Music with Mich

Aaaaah, yes. I recognise this!

I’m really looking forward to getting back to lessons as we gear up for autumn term! School lessons at Bishopsgate will start next week from Friday 9 September, while lessons at my house/online will start from Saturday 10 September.

Can’t wait to see everyone!

I’m so proud of the students I teach who participated in the 10th annual Pangbourne college Piano Festival yesterday

Such a wonderful atmosphere as always, and what a great performance experience for all the children!

This is similar to something I often talk about in lessons, explained so much more clearly! What a great practice tip.

Here's a practice tip that I use to ensure that I can play every bar in the piece and make the best use of my practice time.

When you plan your practice sessions in advance you are much more likely to make consistent progress. It's easy to get into the habit of always starting at the first bar and muddling through to the end without any real plan of improving things.

Always start with the bars that you can't play.
You'll see the way I divide a piece below. The aim is to move the bars up a section each practice until you can label the whole piece GREEN.

For my piano students: what is wrong with this picture?? (Hint: there are MANY possible answers)

Piano lessons start again this week! Welcome back to everyone!

Hello everyone! I’m looking forward to getting back to lessons when schools go back. I’ll be in touch with current students soon about options for times/days, and also about your choices for in-person and virtual lessons (in line with all safety requirements). Hope you’re all having a good summer!

For all my pupils who have suffered through me giving them ‘elephant, elephant, rabbit’ as a bass rhythm pattern, here’s a video that explains why it’s a real thing! (Hint: white pop artists stole it and made it popular)

Tresillo - The Rhythm of 2010s Pop Music That 'Despacito' rhythm, often called 'Dembow' or 'The Island Beat'. You can hear it in tons of recent chart hits so I wanted to take a brief look at its his...

I’m so proud of 3 of my piano students who participated in the Pangbourne Piano Festival last weekend. They all gained valuable performance experience, got good comments from the adjudicators, and Sophie won her group, which is lovely. Well done to all of them!

Hi all, I wanted to update you on my piano teaching given the situation. Everything's fine at my house-my family and I are all healthy and haven't had any known virus contacts.

At this point I'm following guidelines, washing hands and piano keys and happy to teach at home. But if for any reason you need to keep yourself or your children at home, I'm more than happy to do remote lessons via FaceTime, WhatsApp or Skype, whatever you prefer.

Just let me know if you need to make use of this option - I don't want people to miss out on piano even if they're stuck at home!

Yes yes yes! So much evidence how group singing makes us happy!

Your Brain and Singing: Why Singing in a Choir Makes You Happier Any of us who have sung in choirs know all too well the joy it brings not just the audiences, but also the choir members themselves.

I love every single one of these ideas.

Ooooooohhhhhh.......this is beautiful

Prélude n°1 aux tubes musicaux (boomwhackers) extrait du spectacle "Liaison Carbone" http://www.lesobjetsvolants.com avec Jonathan Lardillier, Olli Vuorinen, Thomas Aknine, Malte Peter, Jonas Beauvais tr...

Hi all, welcome back to the new term! (Try not to cry because summer’s over). Piano lessons start tomorrow, Weds 4 September for home lessons. School lessons at Bishopsgate will start next week. Happy playing!

Creative!!!

If Beethoven was born in Baghdad? This middle-eastern ‘Für Elise’ is too infectious for words These guys played ‘Für Elise’ on traditional Arabic instruments, and just made the world a much better place.

You’d love to practice something this summer, but you’re bored with your regular pieces? Try this ‘playalong’ lesson to learn the 12 bar blues.

This is the first piano style my dad ever taught me and it’s still serving me well 36 years later....

Piano Practice Along - Piano Live Lesson (Pianote) The easiest way to learn piano chords: ►https://www.pianote.com/chord-hacks Join Jordan for a blues practice along! Learn the scales, chords, and techniques ...

I’m very excited (nearly as excited as the people on the home page) to say that I’ve been accepted to do a part-time Masters in Music Education at the Royal College of Music, starting in September.

I’m looking forward to learning lots of useful stuff to apply to my own teaching. I may not be sleeping much for the next couple of years, though!

Home The RCM is a world-leading music conservatoire based in one of London's most desirable neighbourhoods with a prestigious history, contemporary outlook and distinguished alumni.

I’m on my way to a weekend conducting course. Should be waving like a pro after this!

media.giphy.com

Orla had a spelling test on ‘split digraphs’ this week. I recently read an article about how teachers should know the technical terms for their pedagogy, but don’t necessarily need to use them when teaching little kids.

It reminded me of this, the single best contribution to phonics I have ever experienced. All 3 kids now schooled by Tom Lehrer.

Tom Lehrer - "Silent E"

Is it terrible that I find McDonalds a much more pleasant place now they play classical music inside?

This. Absolutely - it both defends the creative potential of arts lessons, and encourages teachers to use the arts in an integrated way to teach other subjects. In my experience, both so valuable, especially for kids who are not so good at sitting and memorising.

Using Arts Education to Help Other Lessons Stick The arts can be a source of joy in a child’s day, and also come in handy for memorizing times tables.

I am so proud of 3 of my piano pupils, Sophie, Nessa and Eloïse, who took part in the Pangbourne College Piano Festival this weekend.

It was a wonderful chance to get performance experience in front of a supportive audience, and to receive constructive feedback from expert adjudicators. They all played very well, and, excitingly, Sophie gained a runner-up prize and Nessa won the ‘Best Performer’ prize for their respective classes.

Congratulations to all three of them, and I hope to have even more pupils take part next year!

The Piano Festival at Pangbourne College - Pangbourne College The Piano Festival at Pangbourne College - Pangbourne College

Happy International Women’s Day!

This is a good way to start finding new, inspiring women composers, songwriters, and artists.

Spotify Launches Tool That Shows How Many Female Artists You Listen To The “Smirnoff Equalizer” provides a percentage breakdown of the female vs. male musicians you stream

This is NOT my kind of piano teaching (but it made me laugh)

I came across this really inspiring animation from Ted Ed about the benefits of playing (and listening to) music. Good for motivating us as parents to keep kids practising and playing!

How playing an instrument benefits your brain When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What's going on? Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians' brains when they play, and examines s...

I hope all my piano students are having a great time playing for fun over the school holidays...just maybe not like this?!

A Very Fractured Christmas - Funniest Christmas Music...EVER! This is five of your favorite Christmas songs played just badly enough to make you cringe. This had to be done by a genius, because there's no way you can pl...

This made me smile (ruefully)!

It’s that time of year, when I have to convince multiple children that the words should be, ‘Good tidings we bring, to you and your KIN’, not you and your ‘king’. Then I have to explain what ‘kin’ means. (They are generally convinced I’m wrong, but willing to humour me)

Parents, please help me out with this!

My choir is recording this weekend, and this is So. Perfect. (At least the mezzo pic for me is.)