Teaching and Masterclasses
Teaching
The old saying those who cannot do teach is certainly applicable to me. Although I have quite an amount of experience in performing. In this day and age even the latest competition winner must make their bread and butter teaching. However, looking back I would say that I have always been inclined to teach. Ever since my main teacher Mr Marcel Baudet told me that I would be good at it. Sometimes his complement were few and far between but I felt this was a genuine bit of well meaning advice.
I have no problem with teaching as a career path. This is because every musician has always done so going back to JS Bach himself who would complain that his pupils could not even do basic musical exercises. There is an argument that too much teaching can spoil ones playing. But I have heard pianists who teach a lot and their clarity of skill remains intact. Perhaps even more clear as they are constantly explaining what they are trying to do in their own playing at least or even create a different musical argument which in turn inspires their own playing. This is just my impression.
My own playing has certainly become more organised since teaching as well as the process of practicing on my instrument. I feel that after a few years of teaching I have managed to become more coherent in my musical interpretation, more adept in managing the rudiments of technique, and more imaginative.
Teaching has given me a voice as I feel supported by the hard work of my students and pressured in a good way to lead by example. This does not necessarily mean playing their piece to them in a note perfect way. But instilling in them the ability to teach themselves.
Up to an intermediate level much of what I teach is about good practice habits at the piano. Marcel Baudet would sometimes say that practice should be instinctive eventually. To get to this stage you need to in a way practice practicing well not badly. This organisation was an essential point that was a flaw in my own playing up to the age of sixteen. And because of this problem I am now able to teach the act of practicing the piano well. The reason this is so essential is that learning the notes oneself is the most daunting moment even for the most seasoned classical musician as it can sometimes be arduous and toilsome. The great pianist Marta Argerich said in an interview that the thought of practice is often a “heavy” one but once you start the process it can be enjoyable. Practice is like going on a run or standing in the sea in England in the summer. At first it feels very austere, but it is just fantastically good for you.
It is extremely healthy and beneficial for the brain and body. Obvious benefits from learning an instrument are sense of achievement, confidence building and improved concentration levels. I am convinced that I improved at pool from the concentration that was required by playing demanding pieces in my teens. In fact, I was unbeaten in my last year at school.
Practice is the bedrock of any musician’s talent obviously. I have never felt that I am particularly talented as a player but just a clever worker. They say its 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration. This is certainly true for me. Work ethic is what my teacher instilled in me (amongst many other things) and I in turn try to instil it in my pupils.
Masterclasses
My dream is to be able to hold my own masterclasses to students of a certain level of ability to help them in their musical journey.