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 bio...

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! Thes...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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 o...

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...

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...

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 ...

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 the...

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 ...

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...

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 loo...

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 ...

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 ...

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 a...

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...

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 pa...

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 musicians...

A further introduction into how an understanding of the two brain hemispheres can help us with aspects of musicianship that are normally considered ‘unteachable’! Show Notes [2:30] Summi...

An introduction into how an understanding of the two brain hemispheres can help us with aspects of musicianship that are normally considered ‘unteachable’! Show Notes [6:30] The story of...

Not only just a review of the 2021 Leeds International Piano Competition, but also a wider examination of the issues brought up by competition in music, the role of music in communities, interviews wi...

After a long wait, LCM have published a brand new piano syllabus- which covers exams from Pre-Preparatory level to Grade 8. Find out how it compares to ABRSM, Trinity, and Rockschool Classical’s...

Listen to see why I’m so enthusiastic about Rockschool’s Rock/Pop Piano grades for piano! Following on from my previous review, I also give more information for those considering the new R...

Rockschool has recently released an exciting new set of classical piano grades! Listen to this review to find out their strengths and weaknesses, including my strong misgivings. Show Notes Identity...

The Heart of the Piano Podcast is back with a review of the new piano syllabuses from ABRSM and Trinity, which take you from an Initial Grade to Grade 8. Listen to the podcast to discover some reasons...

An absorbing, enlightening and entertaining conversation with Karl Luthmayer- musical raconteur, international concert pianist, academic, rock star keyboardist & theremin player in a prog-rock ban...

I was so excited about interviewing Karen Bulmer that it only very recently occurred to me after recording the interview that Karen is not actually a pianist! But every musician will get so much from ...

The Leeds International Piano Competition is one of the top 3 most important and prestigious piano competitions in the world, with previous finalists such as Murray Perahia, Mitsuko Uchida, András Sch...

Olga is not only a superb pianist- her CD shows off her deep soulful & expressive playing with a highly refined ear for counterpoint, layers and structure- but her concert transcription of the Vit...

Erica is the editor of UK-based Pianist Magazine, an internationally renowned magazine for people who love to play the piano. It features interviews with top concert pianists, full-length features on ...

This time, my friend Andy Cole did the interviewing, chatting with Melvin Besbrode, owner of one of the biggest piano stores in the UK- situated in Leeds. It’s well worth listening to even if yo...

Ben Richards organises 8(!) regular piano meetup groups all across the UK. We talk about what makes his groups particularly fun and inviting for amateurs and beginners (although advanced players also ...

A free guided visualisation to help people get passionate and motivated to practise their piano and achieve their goals! You don’t need to be sat at the piano for this meditation, and you can us...

A free guided audio meditation to use while practising the piano- this meditation uses a slightly more selective selection of techniques from the previous meditation, ‘Further Down the Road̵...

A free guided audio meditation to use while practising the piano- this meditation gives a taster of many different techniques that can be used to deepen piano practice. However, the plan is to make ma...

A free guided audio meditation to use while sat at the piano- this meditation explores the ability to really listen to your piano- one of the most important skills for any pianist. It’s better t...

Continuation of the interview with Benjamin Frith, British classical pianist with strong links to the Leeds International Piano Competition- having been a competitor at ‘The Leeds’ twice, ...

Benjamin Frith is a British classical pianist with strong links to the Leeds International Piano Competition- having been a competitor at ‘The Leeds’ twice, and a student with Dame Fanny W...