Shannon M Piano

17/11/2025

Hello everyone. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but a couple of years ago, I injured my wrists. Obviously, as a piano teacher this wasn't ideal! In the rehabilitation process, I discovered healthier ways of warming up and playing and am able to play better as a result.

It is so important to warm-up your muscles before you play the piano (or any other musical instrument) as this can prevent injuries later on. I've been integrating warm-up exercises from the lovely Penelope Roskell's Essential Piano Technique series in lessons and have noticed an improvement in my students' playing.

If anyone is interested in exploring these resources in lessons, I would highly recommend exploring the relevant books:

Penelope Roskell’s Essential Piano Technique Penelope Roskell’s Essential Piano Technique Overview The series draws on the principles of The Complete Pianist to develop a strong foundation of healthy technique in elementary and intermediate pianists, helping them to progress rapidly and confiden...

27/01/2025

Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to play a digital grand piano on the Music Floor at Leeds Central Library. It has recently been renovated and has a wonderful collection of music scores for a variety of instruments (and an amazing recording studio!). If you are in Leeds, I highly recommend checking it out! I'm so thankful to live in a city that values the arts 🎶 Leeds Libraries

12/07/2024

Throughout my 11 years of teaching, when schools had breaks, I would sometimes still work through and it became a constant cycle of fatigue. This is often not mentioned in the music industry but it is important to rest, even if for an hour at some point during the day. I realised this myself when I had a health scare earlier this year and became very ill.

So, going forward, I will continue to take time to rest when/where possible. I know that this is not always doable for my fellow teachers out there as we all have to pay bills, but I wanted to gently encourage you to rest when you can, even if only for a few days in the summer. Your students will thank you for it if you come back to school/lessons more refreshed and energised for the school year, and you will enjoy teaching more also. Take care and have a wonderful July/August wherever you are in the world!

29/05/2024

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to see a beautiful Steinway grand piano in a London hotel foyer. I was sadly unable to play it however I am thankful to be in a country that values the gift of music! This is my 3rd year in Yorkshire and it is such a joy to be able to teach and share my love of music with my wonderful students. This, right here, is my dream job 🎹

26/01/2023

It has been just over a year since I moved to the UK and what a year it has been. I can honestly say now that Leeds feels like home but New Zealand will always have a special place in my heart as my first home.

One of the highlights for me has been walking through local parks on my way to students and I am so thankful for the kindness that I have been shown here in Yorkshire. I enjoy sharing my love of music with my students and I am not afraid to admit that moving here has made me more of a tea person!

Thank you to my husband, Chris, my family and friends, my students and their parents for their support the past year as I have adjusted to living in Yorkshire. I find so much joy in teaching and it has been a privilege to support my students as they have sat piano exams and progressed in their learning. I'm excited for what the year ahead holds and thank you all for following my journey.

04/07/2022

It was a sunny day and the first thing that caught my eye as I walked past, was a beautiful piano in the window. I went inside and asked the staff if I could play it and ended up losing myself in the music for the next 30 minutes.

When I was younger, I was scared to play in public because I was worried about what people would think if I made a mistake or forgot how the song went. Doing something as simple as going into a random restaurant and playing a piano didn't just bring me joy and help me build confidence, but it gave me the opportunity to bring the joy of music to others.

Music is a gift, one that is meant to be shared and I want to encourage you, if you're scared, start with small steps. Start with the piano in the train station where people are rushing by. Start with playing the piano in your grandmother's living room every time you visit. Start with playing at your local retirement village. You never know when that will make someone's day.

14/06/2022

Zoom piano teaching has been my life for the past 2 years until this week. While it was difficult, messy and frustrating at times, I don't regret making that adjustment for my students. Dealing with technological challenges, making use of the space in my small flat and doing a lot of improvisation taught me that it's important to be flexible and adaptable.

I find returning to in person lessons a bit daunting after so much time online, but I know that all I need to do is give it my best shot. I don't have to be a perfect piano teacher, all that matters is that I support my students in their learning and share with them the joy of music.

If I had to make the decision back in 2020 all over again, I would still choose to do Zoom lessons. Bringing joy to my students and seeing them progress was worth it.

16/05/2022

On the weekend, I found this lovely café with a great range of books. Those who know me will be able to tell you that as soon as I spot a bookshop or book shelves, they'll have to intervene or I'll be there a while 🤣

Reading and expanding my understanding of the world through books from a young age has brought me so much joy and I've found this to be incredibly valuable in my years of teaching.

I'm so thankful that there are libraries and online resources because when I need a new perspective on music teaching, I can always find something new to read. I do this for my students, to learn more about the changing society we live in as well as working on my technical skills.

15/03/2022

Just finished ABRSM's course 'Becoming a Better Music Teacher' on FutureLearn. I've been teaching piano lessons for nearly a decade and I found the resources and discussions incredibly helpful. I look forward to implementing what I've learned in my piano lessons!

24/02/2022

Sometimes when I'm preparing for piano lessons, I struggle to come up with new ideas to further enhance learning. I was looking online for inspiration and stumbled across a free Future Learn course for music teachers. Disclaimer: This post isn't sponsored but I wanted to share this awesome resource so that fellow music teachers out there can take the opportunity to try this course as well if they're interested.

I've been working my way through it for the past 3 weeks and have found it to be incredibly helpful. It's changed my perspective of music teaching and challenged me to think outside of the box for my lessons. Here's the link:

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/becoming-a-better-music-teacher