for a new repeated behaviour reaches a median of around 66 days (about 2 months), though it varies widely, rather than the often-cited “21 days” Lally, P., et al. (2010). “How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world.” Link to Abstract. Book Mentioned: What Every Pianist Needs to Know about the Body by Thomas Mark. Link to Book. Want to transform your sight-reading? Learn more about my powerful new Sight-Reading App: https://www.sightreadingfluency.com Disclaimer While Bob is an experienced teacher, this podcast is for educational purposes. If you are experiencing physical pain while playing, or have a history of injury (like Schumann or Scriabin!), please consult a medical professional or physiotherapist. The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s

In this episode, I dive into the mind-blowing world of ChatGPT’s brand new voice AI feature, where I have hilarious, shockingly human-like conversations with some of history’s greatest composers! These experimental chats are not only educational but packed with unexpected humor and personality. Join me as I explore the incredible capabilities of this revolutionary technology. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to chat with iconic figures from the past—laughing along the way—this episode will leave you both entertained and amazed! Tune in for a fascinating mix of music history, cutting-edge AI, and plenty of laughs. Show Notes This episode is also available as a YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/0SG290DMZbw These are the custom instructions I gave to ChatGPT- after this experiment I might add something like “be opinionated, don’t be afraid to be controversial, don’t try to be diplomatic, give specific examples of everything you talk about” 😂 “When you are role-playing as a musician or composer, think about how this person’s personality and character was described by others, then really amplify and exaggerate these qualities in the way you speak- the goal is an exaggerated caricature. Also, speak English with a really exaggerated caricature accent that reflects where the person was from. To keep conversations interesting and entertaining, bring up personal autobiographical details wherever possible. Speak as if to a friend, so not overly formal. Use humour on a level appropriate to the person you’re roleplaying as. If the person has negative traits and character, please feel free to indulge this”. The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s

An exploration of the challenging but crucial conversations surrounding diversity and representation in classical music education, framed through a personal cautionary experience. Drawing from recent events in the industry, topics discussed include: – The importance of open dialogue about race and gender in music – Challenges in representing diverse composers in educational materials – Navigating sensitive discussions in music education – Lessons learned from attempting to address these issues – Broader implications for inclusivity in classical music Links: This episode is also available with video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UXQ1gPeO9ek White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism- Robin DiAngelo: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/566247/white-fragility-by-dr-robin-diangelo/9780807047415 Useful study notes on ‘White Fragility’: https://library.fiveable.me/key-terms/hs-ethnic-studies/white-fragility A must read extract in The Guardian from Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/30/why-im-no-longer-talking-to-white-people-about-race YouTube video Music Theory and White Supremacy by Adam Neely: https://youtu.be/Kr3quGh7pJA A talk by Philip Ewell on YouTube- a useful introduction to his work: https://youtu.be/q1yYR-VLpv0 My podcast review of the 2021 Leeds Internation Piano Competition: https://heartofthepiano.com/e21-leeds-international-piano-competition-the-leeds-2021-review/ Fiona Sinclair’s (CEO Leeds International Piano Competition) Leeds University presentation on gender inequality in music competitions and in the profession as a whole: https://www.youtube.com/live/xtdpAVyJzVg?si=sOp3PWG5_T_rCB-R&t=2801 A couple of news links concerning possible preferrential treatment for women in the Leeds International Piano Competition: https://slippedisc.com/2024/09/exclusive-how-the-leeds-piano-competition-is-rigged-for-equality/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/09/19/female-pianists-favoured-men-major-competition-rules/ The new AI tool which creates incredible podcast episodes- Notebook LM’s new Audio Overview feature: https://www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/google-s-new-ai-audio-generator-lets-you-make-a-stunningly-real-ai-podcast-without-a-mic-here-s-how-to-try-it The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s Transcription: Have you ever found yourself hesitant to discuss issues of race or gender for fear of saying something wrong? When we feel unable to talk about these issues freely, resentments and tensions can build up. Movements like Black Lives Matter, along with recent events in the UK, have highlighted how crucial it is to have these conversations. It’s obviously a contentious topic, but when conversations are stifled—when we’re afraid to discuss racial issues honestly for fear of being ‘cancelled’ or vilified—this creates a pressure cooker environment. As a result, when people of colour speak out about inequalities and push for change, white people can react in exaggerated, overly defensive reactive ways rather than perhaps listening with an open mind. Robin DiAngelo’s book White Fragility introduces the concept of this knee-jerk defensive response to healthy debate on race, which often serves to quickly shut any conversation down. DiAngelo explains that these defensive reactions—which can include anger, fear, emotional outbursts, and withdrawal—aren’t about being a ‘bad person’ but are ways people can avoid the discomfort that comes with talking about race. This means that often, despite good intentions, these kinds of defensive responses can actually serve to maintain the status quo of racial inequality by shutting down meaningful conversations about race. Another book, Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by UK author Reni Eddo-Lodge, sums up a lot of the frustration that people of colour experience when trying to discuss racial issues… personally, reading these two books in particular have really resonated with many of my experiences. Now, just to give you a little bit of context here, I don’t often talk about this, but I’m basically not white. It doesn’t come up a lot these days because, for many reasons, I don’t seem to stand out as much as ‘different’ anymore. Part of this is because Britain has become much more multicultural, and perhaps some of it is because, for whatever reason, I look more ‘white’ as I get older. So from time to time, when I bring up my ethnicity, people say to me, “I had no idea you weren’t white”. But when I found myself having frustrating conversations about race, the difficulties made so much more sense once I came across the concepts in the books that I just mentioned. I think it’s important to emphasise that the whole point of these books is not to make white people feel more defensive about talking about race, and the point is not to make white people feel attacked. This is the very problem those books are trying to solve, to highlight how we as a society need to be able to have these discussions openly without fear of being judged. Now, the world of classical music and classical music education in particular has been grappling with issues of racial and gender representation in recent years. At one end, there are academics such as Philip Ewell, who talks about a deep-seated ideology of white supremacy within the world of classical music. Adam Neely created a great YouTube video called Music Theory and White Supremacy discussing some of these ideas. I personally disagree with a lot of what Ewell says, but the topic is layered and nuanced, and he does make some valid points that are worth considering if you take the time to read his work carefully. Anybody who goes to classical music concerts will immediately notice the almost total absence of audience-goers who are not white. Could part of the reason for this be that non-white composers are rarely featured in concert programmes? Speaking personally, this absence did bother me when I was young. I was totally unaware that there were plenty of composers who weren’t ‘white’, and the strong perception that the world of classical music was basically for ‘white people’ did unsettle me. Now, I want to be absolutely clear: this does not mean that I think we should cancel Western classical music—I love it deeply! The Western classical tradition is really important to me. Obviously, the history of classical music does have roots in European composers working within a certain culture, but we now have the power to influence future audiences by taking a more broad and inclusive historical view. If we make an effort to promote more composers of colour and women composers—even if this doesn’t reflect the historical proportions of those composers—it could be key in growing classical music audiences and encouraging more diverse composers in the future. Long time listeners to my reviews of exam board syllabuses (or syllabi for those who prefer that word!) such as ABRSM, Trinity and LCME know that I have been passionate about the need to represent more women and non-white composers for this reason, and in recent years there has been noticeable pressure for all musical educational establishments including exam boards and music publishers to increase their diversity and address these issues around racial and gender representation. Some recent piano exam syllabuses—in fact most of them—have been doing an excellent job in discovering and sharing some real gems by hitherto obscure women composers and composers of colour all the way from the Baroque era to the modern age. So it’s not that they didn’t exist– but yes the majority of composers were white men. And it is a very difficult balance to try to decide how much we want to celebrate and honour a deeply valuable tradition with all its biases, and how much we can now selectively highlight the hidden minority women and non-white composers to shape the direction of the future world of classical music. The issue of positive discrimination surfaced in an interesting way just a few days ago at the concerto finals of the Leeds International Piano Competition, one of the most prestigious events in the classical piano world. It runs every 3 years, and you can listen to a podcast review that I made of the previous competition, the link will be in the shownotes or in the description of the YouTube video below as well as many other links and links to interesting articles on all the things I’ll be covering today. So, after only men made it through to the finals in 2021, the CEO of the competition Fiona Sinclair set out a series of initiatives to address this gender imbalance. These included training for this year’s jurors, as well as commissioning academic studies into gender imbalances at international piano competitions. She gave a fascinating lecture on this subject at Leeds University which you can find on YouTube, again links will be in the shownotes of the podcast episode or in the description of the YouTube video. However, there was quite the controversy just before the recent finals when major news sources spotted some clauses in the instructions to the jury members that give women competitors preferential treatment in some circumstances. You know, it’s one thing to try to tackle the problem of what was described as “male dominance” in the world of professional concert pianists, but is giving women pianists preference in a major competition to try to redress this balance going too far? Now all these issues that I’ve discussed so far intersected a few months ago when I published a podcast review of a set of books called The Joy of Graded Piano. I was asked to review this series of piano anthologies by a future guest who I’d invited to interview on the podcast who’d just authored these new books. He’s a piano educator that I had a

Please check the shownotes for timings if you just want to listen to the review for one particular grade Show Notes: Init [1:40] Grade 1 [2:53] Grade 2 [4:03] Grade 3 [6:00] Grade 4 [10:06] Grade 5 [13:17] Grade 6 [15:33] Grade 7 [17:45] Grade 8 [23:03]

In this thought-provoking first part of a two-part review, I explore the new books and discuss how ABRSM are navigating the complex landscape of music education in a changing world. Join me as I delve into the challenges and opportunities presented by this new syllabus, which is sure to spark lively debate within the piano community. Part two will review the individual grades. Show Notes: Introduction Excitement about the new ABRSM syllabus for 2025-2026. Importance of these pieces for teachers in the coming years. Syllabus Transition Current syllabus (2023-2024) usable until the end of 2025. New syllabus (2025-2026) begins in 2025. Personal Review Personal opinions on the new syllabus, potentially controversial. Attempt to be balanced and see multiple perspectives. Learning and performing all new Grade 8 pieces. Performances and tutorials will available on Heart of the Piano YouTube channel. Shorter review will be available on YouTube for those who prefer less detail. Review Methodology Re-read and replayed all pieces from the current syllabus. Comparison of new syllabus pieces against the current syllabus. Context of Wider Issues in Music Education Reference to the review of the latest Trinity syllabus. Discussion on decolonisation of music education. Alarm at Trinity’s new syllabus allowing exams without classical music. Context of Black Lives Matter and the critique of classical music as linked to colonialism. Personal background and experiences with classical music. Importance of representation of non-white and women composers. Critique of the argument that classical music is inherently problematic or racist. ABRSM’s Approach to Representation and Diversity Efforts by examination boards to include women and non-white composers. Positive discrimination to encourage diversity. Approval of ABRSM’s representation efforts in the new syllabus. Concern about some pieces in new List B syllabus not being classical. Concerns about Trinity’s Recent New Syllabus, and Fears About ABRSM Following Suit Critique of Trinity’s shift towards pop and non-classical music. The potential for students to focus narrowly on styles like jazz or pop. Discussion on the decline of classical music in education. Importance of maintaining classical music exams. Problems with turning pop and jazz music into sheet music for exams. The need for a balanced musical diet in education. Personal Beliefs and Teaching Philosophy Encouragement for classical music study alongside other genres. Role and influence of exams in developing well-rounded musicians. Suggestion for separate exams for rock/pop music. Comparison with ABRSM’s New Syllabus Initial relief at the classical focus of new ABRSM books. Subsequent concerns about non-classical pieces creeping into the syllabus. Need for maintaining classical music standards. Future of Classical Music Education Risks of dumbing down exams by including too much non-classical music. The role of ABRSM in shaping musical tastes and standards. The importance of a balanced appreciation of classical music. Personal Reflections on Music Education Discussion on the neo-colonialism of the music industry. Importance of classical music as an art form needing support. ABRSM’s role in bridging the gap between students’ everyday musical experiences and classical music. Historical Context of ABRSM Reference to the book “The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music: A Social and Cultural History”. Examination of ABRSM’s historical role in shaping music education. Controversial Issues in Music Education Critique of the demonisation of classical music as elitist. The need to support classical music education. The impact of political and societal views on classical music. Thoughts on the New ABRSM Books General approval of the selection of pieces, but- Concerns over non-classical pieces in List B and some List A. High quality editing and typesetting in these new books with no misprints this time around. Praise for the urtext approach to Baroque and Classical pieces. Grade 8 book: Notably shorter (37 pages) compared to the previous one (51 pages). Less value for money compared to Trinity’s books. List A, List B, and List C distinctions becoming less meaningful. Concerns over the abundance of arrangements by Nikki Iles. In one grade, it’s possible to play only Nikki Iles pieces! Praise for free access to recordings on streaming platforms (e.g., Spotify, Apple Music). Recordings are generally good, though sometimes overly safe. Conclusion and Recommendations General approval of the new ABRSM syllabus with some concerns. Encouragement to explore ABRSM’s new syllabus while considering LCM exams for a traditional classical focus. Links and notes to follow very soon!

Tim Topham is a legend in the piano education world, his podcast “The Integrated Music Teaching Podcast” is a who’s who of the most interesting & creative piano educators. It was a huge honour to chat to Tim about his new book which advocates and provides a framework for delaying reading music with beginner piano students. This episode is not just for piano teachers though, I’m sure everybody will be interested in our chat which includes topics such as common preventable weaknesses that most piano students have, the history of improvisation and freedom from the written note in classical music, the problem with method books, and more… Tim Topham is a legend in the piano education world, his podcast “The Integrated Music Teaching Podcast” is a who’s who of the most interesting & creative piano educators. It was a huge honour to chat to Tim about his new book which advocates and provides a framework for delaying reading music with beginner piano students. This episode is not just for piano teachers though, I’m sure everybody will be interested in our chat which includes topics such as common preventable weaknesses that most piano students have, the history of improvisation and freedom from the written note in classical music, the problem with method books, and more… Key Topics Discussed: Delaying reading music for beginner piano students, often for the first 10 weeks or more Developing musicality, creativity, and curiosity from the very first lessons Typical problems when students are taught to read music right away, including lack of singing, improvisation, playing by ear etc Tim’s new book “No Book Beginners” which provides a framework and detailed lesson plans for teaching beginners without method books The importance of singing, rhythm, improvisation & playing by ear before introducing reading How Tim’s approach can work alongside other methods such as Piano Safari Adapting these creative teaching strategies for older and adult students The “sound before symbol” learning theory behind delaying reading music The website resources that complement the lesson plans in the book Links: Top Music Pro website: topmusic.co “No Book Beginners” book: topmusic.co/book Music Learning Theory: giml.org Tim’s podcast: topmusic.co/podcast Notes: The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s I have availability for online students at the moment- if you’re interested, do get in touch using the contact page at http://HeartOfThePiano.com I promised some links to the best podcast episodes in the outro- this is probably the best place to start: https://heartofthepiano.com/e34-we-discuss-the-4-most-important-psychological-skills-you-need-to-practise-at-the-piano-to-be-deeply-musical/ as it sums up many of the strategies that come up most frequently with my students This strategy has instantly transformed the playing with some of my students, the difference is like night & day! https://heartofthepiano.com/e35-tension-release-we-discuss-the-5-psychological-skill-you-need-to-practise-at-the-piano-to-be-deeply-musical/ Some very powerful strategies in this episode that can make a huge difference to the quality of our playing, and how we deal with nerves & pressure: https://heartofthepiano.com/e28-self-determination-theory-for-pianists-how-it-can-unlock-improve-your-musicality-and-help-you-deal-with-performance-anxiety/ And here’s a link to my YouTube playlist of my tutorials and performances of UK exam board pieces: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0sZ0MK31wvKeCOH_ZFADgaZkgzyPJvw3

Check the shownotes for timings if you just want to listen to the review for one particular grade Show Notes: Init [2:13] Terrible (almost non-existent) selection of Baroque/ Classical Wild range of difficulty levels For me, mostly unremarkable pieces Much prefer the 2021-2023 syllabus, pieces more fun, more character, less bland Both RSL offerings strong at this level, for me, ABRSM in 2nd place Grade 1 [3:06] Very strong Classical selection. Often technically challenging Useful technical pedagogical selection of Classical & Romantic, enjoyable pieces Highlights- Toccatina (Victoria Proudler)- faux Bach Railbird Rag (Sam Cleaver)-  a little challenging but fun Criticisms- Terrible arrangements of Heard It Through The Grapevine (Marvin Gaye), and Titanium (David Guetta ft. Sia)- lazy arrangement. Most pop arrangements at this grade not fantastic- could be more skillful Std edition has mostly easier non-classical pieces aimed at youngsters in particular RSL Classical better for jazz & pop than Trinity, classical pieces fun- but limited choice compared to Trinity. LCM by pick for solid rewarding pieces with good benchmarking. Trinity has best ambitious classical pieces, but overall selection inconsistent Grade 2 [7:15] Immediately noticed repeat sign missing at beginning of 1st piece- will be confusing Not great Baroque/ Classical selection- not inspiring Highlights- Petit nuage (Hedwige Chrétien)- sounds great at this level, achievable, great find by woman composer Night in the Woods (Alexander Goedicke)- challenging but rewarding, loads of character Jupiter Storm (Alison Mathews)- almost like pop music, students will love it Hedwig’s Theme (John Williams)- great arrangement- v. generous to include a more ambitious chunk which is left out of exam It’s a Walk in the Park (Gilon Fox)- excellent gd2 jazz/blues Many strong pieces Criticisms- some clunky pop/jazz arranging but nothing too awful at this grade ABRSM not great for this grade, but the ABRSM pop grade 2 pieces are much stronger than here. LCM shines here with by far the best classical pieces. But Trinity is strong at this grade compared to others with extended edition Grade 3 [11:23] Very challenging at this grade, sometimes wildly so (eg LH staccato 3rds in Turkish March duet at speed). Already tricky 3 against 2 cross rhythms in several pieces Not impressed when I see swing rhythm quavers set incorrectly against triplets (All Blues) Felt overwhelmed by sheer amount of non-classical music, but I do like the Baroque/Classical selection. When looking at this book, felt more like rock/pop syllabus to me than classical Lots of film music at this level, some lovely, some bland Lots of use of pedal at this grade that feels almost like a norm in this book- I don’t see it to this extent in other grade 3 syllabuses- seems too ambitious to me High frequency of highly challenging pieces for this level Highlights- Little Stream (Ilona Jurníčková), but wildly ambitious Mad World (Tears for Fears)- lovely arr but ambitious- eg repeated 3rds in RH, pedal, etc Someone Like You (Adele)- but crazy cross rhythms for gd 3 Tres Palabras (Osvaldo Farrés)- nice jazz voicings Criticisms- Happy (Pharrell Williams)- good chorus but verse v. clunky arrangement. Dynamite (BTS)- terrible tune to pick that doesn’t translate well to piano. Won’t sound much like original. Rhythms don’t match what is sung All Blues (Miles Davis)- terrible clunky arr. With some terrible voicings. Wide range of difficulty within piece. Not skillful arr. ABRSM too easy for this grade. LCM solid & rewarding. RSL not one of strongest, easier than Trinity & LCM. ABRSM pop gd3 looks v. good compared to pop here. Trinity by far the most challenging of all boards Grade 4 [18:09] V small Baroque/ Classical selection although nice pieces if somewhat challenging. None in std edition! Again, many wildly ambitious pieces for this level. But also some v easy ones- wild range of difficulty levels Highlights- Goblin & The Mosquito (Florence Price)- also in LCM gd4- can’t be coincidence? How much is Trinity looking to other exam boards for inspiration? Star Wars Main Theme (John Williams)- very effective apart from terrible ending (v common in grade books!) Polperro Beach (Adrian Sutton)- lovely film music but challenging Ground Background Music (Super Mario Bros)- v effective. Def. on challenging end but will be very popular Time Keeper’s Lament (from Primal)- gorgeous haunting game music with deep feeling, v. achievable Piel Canela (Bobby Capó)- gorgeous charming Latin American jazzy piece- great rhythms & harmonies, v. effective arr. Criticisms- Lag Jaa Gale (from Woh Kaun Thi?)- great to include Bollywood but this sounds nothing like original. Terrible arr. Original v melismatic so perhaps not best choice for this level. LH particularly clunky & uncreative Doctor Who Theme (Ron Grainer)- terrible arr. Incredibly tricky to make good arr. by just using tune and simple harmonies, needs more creativity. Avril 14th (Aphex Twin)- why not just make it more similar to original? I don’t see why notes had to be changed, didn’t particularly make it easier. Could have made it possible to play with original with same notes. ABRSM easiest of all boards, solid rewarding pieces. LCM my pick for solid ‘classical’ pieces, also includes diverse pieces such as effective enjoyable Egyptian piece. RSL excellent at this level. RSL classical can’t compete, but interesting that Prelude in C (Bach) is at gd 4 vs Trinity gd5 Grade 5 [25:01] Not the most adventurous Baroque/Classical pieces but solid enough. Bach Prelude in C in gd 4 RSL classical. Highlights- So many strong diverse pieces here but just a few: Fantasia in D minor (Handel)- should be popular, easy to love Engagement Party (La La Land)- V effective piece and one of first to sound like it could be ‘professional’, ie what a ‘real’ pianist plays Mii Channel Theme (Kazumi Totaka)- fun game music w/ sophisticated jazz harmonies & latin rhythms, love it! Spanish Polylogarhythms (Andrea Vicari)- love it, lovely Dorian melody w/ Latin jazz Fina Estampa (Chabuca Granda)- love this, v. sweet, some gorgeous harmonic moments, tempo marking ‘Peruvian Waltz’- like we’re supposed to know what this is!! Criticisms- Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh (from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai)- terrible choice to arrange- LH in particular  incredibly uninventive, loses everything that made it sound Asian. Same key as orig, can play along but is fast! Pop songs generally suffer from clunky arrangements at this grade ABRSM v. strong, but more substantial performance pieces on the whole from Trinity. LCM my pick- more traditional classical but with great contemporary and ‘ethnic’ music as well. Lots of ‘misses’ here for Trinity at gd 5, but so many pieces that it’s worth it for the ones that are effective. Gd 5 generally good across the boards (not RSL classical, no competition at all). Gd5 ABRSM pop stronger than Trinity Grade 6 [30:46] Feel particularly at this grade that there are too many populist pieces with little musical substance. But will keep some students happy! Should be in a separate pop/rock exam? Horrified to see editorial slurs, articulations, etc in Baroque/ early Classical with no explanation Great selection of Baroque/ Classical, often very expressive Notes- nonsense about modes (where is Phrygian and Phrygian Dominant in Evening on the River Nile?!). Could have talked about v obvious modes in Snowfall instead (same writer). Also, notes for ‘Something for the Weekend’- they bring lots of attention to the title as if clueless about the innuendo. Highlights- Adagio (Baldassare Galuppi)- beautiful Baroque slow mvt Un Recuerdo (Ignacio Cervantes Kawanagh)- love this! Why not say composer was Cuban in notes? Just because is a Cuban Waltz does not mean he is automatically Cuban. Gorgeous charming piece People will love the Einaudi (I Giorni), but too easy for this grade? The Journey to the West (Princess Mononoke)- gorgeous but v easy for this level Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin)- v effective arr- I personally would add more instead of cutting the song off half-way Love Yourself (Justin Bieber)- excellent arr with enough classical textures for me to feel comfortable with this in an exam. Shame not in std edition Something for the Weekend (Alexandra Skevington)- love it, inventive blues Criticisms- My Funny Valentine (from Babes in Arms)- so much potential in this song- but chose to stay v close to original instead of being inspired by the many gorgeous arrangements As said above, concern over lack of musical substance in so many of the choices ABRSM v strong selection at this grade. LCM- fantastic varied choices w/ musical substance!! RSL v strong at this grade Grade 7 [38:11] Again, some odd incorrect notes about modes More nonsense about modes in the notes- where is the Dorian mode in Spain (Chick Corea)? Did they mean Aeolian? The 2 Classical pieces are quite dull- who is going to choose them against all the syrupy sweet populist choices? A tiny percentage of pre-20th Century pieces, percentage of ‘classical’ in general quite low for this grade Highlights- Aria from Goldberg Variations (Bach)- lovable- but again v heavy editorialising Lots of loveable pieces in this grade, the Romantic pieces in particular are well-chosen, some challenging Mandala (James Treweek)- interesting enjoyable piece- mix of Latin rhythms, film music, minimalism, odd time signatures Navajo Vocable For Piano #1 (Connor Chee)- Gorgeous minimalist accessible film-music-style. Substantial length. Airships (Charles Tebbs)- another gorgeous minimalist film-music-style piece. Some unusual lovely harmonies, but book is starting to feel like book of ‘mindful/ chill/ film-music’ Push Pull (Alexandra Skevington)- V inventive unique jazz, love it Mixed Nuts (from Spy x Family)- lovely rewarding typical catchy Japanese jazz/pop. Substantial length Kiss From A Rose (Seal)- wow, gorgeous arrang

The most radical and indispensable piano syllabus ever! This will either be incredibly exciting for piano teachers & students- or highly controversial. Either way, it’s a must-own. In this episode I discuss some of the many controversial issues that this new syllabus raises, and give you a detailed verdict on these new books. Part two will review the individual grades. Show Notes: First impressions I sight-read through every single piece in every grade, and did the same with current syllabuses from ABRSM, RSL, RSL Classical, and LCM to get a thorough feel for how the new Trinity syllabus compares with the competition [3:28] A look at recent trends in education such as decolonisation of music education, and commercial & ideological pressures on University music departments to move towards being ‘pop schools’ The decline of classical music in education… Diversity in classical music IMO this wider context is essential to understand what is happening in this new Trinity syllabus [25:10] Very diverse selection of music from many genres Diversity is great, but I have strong concerns that the new syllabus allows for focusing on narrow styles. such as minimalist film music or pop music in exams, with absolutely no classical music The cheaper standard editions miss out a lot of the classical music, emphasising commercial accessible music. Discussion about cultural relativism Should we formally study rock/pop music? Such an overwhelming amount of non-classical music in this syllabus- why not just make a rock/pop exam that can be taken on piano? You can’t compare difficulty levels of playing rock/pop & classical- therefore I feel new syllabus is meaningless as a qualification Trinity do specify that you should play a balanced programme, but there’s no penalisation for playing just pop music for example, so this is a meaningless directive The importance of a balanced musical ‘diet’ Less representation of non-white classical composers- a troublesome backward direction for Trinity Positive discrimination for women and non-white composers [42:03] The problem of including so much pop/rock/jazz in an exam that doesn’t allow for improvisation or flexibility from the written notes The difficulty of arranging pop/rock music into written sheet music, especially at lower grades On the whole, Trinity have not done a great job with their pop arrangements (but there are some exceptions). ABRSM’s arrangements although still flawed are generally more successful. Nice that most pop arrangements are in the same key as the original so can play along Excellent selection of jazz that sounds authentically like ‘real’ jazz rather than what exam boards such as ABRMS have focused on in the past which I call ‘pedagogical jazz’- which sound like they’ve been written just for piano exams Maybe strange that Trinity feature improvisation for their aural tests and instead of sight-reading, but then don’t allow for any improvisation in styles of music where it’s desperately needed [53:47] Fantastic fresh finds of obscure music, especially in classical music, and especially with women composers Fresh, enjoyable diverse music for all tastes Inclusion of so much game music, film music, etc will appeal to a lot of my teenage and adult students This syllabus is therefore so valuable to help music teachers make money! I can see this syllabus will be particularly useful to find and keep adult students who will be motivated by the goal of taking an exam, with music they will find very rewarding I find a lot of value in giving rock/pop/jazz with challenging rhythms to all my classical students who almost all have rhythm as their weakest musical element But I also find value in making sure that students primarily interested in classical are exposed to learning pieces in a diverse range of styles IMO all piano teachers should own the entire series of extended edition grade books. And thoroughly recommended to all students as well- I think they are indispensable as ‘graded anthologies’ A wild range of difficulty levels within each grade. The overall difficulty level is very challenging, but with exceptions that can be very easy/simple. This makes it more difficult again on top of the other issues to take these grades seriously as a qualification In the higher grades such as grades 6 & 7, there are many enjoyable but musically superficial pieces with very low musical substance- again making it hard to take these qualifications seriously as somebody could pass their exam using only these pieces [1:01:21] Have very strong feelings that it is not acceptable in the higher grades to have such heavy editorialising of Baroque and early Classical such as slurs and articulations without any notes of explanation. This is an abrupt around-turn from the 2021-2023 syllabus which aimed to be more like urtext editions [1:03:49] It bothers me that the standard editions generally don’t include Baroque or Classical music, and focus their selection on commercial popular music rather than classical Syllabus exactly the same in terms of technical exercises, aural tests, scales, etc. Only difference is the new technical exercises tend to be in a more contemporary film-music style The 2021/2023 book is valid indefinitely, you can mix and match from both books indefinitely for exams [1:06:41] Because of the inclusion of so much rock/pop/jazz, there are so many challenging rhythms across all the grades. Also an issue with RSL rock/pop syllabus. [1:08:00] Unlike the 2021-2023 extended edition books, the new extended edition books include all new pieces, so it’s a no-brainer to buy the extended books if you can Very high quality books, good binding, professional typesetting (big improvement over 2021-2023) Recordings (available with extended edition) are generally excellent with only a few exceptions- not impressed that some seem to be played along with a click track. Impressed that all performances are credited Generally useful notes on each piece included at beginning of each book with only a few inaccuracies Trinity give excellent value for money by included everything you need in the extended edition book such as scales, notes, etc unlike ABRSM who seem to be quite greedy by making people buy separate books (LCM also offer good value for money by including all this in each grade book) [1:15:57] As piano teachers, we can have several goals: Making money Having students who enjoy music Giving students the best education in classical music (if this is what the students want!) The new Trinity sylabus is excellent for the first two, maybe not so much for the third (especially the standard editions) LCM by far my top pick for classical piano exams. Great diversity, solid benchmarking, very enjoyable pieces, thorough technical elements Current ABRSM syllabus pretty good, but organisation has many trust issues at the moment. Trinity exams now only recommended by me for people needing motivation to learn pieces ‘for fun’, or teenagers wanting fun/easy qualifications or a less classical syllabus If Trinity enforced a balanced programme including mostly classical pieces, I would instantly go back to recommending them for all LCM allocate more time for exams at most grades than Trinity & ABRSM Links: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/decolonising-music-curriculum-should-be-adagio-movement https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/03/27/musical-notations-branded-colonialist-oxford-professors-hoping/ https://newmusicusa.org/nmbx/decolonizing-our-music/ https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/music-departments-should-resist-siren-song-pop-schools Adam Neely’s YouTube video on Music Theory and White Supremacy Trinity’s webpage for their piano syllabus: https://www.trinitycollege.com/qualifications/music/grade-exams/piano Buy the books here (currently 20% off all 9 of the extended edition books, an excellent deal): https://shop.trinitycollege.com/shop/powersearch/powersearch_results?catid=102316 Ebooks are available here- these are really excellent value for money! https://store.trinitycollege.com/collections/piano-exam-pieces-plus-exercises-from-2023 Notes: The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s  

Cheryl is back for a masterclass on how awareness of musical tension and release can make huge changes to our playing, and demonstrates that we absolutely need to learn to learn to feel it in the body before we can successfully apply it to our piano playing Show Notes [6:20] Pulling/ pushing tempo- stretching time More tension = get slower [13:30] We have to *feel* tension/release, not just think about getting slower/faster (otherwise it’s too difficult)! It also helps for tempo changes to happen gradually Rubato = tension/release expressed with tempo changes Nuances of the felt sense of tension/release- sensations come mainly from the chest Musicality is strongly connected to being in touch with the feelings of these nuanced sensations Why adult students (particularly classical) are most prone to not feel tension/release Why adult men often find this particularly challenging We need to be patient with ourselves when building this skill [37:30] Dynamics also correlate with tension/release 99% of the time, more tension = slower & louder- but tendency is to get quicker when getting louder (wrong way round)- unless feeling tension/ release from the chest Tension/release can also be felt in the breath- like a feeling of suspense Rubato is tension/release expressed through speeding up/ slowing down [44:00] Interoception- vital for musical tension/release [56:00] Useful tool to increase awareness of felt sense of tension/release is to suddenly stop at any given moment, and explore whatever sensations are in the chest [59:00] Meditation is a tool to use interoception to quieten thoughts in the head. But it’s dangerous to approach meditation with the goal of quietening thoughts because we just create more thoughts- we have to accept the thoughts and keep coming back to interoception 1:06:00] Harmony and tension/release. Tension very strong on the dominant [1:18:35] ‘Magic wand practice’ as a powerful tool to facilitate turning the mind off to focus on interoceptive sensations of tension/release [1:21:00] In meditation, and when playing the piano- being centred in interoception and in the body is the antidote to over-thinking and unhelpful states of mind that result in bad performances Notes: Many thanks to Forsyth’s Music Shop in Manchester for letting me use one of their teaching/practice rooms to record this podcast episode: https://www.forsyths.co.uk I thoroughly recommend them for all your sheet music/ piano/ digital piano/ loads of other instruments(!) needs Links for the podcast episodes for the previous 4 psychological skills: E26: The #1 psychological skill you need to practise at the piano to be deeply musical E29: The #2 psychological skill you need to practise at the piano to be deeply musical E31: The #3 psychological skill you need to practise at the piano to be deeply musical E32: The #4 psychological skill you need to practise at the piano to be deeply musical E34: We discuss the 4 most important psychological skills you need to practise at the piano to be deeply musical The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s You can also see the rest of my YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@HeartofthePiano I have availability for online students at the moment- if you’re interested, do get in touch using the contact page at http://HeartOfThePiano.com

My friend Cheryl is back to chat about and get a deeper understanding of the practical ways in which we can become truly great pianists by bringing the psychological skills I’ve demonstrated in recent episodes into our learning and practising Show Notes [3:15] A reminder of the 4 skills: Look for what there is to love in every moment Magic wand practice Cultivate the felt sense of always good enough Every few minutes, change the focus of your musical awareness [17:25] A deeper look at skill 1 with Cheryl Rather than just trying to love the bits you don’t like so much, see this skill as like an infinite well to explore in every single moment [21:10] A deeper look at skill 2 with Cheryl Magic wand practice as a compass heading After recording this podcast, when I got home, I suddenly made massive improvements on my Rachmaninov Sonata by actually applying ‘magic wand’ practice, rather than just aim to make everything feel as easy as possible- it really does make a profound difference! Flow states need an optimum level of challenge for an activity to have that effortless flow experience Imagining effortless ‘magical’ playing is literally the absolute opposite of the psychological state of ‘choking’ under pressure [30:05] A deeper look at skill 3 with Cheryl Important to realise felt sense of good enough in the body- possible to catch it there before it moves to the mind! Very obvious that we play worse when we don’t feel good enough State of feeling not good enough= narrow focus, neck forwards, shoulders up & forwards, tension, etc Conversely, state of feeling good enough= more awareness of music & phrasing etc, relaxation Important to practise ‘good enough’ from very first moment of learning new piece- rather than feeling of not good enough until we can play it note perfect up to speed. It’s too late by then!! [43:35] A deeper look at skill 4 with Cheryl Left brain hemisphere: binary, black & white, glued to individual unrelated details, either notes are correct or not correct. Attention sucked in a compulsive way into details Right brain hemisphere: organic flow of narrative where everything flows into everything else. Responsible for choosing what we pay attention to This skill is basically meditation/ mindfulness- challenging at first, a lifetime of improving! Every time we realise out awareness is not where we’d like it and direct it to where we want it- this is the magic moment when the brain ‘learns’ and rewires itself [49:45] Getting past the challenges Can be challenging & threatening to the ego at first if felt as something we’re not good at Motivating ourselves to practice these things similar to motivating ourselves to meditate- very similar states, undeniable benefits, but often tricky to turn away from dopamine goal-oriented striving & effort which is addictive- instead be wholesome! Getting past society’s expectations Self Determination Theory & intrinsic/ extrinsic motivation Balancing extrinsic motivation away from the instrument with letting go of the ego/ striving while practising The science of receiving advice, and the particular danger of getting stuck in ‘I suck’ when having lessons! Notes: Many thanks to Forsyth’s Music Shop in Manchester for letting me use one of their teaching/practice rooms to record this podcast episode: https://www.forsyths.co.uk I thoroughly recommend them for all your sheet music/ piano/ digital piano/ loads of other instruments(!) needs Links for the podcast episodes for the individual 4 skills: E26: The #1 psychological skill you need to practise at the piano to be deeply musical E29: The #2 psychological skill you need to practise at the piano to be deeply musical E31: The #3 psychological skill you need to practise at the piano to be deeply musical E32: The #4 psychological skill you need to practise at the piano to be deeply musical Link to episode 11 which I referenced several times in this episode: E11: Most common mistakes made by non-professional pianists- Part 3 The article about the science of advice giving: Positive feedback: the science of criticism that actually works The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s I have availability for online students at the moment- if you’re interested, do get in touch using the contact page at http://HeartOfThePiano.com

An epic review (with music audio clips) of ABRSM’s hotly anticipated foray into pop music! I’m holding ABRSM to a high standard so I’m quite critical, but I do also look for what there is to enjoy in these books. Listen to this episode to find out if you should buy them for yourself or recommend them for your students! A brief bulletpoint summary of my review: 2 books: Book 1, ABRSM Initial Grade to Grade 3 (20 songs) Book 2, ABRSM Grades 4 & 5 (16 songs) The songs have been arranged in more of a ‘classical’ style than a ‘pop’ style. The classical style is very ‘horizontal’- ie little emphasis on chords and vertical thickness with more emphasis on simple counterpoint. This means the songs can sound quite clunky and IMO are not the best way to arrange pop music that sounds good at the lower grades. The Rockschool syllabus and exams from the examination board RSL Awards are a much better choice for people interested in learning and playing the pop style- but: Each Rockschool grade book only has around 6 pieces Most Rockshool arrangements are made to be played with a lavish backing track, with only 2 songs per book as solo piano arrangements. This makes each book expensive with limited choice if the purpose is to learn a graded solo piano arrangement of a pop song. However, these pop arrangements could be useful for students ultimately wanting to mostly develop classical skills with some fun ‘good enough’ superficial pop arrangements on the way for variety Obviously, these books are very useful for students looking for pop arrangements at specific grades to use in exams, or looking for a curated collection of arrangements that start easy and become progressively more challenging When arranging pop music for beginners and any level below grade 8, there is always the challenge that notating the melodies in pop music usually makes the rhythms very challenging to read. This means they are challenging to play, or they need to be simplified down which doesn’t sound great The ABRSM arrangements are very short, which IMO would make them disappointing to perform. But then you get a lot of pieces in each book It’s really important to choose songs which will work well arranged for solo piano, and I’m not always convinced the right choices were made It’s very commendable for ABRSM to branch into pop music, making piano accessible to more people, and representing a a more diverse group of music creators than typical classical composers! Copyright for pop music can be very expensive and problematic, so it’s great to see ABRSM team up with Hal Leonard and produce content which is typically more expensive to produce The world of pop music is heavily image-led, so I’m critical about the lack of images, graphic design or photography in these books Who is this book for? If kids/teenagers, then there are too many old irrelevant songs here with an off putting lack of images/photos. If for adults, there are too many contemporary pop songs From [28:55]- a breakdown of pieces from Book 1 with audio clips From [50:30]- a breakdown of pieces from Book 2 with audio clips The audio that accompanies these books is very easy to access from the Hal Leonard website, and there’s a handy online player on the website that allows you to loop within each song and change the speed which can be useful for practising   Notes: All audio clips of arrangements from the ABRSM books are from the Hal Leonard website which you have access to when you buy the book All audio clips of arrangements from the Rockschool syllabus are from the recordings you have access to when you buy the books My review of the Rockschool Rock/Pop Syllabus: https://heartofthepiano.com/e19-rockschool-rock-pop-piano-syllabus-review/ The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s

This fourth skill is immensely practical, maybe some of you might think it’s a stretch to call it a ‘psychological skill’, but I notice that it’s totally normal for most of my students to have issues with putting this into practice as- like in meditation- we have to practise choosing where to place our awareness in any given moment Show Notes [0:45] The #4 skill: to begin with, every 5-10 minutes as you practise, change the focus of your awareness. Never just focus only on ‘the correct notes’ [4:00] There are infinite ways in which we can creatively use our awareness and focus while practising and performing. I demonstrate some examples of where I can place my focus & awareness while playing. Our awareness can be like a torch/ flashlight with a broad beam, or a tight narrow beam [6:00] Demonstrating focusing on the sound of the instrument and tone-colour, or using different instruments in our imagination [12:20] Imagining and immersing yourself in what you think the piece is about [13:50] Moving awareness to the balance of the different parts [16:55] Staying aware of the sound of all the notes especially as the sound decays- this is one of the most important things to practise at the piano [22:15] Playing with phrasing and shaping [23:10] The one most essential thing to practise resting awareness on in every single practice session- the felt sense of musical tension/release. Some of the barriers that make it difficult for us to feel this tension/release [28:00] Advice for using focus/awareness in the early stages of learning a new piece [30:00] Another essential place to practise resting awareness in- interoception (internal physical sensations) in the body, such as fingers, hands, wrists, arms, etc Notes: The previous podcast where we talked about how a feeling of ‘not good enough’ can take over our ability to have healthy awareness/focus: https://heartofthepiano.com/e31-the-3-psychological-skill-you-need-to-practise-at-the-piano-to-be-deeply-musical/ The piece of music I’m using to demonstrate with throughout this episode: Ilyinsky- Berceuse (No. 7 from Noure et Anitra, Op. 13) My YouTube tutorial on this piece: https://youtu.be/IWLWk0-XhCI and my YouTube performance of the piece: https://youtu.be/ck2NaKWnHbo The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s I have availability for online students at the moment- if you’re interested, do get in touch using the contact page at http://HeartOfThePiano.com

The third in a series looking at the most essential mental habits to practise at the piano that will give you the quickest and most profound progress. These are the things I refer to constantly when I’m teaching, and covers aspects of musicianship that almost all teachers consider unteachable- considered to be innate qualities in talented students. But I can show you how to develop this natural musicianship. I think we can all struggle with this third skill at times, and it’s for this reason that we really need to work on it as much as possible, and will make a massive difference to the quality of your playing and performing Show Notes [0:45] Exploring some of our most common psychological challenges as musicians: fear of not being good enough, self-criticism, fear of negative judgement, etc. Exploring how they feel in the body. How they affect our playing and practice [6:45] Comparing ourselves to other people, and giving away our power to other people so they can make us feel inadequate [8:30] The #3 skill: practising the felt physical sensations and mental attitude that everything we do is fundamentally good enough. It’s not enough to just think this in words, we need to feel it in our bodies [13:15] Usually first step to mastering a psychological issue that is giving us problems is to develop a curiosity & acceptance towards it, rather than immediately trying to push it away or repress it. Recognising that we all share feelings of ‘not good enough’- it’s normal! [18:15] A useful exercise for dealing with our inner critic telling us we’re not good enough [22:40] Explore why we are making music. Surely the deepest reason for music-making is for the feeling of connection. Good musicianship has the drive for connection at its core. But this quality in our playing can be disrupted by the strong psychological need to feel competent. Good technique is much easier to cultivate when its function is to serve the feeling of connection [29:20] Practising a feeling of ‘good enough’ helps us to develop a healthy focus on musical connection rather than a compulsive and unmusical over-emphasis on proving our competence and self-worth. Paradoxically, it then becomes much easier to address technical deficiencies and challenges and reach more of our potential [30:20] Why ‘good enough’ is not the same as a lazy casual ‘yeah, whatever, that’ll do’ [31:30] ‘Good enough’ as an antidote to the harmful effects of perfectionism [33:45] We have to feel rebellious to cultivate a feeling of ‘good enough’ [34:35] To practise this skill in a practical way, start with mindful intention- write it down on a post-it note, and stick it on the piano in front of you! [35:25] Making music is the birthright of every human being- but Western culture can send the message that making music is only for ‘good musicians’ [36:55] A brief taster of Kristen Neff’s academic work on self-compassion and how her work includes solid strategies and skills for developing the feeling of ‘good enough’. To be continued in future podcast episodes… Notes: The podcast episode where me & Cheryl discuss Self-Determination Theory, and the opposite pull between the psychological needs of connection vs. competency: https://heartofthepiano.com/e28-self-determination-theory-for-pianists-how-it-can-unlock-improve-your-musicality-and-help-you-deal-with-performance-anxiety/ My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/HeartofthePiano Kristen Neff’s website on self-compassion that I read passages from in this episode: https://self-compassion.org/why-self-compassion-is-healthier-than-self-esteem/ and Kristen Neff’s excellent books: https://self-compassion.org/store/ The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s I have availability for online students at the moment- if you’re interested, do get in touch using the contact page at http://HeartOfThePiano.com

A must-listen review (with music audio clips) of 3 books of jazz piano sheet music from Nikki Iles & Friends published by ABRSM covering from initial grade up to grade 8 and beyond. A detailed look at highlights and ‘weak’ pieces with audio clips from each book starts at 36:30 A brief bulletpoint summary of my review: 3 books: Book 1- Intermediate (Grades 4-6) Book 2- Intermediate to Advanced (Grades 6-8) Easy to Intermediate (Grades initial-3) Writing/ arranging in a jazz style for students at levels below grade 8 is a challenging & specialised skill. Nikki Iles is especially good at this for students at the intermediate-advanced level (grades 5-8) IMO Nikki is not quite so stunning (including her friends!) at the easier end, which is where people like Christopher Norton shine. Because of the challenge & specialised skill of arranging jazz for beginners, Nikki’s friends’ contributions work much better in the advanced book In Books 1 & 2 (grades 4-8)- fantastic idea to have curated pieces from other jazz composers- Nikki always very good at pastiches (which is great for pedagogical pieces), but this means sometimes it’s difficult to hear her ‘voice’ and identity as a composer/arranger- so it’s nice to hear pieces from performers such as Zoe Rahman where you can really hear her unique voice. The idea to curate proper jazz composers is a good way to avoid just having a load of pedagogical pay-cheque jazz/blues cliches which is all too common in the higher ABRSM grades when including jazz list C pieces Almost all the pieces are a bit too short for my taste!! But maybe useful as brief enjoyable diversions for ‘serious’ students rather than performance pieces Some of the marketing for these books say they’re a great source for alternative 4th choice grade pieces for the performance exams- if so it would have been so useful to actually say what grades these pieces would be categorised as (apart from the ones actually in the alternative lists) Not fan of CD format in books 1 & 2- can be a lot of hassle to find a CD player after years of not using CDs! Nice idea to have downloadable mp3s for the Easy to Intermediate book, but in reality can be unnecessarily tricky & frustrating to download from the ABRSM website. A lot of articulations, dynamics, rhythms & other markings very different in the recorded versions to what’s on the page A huge amount of misprints- I’ll list the ones I’ve spotted below the main part of this review. ABRSM are very bad at updating misprints on their website Not a fan of the editing- especially in Book 2. Again, I’ll list some of these below Some strange rhythmic notations that I would notate differently Lots of bad enharmonic spellings- presumably to make music easier to read, but has opposite effect with wrongly spelled harmonies Inconsistent use of courtesy accidentals that make it harder to read Unclear on differences between accents & tenutos- I don’t hear a difference in recordings. And actually tenutos are frequently played slightly ahead of the beat which is the opposite of what I would normally do with them   Easy to Intermediate (22 pieces): feels very ‘pedagogical ABRSM’- ie often a bit uninspired & stodgy. A lot of emphasis on ‘world music’- ie African, Scottish, Caribbean, Yiddish folk song. Is this to hit some kind of GCSE tickbox? Feels like we’re being hit over the head with ‘educational’ material So much of this book is just clearly not jazz, so not what the book is promising Would much rather these were all Nikki’s compositions or arrangements Book 1- Intermediate (16 pieces): some criticisms but on the whole difficult to really dislike the book, top recommendation, useful for all teachers and anybody interested in jazz at this level Book 2- Intermediate to Advanced (13 pieces- 10 of which are in my list of highlights!): very strong collection, a winner! I would absolutely buy this & recommend- but a huge shame about copious editing issues & misprints. Also, the recordings are not at all faithful to the score- yes this is ‘jazz’, but it is possible to play in a jazzy way that is faithful to score. Is this because it was recorded before a lot of editing of the sheet music? Misprints & particularly odd editing Book 2: Abide with Me – arr. Pete Churchill Bar 43- I find E♮ challenging to read- the chord is a dominant 7th, so the note is much easier for me to read as an F♭ According to the recording, we need to state that the quavers are swung again in bar 44- and it will sound odd if we don’t swing them Eco Warrior – Tim Garland Bar 46- missing flat in RH, last note in bar is B♭ Yewfield (based on Clapperclowe) – arr. Nikki Iles Bar 67- missing flat sign beginning of bar LH, needs to be B♭ Time Will Tell – Kate Williams Bar 16- courtesy accidental G♮ in RH just confused me (instinctively thought it must be the A♮) Bar 18- completely different time signature just for this bar in the recording. This happens on a few occasions in Book 2 in other pieces. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square – arr. Nikki Iles Bar 29- last note in RH needs to be B♭ (what do they have against B♭s?!?) Triplet brackets are very inconsistent- compare bars 9, 20, and 33. They all need to look like the one in bar 33- bar 9 in particular was tough to sightread because it looked like the bracket included the last crotchet (quarter note) of the bar, which was highly confusing! Go with the Flow – Zoe Rahman Bars 13, 21 & 26- LH needs A♭s instead of A♮s- this misprint is one of the very few included in the ABRSM page of errata. Bars 46-47- a completely and radically different time signature/ rhythm in the recording Book 1: Blues for Rufus – Nikki Iles Bars 7 & 20- B dominant 7ths with E♭s?! Ow, my eyes!! I won’t list all the other enharmonic misspellings in this book that made it challenging for me to sightread Basin Street Blues – arr. Nikki Iles Bar 13- 1st note of LH is B♭, not G (again with persecution against B♭s!!) The last line of the first page, (starting with the 2nd time bar) needs to be labelled as bar 12b, not 13b Notes: All audio clips played by Nikki Iles with the exception of On a Mission by Gwilym Simcock, played by the composer I have a performance video and tutorial video available on YouTube of Go with the Flow by Zoe Rahman which is in Book 2: https://youtu.be/s5nefLSLDEk https://youtu.be/PgyAQFZ_YOU My review of the ABRSM 2023-2024 piano syllabus, which includes some of the pieces in these books as alternative pieces: https://heartofthepiano.com/e27-abrsm-piano-syllabus-2023-2024-review/ The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s

The second in a series looking at the most essential mental habits to practise at the piano that will give you the quickest and most profound progress. These are the things I refer to constantly when I’m teaching, and covers aspects of musicianship that almost all teachers consider unteachable- considered to be innate qualities in talented students. But I can show you how to develop this natural musicianship.  When my students practise regularly using this second skill, their musicality is transformed, and they learn new pieces so much more easily! Show Notes [3:05] Adult students generally have a giant sense of effort & striving. How most students tend to learn & practise a new piece- and why this is not going to be effective [6:35] Details about the #2 skill- feeling deeply in the body- imagining that somebody has cast a magic spell, and you can suddenly play with absolutely no effort. Deeply immerse yourself in this experience in your imagination. Playful, with no intellectual analysis! [10:50] IMO good technique is the laziest way to get the sound that you want [12:30] How the magic spell technique gives people a much better idea of what & how they need to practise. Some demonstrations and examples using a Bortkiewicz piano piece of practice techniques that come from the goal of aiming towards the effortlessness I would feel if under a magic spell including shifting accents, & sometimes learning a fast piece up to speed right from the beginning [23:50] The balance between analytic technical practice, and the psychology of effortless flow [26:25] When imagining we are playing under a magic spell- letting our bodies naturally move & really feel enjoyment of the experience, rather than just immobile like a bored lump. Curiosity of how everything feels- interoception. Notes: Many thanks to the C. Bechstein Centre in Manchester for letting me use one of their soundproofed teaching/practice rooms to record this podcast episode: https://www.bechstein.co.uk The demonstration music played on the piano during the episode is the Etude op. 15, No. 9 in F# minor by Bortkiewicz The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s

A lively and passionate discussion  where we introduce the ideas and research behind Self-Determination Theory, which could help you make giant leaps with your music. Some core topics covered in this episode include intrinsic & extrinsic motivation, autonomy, how rewards actually make us perform worse, ego & needing approval from others and ourselves, and how we can practise & cultivate intrinsic motivation in our own piano journey. Show Notes [2:55] Brief intro to Self-Determination Theory (SDT) 3 Basic Psychological Needs: Autonomy, Competency, & Relatedness Intrinsic & Extrinsic Motivation What is Autonomy? Rewards undermine intrinsic motivation School, parents, society, etc can undermine intrinsic motivation by use of rewards But some factors that promote autonomy will increase intrinsic motivation [17:55] Continuum of extrinsic-instrinsic motivation: External regulation (reward, punishment) Introjection (ego, approval from self & others) Identification Integration [27:00] Teacher’s role is to show students how to love the music more [33:30] How to move towards intrinsic motivation: -improve mindfulness (mindfulness is linked to autonomy in studies)- including practising non-attachment -increase our sense of competence by letting go of perfectionism, and reducing comparison with others. Cultivate a felt sense of ‘always good enough’ -Remind ourselves why we play music- IMO the purest most helpful reason is to connect with the music, and other people through the music -Resist unhelpful cultural baggage- especially in classical music -Recognise introjection while practising/performing- and practise not reacting or identifying with it [52:30]- How I connect with the music when I’m playing [54:35] Competency vs relatedness: Am I mainly being driven by a need to feel competent or am I bring driven by a desire to connect? Being aware of this & moving to connection really helps me to perform well under pressure [56:30] How to be a good student when you have a teacher [59:10] Importance of a growth mindset (feeling competent enough) [1:09:05] Zen and beginner’s mind [1:10:15] Related academic fields and psychological skills: Renee Brown on vulnerability and Kristen Neff on Self-compassion 1:16:55 We can see intrinsic motivation in its purest form when we watch children playing. When we lose this sense of playfulness as adults, we lose the performance benefits of intrinsic motivation & autonomy Notes: The core academic textbook: Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness- https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GF0ODQAAQBAJ The YouTube video showing a talk by one of the authors Richard M.Ryan- an excellent introduction to the subject: https://youtu.be/iUgNbWkcnHs A second YouTube video by the same speaker that goes into a little more depth in the field of education: https://youtu.be/1VBywz1c4cs The highly influential book The Inner Game of Music: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=xdMuBgAAQBAJ Brené Brown- an academic who has popularised her work on vulnerability: https://brenebrown.com/ And Kristin Neff- an academic who has popularised her work on self-compassion: https://self-compassion.org/ Dan Pink’s TED talk: https://youtu.be/rrkrvAUbU9Y where he sums up some of the ideas in his book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us- https://www.danpink.com/books/drive/ Some earlier Heart of the Piano Podcast episodes with guided meditations to use at the piano: https://heartofthepiano.com/guided-piano-meditation-introduction-to-meditating-at-the-piano/ https://heartofthepiano.com/guided-piano-meditation-further-down-the-road/ https://heartofthepiano.com/guided-piano-meditation-listening-and-posture/ The Master and His Emissary- an excellent book about the brain hemispheres and how Western Culture makes our brains unhealthily unbalanced: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=alSIDwAAQBAJ Further Notes: Many thanks to the C. Bechstein Centre in Manchester for letting us use one of their teaching/practice rooms to record this podcast episode: https://www.bechstein.co.uk The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s

Can ABRSM bounce back from their last syllabus I was highly critical of? Listen to this episode for a comprehensive review of the new set of books, including audio clips of many of the new pieces. I also discuss some of the recent controversial issues regarding their operational and business challenges A brief bulletpoint summary of my review: Blown away, superb selection of pieces this time around Good balance between pedagogical rigour, and being fun to play Interesting creative & diverse choice of pieces However, there is the wider issue of current levels of trust in ABRSM’s operations & standards Listen to the episode for a breakdown of each grade with audio clips (starts at 42:52) Improvements from last syllabus: A return to form- less feeling of pieces being made easier & dumbing down this time round. Rigorous standard on the whole (but benchmarking a little wide for my taste with a few much easier options as well as challenging & ambitious pieces in each grade) Excellent representation of BIPOC & women. Many non-white and women composers featured in the books themselves this time as well as in the alternative lists. Not virtue-signalling- but normalising Very welcome to see more authentic jazz at the higher grades rather than just the usual Christopher Norton et al Much improved engraving with no issues for me this time around Teaching notes book much better this time- more authoritative & trustworthy with their opinions Audio digital downloads excellent on the whole Even bigger choice of alternative pieces Criticisms of the syllabus: Grade 8 book still has only 9 pieces like the last syllabus I’ve never been a fan of ABRSM fingerings I’ve never liked ABRSM ornamentation suggestions at the higher grades All the alternative pieces from the last syllabus are still exactly the same here in the new syllabus- but this may be positive for teachers who don’t need to go out & buy a whole load of new books! List A/B/C changed in last syllabus for the worse- no change this year. Differences between categories now so blurred I don’t understand the point Notes: My previous review of the ABRSM Piano Syllabus 2021-2022: https://heartofthepiano.com/e17-why-im-moving-my-students-from-abrsm-to-trinity-reviews-of-their-new-2021-piano-syllabuses/ I’ve made performance videos of some of the pieces here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0sZ0MK31wvICriKIqjYfMEGtTpQgK2bw with tutorial videos here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0sZ0MK31wvL51bH1Wvk_UbYNnu5zg4Sy Just one of the many social media posts to do with the online booking problems at the beginning of May 2022: https://www.facebook.com/abrsmmusic/posts/10159802952370210 The leaked internal email from ABRSM examiners to the chief executive: https://slippedisc.com/2022/05/examiners-declare-no-confidence-in-abrsm-systems An update on the situation at ABRSM after the leaked email: https://slippedisc.com/2022/05/chaos-keeps-on-spreading-at-abrsm/ Financial details for ABRSM 2020-2021: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/292182 About the on-demand Performance Grade exams: https://gb.abrsm.org/en/about-us/news/articles/?abrsm[newsId]=93074 The YouTube video with a performance of J. P. Johnson playing Over the Bars: https://youtu.be/I1kw2JjkxzM See my YouTube tutorial on the Tempo di minuetto by Martínez in Grade 7 to see examples of ABRSM ornamentation suggestions that I disagree with: https://youtu.be/sQHrnb3sHds In the piece Billie’s Song by Valerie Capers (grade 4): bar 7c in the right hand needs the flat to apply to the D, not the E, so the first chord of the right hand should be Db, E and A, spelling out a C13b9 chord I listened to several existing versions to confirm this Absolutely not a fan of this way of writing swing rhythms in David Blackwell- Railroad Blues (grade 2): All audio clips are from ABRSM apart from where I indicated J. P. Johnson’s original recording The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s

The first in a series looking at the most essential mental habits to practise at the piano that will give you the quickest and most profound progress. These are the things I refer to constantly when I’m teaching, and covers aspects of musicianship that almost all teachers consider unteachable- considered to be innate qualities in talented students. But I can show you how to develop this natural musicianship.  The first skill covered in this episode is by far the most important- I’m always reminding my students that it needs to be practised in every single moment of music-making! Listen to this episode to see if this is a skill you’re already working on! Show Notes [3:00] What is the #1 most important thing to always be prioritising in every single moment when practising? [7:18] Look for what there is to love! [8:25] How to look for what there is to love [12:05] The most common problems my students have with developing this skill. Looking at psychological need for competency vs. relatedness (Self Determination Theory) [19:32] Not practising developing this skill! [23:12] Love is musicality [24:30] Looking for what there is to love really is a skill that can be practised. Similarities with metta bhavana meditation [29:45] Don’t fall into trap that your feelings towards the music are fixed. Practising this skill can prevent common burn-out from working hard with a lot of repetition & pressure on a piece we previously loved! [30:50] Looking for what there is to love should not use a purely intellectual approach. I demonstrate examples. It might help to imagine times when you felt love for a person, where did you feel that in your body? This can be hard for men from Northern European cultures [35:10] Importance of interoception. Interoception of the chest. How we can feel musical tension & release in the body. Emotions are in the body [42:01] It’s cheating to just focus on what you don’t hate about the music! [43:30] This is a skill with many layers, we can always go deeper, no matter how much love we are already playing with! [47:01] You can also look for what there is to love in your playing- this is a useful antidote for perfectionism and nerves [47:45] Keep exploring different nuances in the music & your playing so you can dig deeper for what there is to love. Don’t get locked into playing passages exactly the same every single time [49:38] Looking for what there is to love makes it much easier to be motivated to practise! Playing with love means we can accept ourselves as we are, but also care for the music and work in a healthy way for it Notes: Many thanks to the C. Bechstein Centre in Manchester for letting me use one of their soundproofed teaching/practice rooms to record this podcast episode: https://www.bechstein.co.uk My apologies for my husky breathless voice in this episode- I had just recovered from a nasty bout of coronavirus, and I hadn’t realised I probably should have let my lungs heal a bit more before recording a podcast! The demonstration music played on the piano during the episode is from the ABRSM 2021-2022 Piano Grade 1 book: ‘A Toy: No. 193 from Fitzwilliam Virginal Book’, composer unknown My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/HeartofthePiano The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s

Matt Herskowitz is quite simply one of the most skilful, versatile, and soulful pianists on the planet. Matt shines in many genres, but it’s his outstanding work jazzing up classical music in particular that was the reason I absolutely had to chat with him for the podcast! I include many generous audio clips of Matt’s playing during the interview to give you a taste of what I love about his playing Show Notes [3:04] Matt’s classical background and education- Curtis Institute of Music, Julliard with teacher Joseph Kalichstein, further progress with Russian teacher Vladimir Viardo [22:00] Winning piano competitions, and recording the Glazunov 2nd Piano Concerto [28:42] Matt’s jazz background [33:35] Combining classical and jazz. Success with Bach A La Jazz for the soundtrack of The Triplets of Belleville. Bach Reimagined with flautist Andrea Griminelli. Bach XXI with violinist Philippe Quint [43:02] Long-term collaboration in various genres with violinist Lara St. John [54:04] Working on Chopin Etudes [1:03:29] Matt’s arrangement of the slow movement from the Ravel Piano Concerto in G [1:06:36] On Jacques Loussier and Claude Bolling [1:14:46] Future plans. Gershwin’s World video with Paul Merkelo (Principal trumpet with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal). A history of North American jazz & folk music with Lara St. John Audio Clips [1:45] Chopin Etude in C# minor, op. 10 no. 4, “The Torrent”, arr. Matt Herskowitz: https://youtu.be/cgMnwFZB3hc [22:27] Glazunov Piano Concerto no. 2 in B Major, Musici De Montréal, Yuli Turovsky, Matt Herskowitz: https://soundcloud.com/matt-herskowitz/glazunov-piano-concerto-no-2-in-b-major [36:26] Bach A La Jazz from the soundtrack of The Triplets of Belleville- Bach arr. Matt Herskowitz: https://youtu.be/ughto1R5U2I [40:35] Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 Aria, Bach arr. Matt Herskowitz from Bach XXI with violinist Philippe Quint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSPLj8ocykw [44:14] Kolo- trad, Lara St. John & Matt Herskowitz: https://youtu.be/iBwWfc-VAYY [46:13] Nagilara- trad, Lara St. John & Matt Herskowitz, arr. Matt Herskowitz: https://youtu.be/PDnJjiFiq1I [47:44] Franck Sonata in A major for Violin and Piano- II. Allegro, Lara St. John & Matt Herskowitz: https://youtu.be/y1_eqQGYeBQ [50:19] Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 9, Op. 47, “Kreutzer”- III. Presto, Lara St. John & Matt Herskowitz: https://youtu.be/NrxGrqFNGug [57:30] Chopin Etude op. 10 no. 1, “Boogie-Woogie”, arr. Matt Herskowitz: https://youtu.be/IbBVriCAyWc [1:03:50] Ravel Piano Concerto In G: Adagio Assai, arr. Matt Herskowitz: from the album Mirror Image [1:15:36] Gershwin’s Summertime mixed with Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht- Paul Merkelo & Matt Herskowitz, arr. Matt Herskowitz [1:20:16] Ravel Piano Concerto In G: Adagio Assai- Paul Merkelo & Matt Herskowitz, arr. Matt Herskowitz [1:23:25] Chopin Raindrop Prelude (Op. 28 No. 15) arr. Bob Rose [1:29:14] Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue (with improvisations)- Matt Herskowitz, arr. Matt Herskowitz: https://youtu.be/rbY-VgYtrwg Links: Matt’s website: www.MattHerskowitzPiano.com Matt’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/matthersk Matt’s concert of jazzed-up Chopin Etudes on Medici: https://www.medici.tv/jazz/concert-chopin-version-jazz-avec-matt-herskowitz-salle-bourgie-montreal Matt’s sheet music of jazz arrangements: https://www.mattherskowitzpiano.com/shop Joey DeFrancesco- the jazz organist referred to playing the jazz vespers (yes I do really like his playing!): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joey_DeFrancesco Brad Mehldau- After Bach: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After_Bach Herbie Hancock- Ravel Piano Concerto In G: Adagio Assai: https://youtu.be/VYwXQAZkoiY J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations/Loussier Trio: https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-4344/ Claude Bolling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Bolling Piano Caméléons- Matt Herskowitz & John Roney jazzing up classical music: https://stationbleue.com/en/artists/piano-cameleons/ I’m in the process of setting up a website dedicated to cross-genre classical & jazz-when it’s ready I’ll update here with a link to other musicians who arrange classical music in a jazz style while keeping the structure intact Notes: Many thanks to the C. Bechstein Centre in Manchester for letting me use one of their soundproofed teaching/practice rooms to record this podcast episode: https://www.bechstein.co.uk Intro/outro music is Dreaming by Robert Schumann arranged by Matt Herskowitz: https://youtu.be/hT4Wsmt93xM

A practical masterclass demonstrating how an understanding of the two brain hemispheres can help us deal with performance anxiety, and help us identify and deal with obstacles to our natural musicianship when learning and practising a new piece. Show Notes [3:05] Learning hands separately or together? [7:40] Psychological strategies for dealing with performance anxiety, and finding an optimal state of mind before we start to practice or perform [30:15] Strategies for coming out of narrow focus when practising/ learning [44:30] The important habit of always imagining a visual grid of where the beats are when reading sheet music [50:10] The importance of not looking at keys at the precise moment when we play those notes [55:10] More strategies for coming out of narrow focus [1:05:30] ‘Blocking’ notes as a strategy for getting notes under the fingers quickly. Importance of feeling/interoception when doing this Further Notes: Many thanks to the C. Bechstein Centre in Manchester for letting us use one of their teaching/practice rooms to record this podcast episode: https://www.bechstein.co.uk The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s