Great singer!

Intriguing video with director Almodovar. Brazilian Caetano Veloso  is a political activist and top calibre singer... a rare combination! He's won two Grammy awards. Born in 1942, still going strong, power to his elbow!

Amazing amazing dancers!

Gob smacking dance!

congratulations

Congratulations to my pupils Abhinav Tiwari who obtained 90 marks out of 100 and won first prize with Honours (highest category) in his class at Southampton Festival of Music, performing Faure Barcarolle number 1. To Mike Huang for winning first prize in his class at the same festival performing a recital of Brahms G minor Rhapsody, Cyril Scott Lotus Land and the rather tricky Poulenc Toccata - well done!  Maya Garside performed the last movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata with characteristic fire, and Emmy Huang gave a well practised recital of Haydn, Granados and Sinding (Rustle of Spring), but both were beaten to the prizes by performers several years older than themselves. Keep practising everyone! Slowly!

How to play the piano properly

It's easy to say, and very hard to do...

To honour the expressive power of the music, playing from inside one's imagination, where the freedom of the arm and hand follow the inflections of the music. Sitting vertically, head upright, with the forearms horizontal and wrists not higher than the knuckles, fingertips in close contact with the keys.

Click here to watch a video of Finnish pianist Laura Mikkola showing perfectly how to do it, brava!

Or here to listen to one of my distinguished teachers Albert Ferber playing beautiful Faure (comme il faut).