Heart of the Piano Podcast

Bob Rose

Passionate, irreverent and often opinionated discussions on all things piano related as well as interviews, news, tips and reviews.

  1. JAN 8

    A Grand Unified Theory of Scales and Arpeggios (Part 1)

    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 biomechanics of technique into basic ‘building blocks’ which every student can combine in unique and personal ways- and also addresses the hidden psychological barriers in adult students which prevent the acquisition of good technique. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, this episode will transform how you approach scales & arpeggios! If you’d like to watch the YouTube video based on this episode, you can view it here: https://youtu.be/JpwCkY3edTE Some Key Takeaways Good technique is the laziest way to get the sound that you want: Good technique is finding the “laziest” (most efficient) way to get the exact sound you want. There is no one ‘correct’ technique: Research shows professional pianists have unique signature combinations of movements even in simple scales. Interoception is Key: You can’t fix your technique if you can’t feel what’s happening inside your body. The “In/Out” Shoulder Secret: Most students don’t realise how important the ability to move the shoulder joint in and out is for playing scales and arpeggios. Sit on Your Bones: Sitting on your thighs makes you a “heavy lump”; perching on your sitting bones gives you agility and mental alertness. Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome back!: The new podcast vs YouTube format explained. 04:41 – Defining good technique: “The laziest way to get the sound that you want”. 07:01 – Why we practise scales: Navigating keyboard geography and building the essential habits that define a good pianist and musician. 15:04 – The science of patience: Neuroplasticity and breaking tension habits (6–8 weeks) vs permanent change (1–2 years). 16:11 – The transfer problem: Why scale practice is a waste of time unless done with musical intent. 17:17 – Healthy laziness vs slouching: Why posture dictates your mental alertness. 20:14 – The myth of the “one right way”: Why every professional pianist has a unique, individual technique- and the research on “audio fingerprints” that proves it. 24:26 – Playful experimentation: Why curiosity works better than striving when building technique. 30:00 – “Audiation”: Why imagining the sound is as important as the physical movement. 35:06 – Interoception & the “striving” trap: Why internal body awareness is vital, and how ‘striving’ shuts down interoception. 51:53 – The paradox of sports psychology: Research says internal focus disrupts performance, yet mindfulness (interoception) enhances it- so which is it?! 01:02:47 – Never play the same way twice: The importance of varied repetition, and how to find technical balance by exploring extremes. 01:05:27 – The anatomy of technique: (Start of Section). 01:06:19 – The wrist (axis 1): Flexion and extension (up and down). 01:08:31 – The wrist (axis 2): The wrist (axis 2): Pronation and Supination (rotation). 01:11:58 – The wrist (axis 3): The wrist (axis 3): Lateral movement (side-to-side). 01:14:09 – The fingers: Why it is generally better to play from the Metacarpal (big knuckle) rather than pulling with the distal joints. 01:20:14 – Intrinsic vs extrinsic muscles: How the finger muscles work and the Carpal Tunnel. 01:22:45 – Lateral finger movement: A motion that most students are consciously unaware of. 01:24:28 – Arm weight and the “Roman arch”: Using gravity and structural shape (not muscle tension) to support the hand. 01:32:10 – The elbow: Avoiding the “chicken wing” and using the elbow to facilitate wrist rotation. 01:37:15 – The shoulders: Differentiating between tension (Up/Down, Forward/Back) and useful movement (In/Out) to help the elbow travel. 01:40:38 – The sitting bones: Why sitting on your thighs kills your agility and mental alertness. Interested in personalised online piano lessons with me? I teach at all levels from beginner to advanced, do get in touch here for more information: https://heartofthepiano.com/contact My YouTube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/@HeartofthePiano, where you can check out my tutorials and performances. Glossary Proximal: Closer to the centre of the body (e.g., the shoulder is proximal to the elbow). Distal: Further away from the centre of the body (e.g., the fingers are distal to the wrist). Metacarpal Joint: The large knuckle joint where the finger meets the hand. Distal Joints: The two joints of the finger further away from the hand (the “hinges”). Interoception: Awareness of the internal state of the body (feeling what is happening inside). Exteroception: Sensitivity to stimuli originating outside of the body (e.g., sight, sound, touch). Audiation: Imagining music in your mind. Citations & References Piano Biomechanics (Proximal Joints): This study confirms that experts use proximal joints (shoulder/elbow) to reduce load on the distal joints (fingers/wrist). Furuya, S., et al. (2011). “Distinct inter-joint coordination during fast alternate keystrokes in pianists with superior skill.” Link to Paper. Expert Muscle Coordination (Furuya & Altenmüller 2013): Neurophysiological findings showing that experts have reduced co-activation of extrinsic finger muscles due to better proximal coordination. Furuya, S., & Altenmüller, E. (2013). “Flexibility of movement organization in piano performance.” Link to Paper. Whole-Apparatus Coordination (Wristen 2000): Quantitative data supporting the view that expert coordination involves the whole playing apparatus, starting from the larger joints. Wristen, B. G. (2000). “Avoiding Piano-Related Injury: A Proposed Theoretical Procedure for Biomechanical Analysis of Piano Technique.” Link to Paper. Variable Practice in Basketball: Research showing that practising shots from variable distances improves performance more than repetitive practice from a single spot. Landin, D. K., Hebert, E. P., & Fairweather, M. (1993). “The effects of variable practice on the performance of a basketball skill.” Link to Abstract. Pianist “Fingerprints” in Scales: The study analyzing unique timing profiles in scales. Van Vugt, F. T., Jabusch, H. C., & Altenmüller, E. (2013). “Individuality that is unheard of: Systematic temporal deviations in scale playing leave an inaudible pianistic fingerprint.” Link to Paper. Internal vs External Focus: The leading research on this comes from Dr Gabriele Wulf. Wulf, G. (2013). “Attentional focus and motor learning: A review of 15 years.” Link to Paper. Habit Formation Timelines (6–8 weeks): Research suggests automaticity for a new repeated behaviour reaches a median of around 66 days (about 2 months), though it varies widely, rather than the often-cited “21 days” Lally, P., et al. (2010). “How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world.” Link to Abstract. Book Mentioned: What Every Pianist Needs to Know about the Body by Thomas Mark. Link to Book. Want to transform your sight-reading? Learn more about my powerful new Sight-Reading App: https://www.sightreadingfluency.com Disclaimer While Bob is an experienced teacher, this podcast is for educational purposes. If you are experiencing physical pain while playing, or have a history of injury (like Schumann or Scriabin!), please consult a medical professional or physiotherapist. The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s

    1h 50m

  2. 10/11/2024

    New AI Revolution- Unbelievably Human, Hilarious Conversations with Legendary Composers!

    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! These experimental chats are not only educational but packed with unexpected humor and personality. Join me as I explore the incredible capabilities of this revolutionary technology. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to chat with iconic figures from the past—laughing along the way—this episode will leave you both entertained and amazed! Tune in for a fascinating mix of music history, cutting-edge AI, and plenty of laughs. Show Notes This episode is also available as a YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/0SG290DMZbw These are the custom instructions I gave to ChatGPT- after this experiment I might add something like “be opinionated, don’t be afraid to be controversial, don’t try to be diplomatic, give specific examples of everything you talk about” 😂 “When you are role-playing as a musician or composer, think about how this person’s personality and character was described by others, then really amplify and exaggerate these qualities in the way you speak- the goal is an exaggerated caricature. Also, speak English with a really exaggerated caricature accent that reflects where the person was from. To keep conversations interesting and entertaining, bring up personal autobiographical details wherever possible. Speak as if to a friend, so not overly formal. Use humour on a level appropriate to the person you’re roleplaying as. If the person has negative traits and character, please feel free to indulge this”. The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s

    23 min

  3. 10/05/2024

    Why We Need To Be Able To Talk About Race And Gender In Classical Music: a Cautionary Tale

    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 events in the industry, topics discussed include: – The importance of open dialogue about race and gender in music – Challenges in representing diverse composers in educational materials – Navigating sensitive discussions in music education – Lessons learned from attempting to address these issues – Broader implications for inclusivity in classical music Links: This episode is also available with video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UXQ1gPeO9ek White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism- Robin DiAngelo: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/566247/white-fragility-by-dr-robin-diangelo/9780807047415 Useful study notes on ‘White Fragility’: https://library.fiveable.me/key-terms/hs-ethnic-studies/white-fragility A must read extract in The Guardian from Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/30/why-im-no-longer-talking-to-white-people-about-race YouTube video Music Theory and White Supremacy by Adam Neely: https://youtu.be/Kr3quGh7pJA A talk by Philip Ewell on YouTube- a useful introduction to his work: https://youtu.be/q1yYR-VLpv0 My podcast review of the 2021 Leeds Internation Piano Competition: https://heartofthepiano.com/e21-leeds-international-piano-competition-the-leeds-2021-review/ Fiona Sinclair’s (CEO Leeds International Piano Competition) Leeds University presentation on gender inequality in music competitions and in the profession as a whole: https://www.youtube.com/live/xtdpAVyJzVg?si=sOp3PWG5_T_rCB-R&t=2801 A couple of news links concerning possible preferrential treatment for women in the Leeds International Piano Competition: https://slippedisc.com/2024/09/exclusive-how-the-leeds-piano-competition-is-rigged-for-equality/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/09/19/female-pianists-favoured-men-major-competition-rules/ The new AI tool which creates incredible podcast episodes- Notebook LM’s new Audio Overview feature: https://www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/google-s-new-ai-audio-generator-lets-you-make-a-stunningly-real-ai-podcast-without-a-mic-here-s-how-to-try-it The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s Transcription: Have you ever found yourself hesitant to discuss issues of race or gender for fear of saying something wrong? When we feel unable to talk about these issues freely, resentments and tensions can build up. Movements like Black Lives Matter, along with recent events in the UK, have highlighted how crucial it is to have these conversations. It’s obviously a contentious topic, but when conversations are stifled—when we’re afraid to discuss racial issues honestly for fear of being ‘cancelled’ or vilified—this creates a pressure cooker environment. As a result, when people of colour speak out about inequalities and push for change, white people can react in exaggerated, overly defensive reactive ways rather than perhaps listening with an open mind. Robin DiAngelo’s book White Fragility introduces the concept of this knee-jerk defensive response to healthy debate on race, which often serves to quickly shut any conversation down. DiAngelo explains that these defensive reactions—which can include anger, fear, emotional outbursts, and withdrawal—aren’t about being a ‘bad person’ but are ways people can avoid the discomfort that comes with talking about race. This means that often, despite good intentions, these kinds of defensive responses can actually serve to maintain the status quo of racial inequality by shutting down meaningful conversations about race. Another book, Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by UK author Reni Eddo-Lodge, sums up a lot of the frustration that people of colour experience when trying to discuss racial issues… personally, reading these two books in particular have really resonated with many of my experiences. Now, just to give you a little bit of context here, I don’t often talk about this, but I’m basically not white. It doesn’t come up a lot these days because, for many reasons, I don’t seem to stand out as much as ‘different’ anymore. Part of this is because Britain has become much more multicultural, and perhaps some of it is because, for whatever reason, I look more ‘white’ as I get older. So from time to time, when I bring up my ethnicity, people say to me, “I had no idea you weren’t white”. But when I found myself having frustrating conversations about race, the difficulties made so much more sense once I came across the concepts in the books that I just mentioned. I think it’s important to emphasise that the whole point of these books is not to make white people feel more defensive about talking about race, and the point is not to make white people feel attacked. This is the very problem those books are trying to solve, to highlight how we as a society need to be able to have these discussions openly without fear of being judged. Now, the world of classical music and classical music education in particular has been grappling with issues of racial and gender representation in recent years. At one end, there are academics such as Philip Ewell, who talks about a deep-seated ideology of white supremacy within the world of classical music. Adam Neely created a great YouTube video called Music Theory and White Supremacy discussing some of these ideas. I personally disagree with a lot of what Ewell says, but the topic is layered and nuanced, and he does make some valid points that are worth considering if you take the time to read his work carefully. Anybody who goes to classical music concerts will immediately notice the almost total absence of audience-goers who are not white. Could part of the reason for this be that non-white composers are rarely featured in concert programmes? Speaking personally, this absence did bother me when I was young. I was totally unaware that there were plenty of composers who weren’t ‘white’, and the strong perception that the world of classical music was basically for ‘white people’ did unsettle me. Now, I want to be absolutely clear: this does not mean that I think we should cancel Western classical music—I love it deeply! The Western classical tradition is really important to me. Obviously, the history of classical music does have roots in European composers working within a certain culture, but we now have the power to influence future audiences by taking a more broad and inclusive historical view. If we make an effort to promote more composers of colour and women composers—even if this doesn’t reflect the historical proportions of those composers—it could be key in growing classical music audiences and encouraging more diverse composers in the future. Long time listeners to my reviews of exam board syllabuses (or syllabi for those who prefer that word!) such as ABRSM, Trinity and LCME know that I have been passionate about the need to represent more women and non-white composers for this reason, and in recent years there has been noticeable pressure for all musical educational establishments including exam boards and music publishers to increase their diversity and address these issues around racial and gender representation. Some recent piano exam syllabuses—in fact most of them—have been doing an excellent job in discovering and sharing some real gems by hitherto obscure women composers and composers of colour all the way from the Baroque era to the modern age. So it’s not that they didn’t exist– but yes the majority of composers were white men. And it is a very difficult balance to try to decide how much we want to celebrate and honour a deeply valuable tradition with all its biases, and how much we can now selectively highlight the hidden minority women and non-white composers to shape the direction of the future world of classical music. The issue of positive discrimination surfaced in an interesting way just a few days ago at the concerto finals of the Leeds International Piano Competition, one of the most prestigious events in the classical piano world. It runs every 3 years, and you can listen to a podcast review that I made of the previous competition, the link will be in the shownotes or in the description of the YouTube video below as well as many other links and links to interesting articles on all the things I’ll be covering today. So, after only men made it through to the finals in 2021, the CEO of the competition Fiona Sinclair set out a series of initiatives to address this gender imbalance. These included training for this year’s jurors, as well as commissioning academic studies into gender imbalances at international piano competitions. She gave a fascinating lecture on this subject at Leeds University which you can find on YouTube, again links will be in the shownotes of the podcast episode or in the description of the YouTube video. However, there was quite the controversy just before the recent finals when major news sources spotted some clauses in the instructions to the jury members that give women competitors preferential treatment in some circumstances. You know, it’s one thing to try to tackle the problem of what was described as “male dominance” in the world of professional concert pianists, but is giving women pianists preference in a major competition to try to redress this balance going too far? Now all these issues that I’ve discussed so far intersected a few months ago when I published a podcast review of a set of books called The Joy of Graded Piano. I was asked to review this series of pian

    44 min

  4. 06/06/2024

    ABRSM 2025-2026 Syllabus Review Part 2- the individual grades

    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 [13:17] Grade 6 [15:33] Grade 7 [17:45] Grade 8 [23:03]

    36 min

  5. 06/06/2024

    ABRSM 2025-2026 Syllabus Review Part 1- embracing diversity or a subtle erosion of classical tradition?

    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 into the challenges and opportunities presented by this new syllabus, which is sure to spark lively debate within the piano community. Part two will review the individual grades. Show Notes: Introduction Excitement about the new ABRSM syllabus for 2025-2026. Importance of these pieces for teachers in the coming years. Syllabus Transition Current syllabus (2023-2024) usable until the end of 2025. New syllabus (2025-2026) begins in 2025. Personal Review Personal opinions on the new syllabus, potentially controversial. Attempt to be balanced and see multiple perspectives. Learning and performing all new Grade 8 pieces. Performances and tutorials will available on Heart of the Piano YouTube channel. Shorter review will be available on YouTube for those who prefer less detail. Review Methodology Re-read and replayed all pieces from the current syllabus. Comparison of new syllabus pieces against the current syllabus. Context of Wider Issues in Music Education Reference to the review of the latest Trinity syllabus. Discussion on decolonisation of music education. Alarm at Trinity’s new syllabus allowing exams without classical music. Context of Black Lives Matter and the critique of classical music as linked to colonialism. Personal background and experiences with classical music. Importance of representation of non-white and women composers. Critique of the argument that classical music is inherently problematic or racist. ABRSM’s Approach to Representation and Diversity Efforts by examination boards to include women and non-white composers. Positive discrimination to encourage diversity. Approval of ABRSM’s representation efforts in the new syllabus. Concern about some pieces in new List B syllabus not being classical. Concerns about Trinity’s Recent New Syllabus, and Fears About ABRSM Following Suit Critique of Trinity’s shift towards pop and non-classical music. The potential for students to focus narrowly on styles like jazz or pop. Discussion on the decline of classical music in education. Importance of maintaining classical music exams. Problems with turning pop and jazz music into sheet music for exams. The need for a balanced musical diet in education. Personal Beliefs and Teaching Philosophy Encouragement for classical music study alongside other genres. Role and influence of exams in developing well-rounded musicians. Suggestion for separate exams for rock/pop music. Comparison with ABRSM’s New Syllabus Initial relief at the classical focus of new ABRSM books. Subsequent concerns about non-classical pieces creeping into the syllabus. Need for maintaining classical music standards. Future of Classical Music Education Risks of dumbing down exams by including too much non-classical music. The role of ABRSM in shaping musical tastes and standards. The importance of a balanced appreciation of classical music. Personal Reflections on Music Education Discussion on the neo-colonialism of the music industry. Importance of classical music as an art form needing support. ABRSM’s role in bridging the gap between students’ everyday musical experiences and classical music. Historical Context of ABRSM Reference to the book “The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music: A Social and Cultural History”. Examination of ABRSM’s historical role in shaping music education. Controversial Issues in Music Education Critique of the demonisation of classical music as elitist. The need to support classical music education. The impact of political and societal views on classical music. Thoughts on the New ABRSM Books General approval of the selection of pieces, but- Concerns over non-classical pieces in List B and some List A. High quality editing and typesetting in these new books with no misprints this time around. Praise for the urtext approach to Baroque and Classical pieces. Grade 8 book: Notably shorter (37 pages) compared to the previous one (51 pages). Less value for money compared to Trinity’s books. List A, List B, and List C distinctions becoming less meaningful. Concerns over the abundance of arrangements by Nikki Iles. In one grade, it’s possible to play only Nikki Iles pieces! Praise for free access to recordings on streaming platforms (e.g., Spotify, Apple Music). Recordings are generally good, though sometimes overly safe. Conclusion and Recommendations General approval of the new ABRSM syllabus with some concerns. Encouragement to explore ABRSM’s new syllabus while considering LCM exams for a traditional classical focus. Links and notes to follow very soon!

    1h 39m

  6. 12/02/2023

    Interview with Tim Topham: legend of the piano education community!

    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 a huge honour to chat to Tim about his new book which advocates and provides a framework for delaying reading music with beginner piano students. This episode is not just for piano teachers though, I’m sure everybody will be interested in our chat which includes topics such as common preventable weaknesses that most piano students have, the history of improvisation and freedom from the written note in classical music, the problem with method books, and more… 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 a huge honour to chat to Tim about his new book which advocates and provides a framework for delaying reading music with beginner piano students. This episode is not just for piano teachers though, I’m sure everybody will be interested in our chat which includes topics such as common preventable weaknesses that most piano students have, the history of improvisation and freedom from the written note in classical music, the problem with method books, and more… Key Topics Discussed: Delaying reading music for beginner piano students, often for the first 10 weeks or more Developing musicality, creativity, and curiosity from the very first lessons Typical problems when students are taught to read music right away, including lack of singing, improvisation, playing by ear etc Tim’s new book “No Book Beginners” which provides a framework and detailed lesson plans for teaching beginners without method books The importance of singing, rhythm, improvisation & playing by ear before introducing reading How Tim’s approach can work alongside other methods such as Piano Safari Adapting these creative teaching strategies for older and adult students The “sound before symbol” learning theory behind delaying reading music The website resources that complement the lesson plans in the book Links: Top Music Pro website: topmusic.co “No Book Beginners” book: topmusic.co/book Music Learning Theory: giml.org Tim’s podcast: topmusic.co/podcast Notes: The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s I have availability for online students at the moment- if you’re interested, do get in touch using the contact page at http://HeartOfThePiano.com I promised some links to the best podcast episodes in the outro- this is probably the best place to start: https://heartofthepiano.com/e34-we-discuss-the-4-most-important-psychological-skills-you-need-to-practise-at-the-piano-to-be-deeply-musical/ as it sums up many of the strategies that come up most frequently with my students This strategy has instantly transformed the playing with some of my students, the difference is like night & day! https://heartofthepiano.com/e35-tension-release-we-discuss-the-5-psychological-skill-you-need-to-practise-at-the-piano-to-be-deeply-musical/ Some very powerful strategies in this episode that can make a huge difference to the quality of our playing, and how we deal with nerves & pressure: https://heartofthepiano.com/e28-self-determination-theory-for-pianists-how-it-can-unlock-improve-your-musicality-and-help-you-deal-with-performance-anxiety/ And here’s a link to my YouTube playlist of my tutorials and performances of UK exam board pieces: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0sZ0MK31wvKeCOH_ZFADgaZkgzyPJvw3

    56 min

  7. 09/07/2023

    Trinity 2023 Piano Syllabus Review Part 2- the individual grades with audio clips from the official recordings

    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 of difficulty levels For me, mostly unremarkable pieces Much prefer the 2021-2023 syllabus, pieces more fun, more character, less bland Both RSL offerings strong at this level, for me, ABRSM in 2nd place Grade 1 [3:06] Very strong Classical selection. Often technically challenging Useful technical pedagogical selection of Classical & Romantic, enjoyable pieces Highlights- Toccatina (Victoria Proudler)- faux Bach Railbird Rag (Sam Cleaver)-  a little challenging but fun Criticisms- Terrible arrangements of Heard It Through The Grapevine (Marvin Gaye), and Titanium (David Guetta ft. Sia)- lazy arrangement. Most pop arrangements at this grade not fantastic- could be more skillful Std edition has mostly easier non-classical pieces aimed at youngsters in particular RSL Classical better for jazz & pop than Trinity, classical pieces fun- but limited choice compared to Trinity. LCM by pick for solid rewarding pieces with good benchmarking. Trinity has best ambitious classical pieces, but overall selection inconsistent Grade 2 [7:15] Immediately noticed repeat sign missing at beginning of 1st piece- will be confusing Not great Baroque/ Classical selection- not inspiring Highlights- Petit nuage (Hedwige Chrétien)- sounds great at this level, achievable, great find by woman composer Night in the Woods (Alexander Goedicke)- challenging but rewarding, loads of character Jupiter Storm (Alison Mathews)- almost like pop music, students will love it Hedwig’s Theme (John Williams)- great arrangement- v. generous to include a more ambitious chunk which is left out of exam It’s a Walk in the Park (Gilon Fox)- excellent gd2 jazz/blues Many strong pieces Criticisms- some clunky pop/jazz arranging but nothing too awful at this grade ABRSM not great for this grade, but the ABRSM pop grade 2 pieces are much stronger than here. LCM shines here with by far the best classical pieces. But Trinity is strong at this grade compared to others with extended edition Grade 3 [11:23] Very challenging at this grade, sometimes wildly so (eg LH staccato 3rds in Turkish March duet at speed). Already tricky 3 against 2 cross rhythms in several pieces Not impressed when I see swing rhythm quavers set incorrectly against triplets (All Blues) Felt overwhelmed by sheer amount of non-classical music, but I do like the Baroque/Classical selection. When looking at this book, felt more like rock/pop syllabus to me than classical Lots of film music at this level, some lovely, some bland Lots of use of pedal at this grade that feels almost like a norm in this book- I don’t see it to this extent in other grade 3 syllabuses- seems too ambitious to me High frequency of highly challenging pieces for this level Highlights- Little Stream (Ilona Jurníčková), but wildly ambitious Mad World (Tears for Fears)- lovely arr but ambitious- eg repeated 3rds in RH, pedal, etc Someone Like You (Adele)- but crazy cross rhythms for gd 3 Tres Palabras (Osvaldo Farrés)- nice jazz voicings Criticisms- Happy (Pharrell Williams)- good chorus but verse v. clunky arrangement. Dynamite (BTS)- terrible tune to pick that doesn’t translate well to piano. Won’t sound much like original. Rhythms don’t match what is sung All Blues (Miles Davis)- terrible clunky arr. With some terrible voicings. Wide range of difficulty within piece. Not skillful arr. ABRSM too easy for this grade. LCM solid & rewarding. RSL not one of strongest, easier than Trinity & LCM. ABRSM pop gd3 looks v. good compared to pop here. Trinity by far the most challenging of all boards Grade 4 [18:09] V small Baroque/ Classical selection although nice pieces if somewhat challenging. None in std edition! Again, many wildly ambitious pieces for this level. But also some v easy ones- wild range of difficulty levels Highlights- Goblin & The Mosquito (Florence Price)- also in LCM gd4- can’t be coincidence? How much is Trinity looking to other exam boards for inspiration? Star Wars Main Theme (John Williams)- very effective apart from terrible ending (v common in grade books!) Polperro Beach (Adrian Sutton)- lovely film music but challenging Ground Background Music (Super Mario Bros)- v effective. Def. on challenging end but will be very popular Time Keeper’s Lament (from Primal)- gorgeous haunting game music with deep feeling, v. achievable Piel Canela (Bobby Capó)- gorgeous charming Latin American jazzy piece- great rhythms & harmonies, v. effective arr. Criticisms- Lag Jaa Gale (from Woh Kaun Thi?)- great to include Bollywood but this sounds nothing like original. Terrible arr. Original v melismatic so perhaps not best choice for this level. LH particularly clunky & uncreative Doctor Who Theme (Ron Grainer)- terrible arr. Incredibly tricky to make good arr. by just using tune and simple harmonies, needs more creativity. Avril 14th (Aphex Twin)- why not just make it more similar to original? I don’t see why notes had to be changed, didn’t particularly make it easier. Could have made it possible to play with original with same notes. ABRSM easiest of all boards, solid rewarding pieces. LCM my pick for solid ‘classical’ pieces, also includes diverse pieces such as effective enjoyable Egyptian piece. RSL excellent at this level. RSL classical can’t compete, but interesting that Prelude in C (Bach) is at gd 4 vs Trinity gd5 Grade 5 [25:01] Not the most adventurous Baroque/Classical pieces but solid enough. Bach Prelude in C in gd 4 RSL classical. Highlights- So many strong diverse pieces here but just a few: Fantasia in D minor (Handel)- should be popular, easy to love Engagement Party (La La Land)- V effective piece and one of first to sound like it could be ‘professional’, ie what a ‘real’ pianist plays Mii Channel Theme (Kazumi Totaka)- fun game music w/ sophisticated jazz harmonies & latin rhythms, love it! Spanish Polylogarhythms (Andrea Vicari)- love it, lovely Dorian melody w/ Latin jazz Fina Estampa (Chabuca Granda)- love this, v. sweet, some gorgeous harmonic moments, tempo marking ‘Peruvian Waltz’- like we’re supposed to know what this is!! Criticisms- Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh (from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai)- terrible choice to arrange- LH in particular  incredibly uninventive, loses everything that made it sound Asian. Same key as orig, can play along but is fast! Pop songs generally suffer from clunky arrangements at this grade ABRSM v. strong, but more substantial performance pieces on the whole from Trinity. LCM my pick- more traditional classical but with great contemporary and ‘ethnic’ music as well. Lots of ‘misses’ here for Trinity at gd 5, but so many pieces that it’s worth it for the ones that are effective. Gd 5 generally good across the boards (not RSL classical, no competition at all). Gd5 ABRSM pop stronger than Trinity Grade 6 [30:46] Feel particularly at this grade that there are too many populist pieces with little musical substance. But will keep some students happy! Should be in a separate pop/rock exam? Horrified to see editorial slurs, articulations, etc in Baroque/ early Classical with no explanation Great selection of Baroque/ Classical, often very expressive Notes- nonsense about modes (where is Phrygian and Phrygian Dominant in Evening on the River Nile?!). Could have talked about v obvious modes in Snowfall instead (same writer). Also, notes for ‘Something for the Weekend’- they bring lots of attention to the title as if clueless about the innuendo. Highlights- Adagio (Baldassare Galuppi)- beautiful Baroque slow mvt Un Recuerdo (Ignacio Cervantes Kawanagh)- love this! Why not say composer was Cuban in notes? Just because is a Cuban Waltz does not mean he is automatically Cuban. Gorgeous charming piece People will love the Einaudi (I Giorni), but too easy for this grade? The Journey to the West (Princess Mononoke)- gorgeous but v easy for this level Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin)- v effective arr- I personally would add more instead of cutting the song off half-way Love Yourself (Justin Bieber)- excellent arr with enough classical textures for me to feel comfortable with this in an exam. Shame not in std edition Something for the Weekend (Alexandra Skevington)- love it, inventive blues Criticisms- My Funny Valentine (from Babes in Arms)- so much potential in this song- but chose to stay v close to original instead of being inspired by the many gorgeous arrangements As said above, concern over lack of musical substance in so many of the choices ABRSM v strong selection at this grade. LCM- fantastic varied choices w/ musical substance!! RSL v strong at this grade Grade 7 [38:11] Again, some odd incorrect notes about modes More nonsense about modes in the notes- where is the Dorian mode in Spain (Chick Corea)? Did they mean Aeolian? The 2 Classical pieces are quite dull- who is going to choose them against all the syrupy sweet populist choices? A tiny percentage of pre-20th Century pieces, percentage of ‘classical’ in general quite low for this grade Highlights- Aria from Goldberg Variations (Bach)- lovable- but again v heavy editorialising Lots of loveable pieces in this grade, the Romantic pieces in particular are well-chosen, some challenging Mandala (James Treweek)- interesting enjoyable piece- mix of Latin rhythms, film music, minimalism, odd time signatures Navajo Vocable For Piano #1 (Connor Chee)- Gorgeous minimalist accessible film-music-style. Substantial length. Airships (Charles Tebbs)- another gorgeous minimalist film-music-style piece. Some unusual lovely harmonies, but book is starting to feel like book of ‘mindful/ chill/ film-music’ Push Pull (Alexandra Skevington)- V inventive unique jazz, love it Mixed Nuts (from Spy x Family)- lovely rewarding typical catchy

    1 hr

  8. 09/05/2023

    Decolonising Piano Education... the radical new Trinity Piano Syllabus- and unpacking the many cans of unleashed worms

    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 I discuss some of the many controversial issues that this new syllabus raises, and give you a detailed verdict on these new books. Part two will review the individual grades. Show Notes: First impressions I sight-read through every single piece in every grade, and did the same with current syllabuses from ABRSM, RSL, RSL Classical, and LCM to get a thorough feel for how the new Trinity syllabus compares with the competition [3:28] A look at recent trends in education such as decolonisation of music education, and commercial & ideological pressures on University music departments to move towards being ‘pop schools’ The decline of classical music in education… Diversity in classical music IMO this wider context is essential to understand what is happening in this new Trinity syllabus [25:10] Very diverse selection of music from many genres Diversity is great, but I have strong concerns that the new syllabus allows for focusing on narrow styles. such as minimalist film music or pop music in exams, with absolutely no classical music The cheaper standard editions miss out a lot of the classical music, emphasising commercial accessible music. Discussion about cultural relativism Should we formally study rock/pop music? Such an overwhelming amount of non-classical music in this syllabus- why not just make a rock/pop exam that can be taken on piano? You can’t compare difficulty levels of playing rock/pop & classical- therefore I feel new syllabus is meaningless as a qualification Trinity do specify that you should play a balanced programme, but there’s no penalisation for playing just pop music for example, so this is a meaningless directive The importance of a balanced musical ‘diet’ Less representation of non-white classical composers- a troublesome backward direction for Trinity Positive discrimination for women and non-white composers [42:03] The problem of including so much pop/rock/jazz in an exam that doesn’t allow for improvisation or flexibility from the written notes The difficulty of arranging pop/rock music into written sheet music, especially at lower grades On the whole, Trinity have not done a great job with their pop arrangements (but there are some exceptions). ABRSM’s arrangements although still flawed are generally more successful. Nice that most pop arrangements are in the same key as the original so can play along Excellent selection of jazz that sounds authentically like ‘real’ jazz rather than what exam boards such as ABRMS have focused on in the past which I call ‘pedagogical jazz’- which sound like they’ve been written just for piano exams Maybe strange that Trinity feature improvisation for their aural tests and instead of sight-reading, but then don’t allow for any improvisation in styles of music where it’s desperately needed [53:47] Fantastic fresh finds of obscure music, especially in classical music, and especially with women composers Fresh, enjoyable diverse music for all tastes Inclusion of so much game music, film music, etc will appeal to a lot of my teenage and adult students This syllabus is therefore so valuable to help music teachers make money! I can see this syllabus will be particularly useful to find and keep adult students who will be motivated by the goal of taking an exam, with music they will find very rewarding I find a lot of value in giving rock/pop/jazz with challenging rhythms to all my classical students who almost all have rhythm as their weakest musical element But I also find value in making sure that students primarily interested in classical are exposed to learning pieces in a diverse range of styles IMO all piano teachers should own the entire series of extended edition grade books. And thoroughly recommended to all students as well- I think they are indispensable as ‘graded anthologies’ A wild range of difficulty levels within each grade. The overall difficulty level is very challenging, but with exceptions that can be very easy/simple. This makes it more difficult again on top of the other issues to take these grades seriously as a qualification In the higher grades such as grades 6 & 7, there are many enjoyable but musically superficial pieces with very low musical substance- again making it hard to take these qualifications seriously as somebody could pass their exam using only these pieces [1:01:21] Have very strong feelings that it is not acceptable in the higher grades to have such heavy editorialising of Baroque and early Classical such as slurs and articulations without any notes of explanation. This is an abrupt around-turn from the 2021-2023 syllabus which aimed to be more like urtext editions [1:03:49] It bothers me that the standard editions generally don’t include Baroque or Classical music, and focus their selection on commercial popular music rather than classical Syllabus exactly the same in terms of technical exercises, aural tests, scales, etc. Only difference is the new technical exercises tend to be in a more contemporary film-music style The 2021/2023 book is valid indefinitely, you can mix and match from both books indefinitely for exams [1:06:41] Because of the inclusion of so much rock/pop/jazz, there are so many challenging rhythms across all the grades. Also an issue with RSL rock/pop syllabus. [1:08:00] Unlike the 2021-2023 extended edition books, the new extended edition books include all new pieces, so it’s a no-brainer to buy the extended books if you can Very high quality books, good binding, professional typesetting (big improvement over 2021-2023) Recordings (available with extended edition) are generally excellent with only a few exceptions- not impressed that some seem to be played along with a click track. Impressed that all performances are credited Generally useful notes on each piece included at beginning of each book with only a few inaccuracies Trinity give excellent value for money by included everything you need in the extended edition book such as scales, notes, etc unlike ABRSM who seem to be quite greedy by making people buy separate books (LCM also offer good value for money by including all this in each grade book) [1:15:57] As piano teachers, we can have several goals: Making money Having students who enjoy music Giving students the best education in classical music (if this is what the students want!) The new Trinity sylabus is excellent for the first two, maybe not so much for the third (especially the standard editions) LCM by far my top pick for classical piano exams. Great diversity, solid benchmarking, very enjoyable pieces, thorough technical elements Current ABRSM syllabus pretty good, but organisation has many trust issues at the moment. Trinity exams now only recommended by me for people needing motivation to learn pieces ‘for fun’, or teenagers wanting fun/easy qualifications or a less classical syllabus If Trinity enforced a balanced programme including mostly classical pieces, I would instantly go back to recommending them for all LCM allocate more time for exams at most grades than Trinity & ABRSM Links: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/decolonising-music-curriculum-should-be-adagio-movement https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/03/27/musical-notations-branded-colonialist-oxford-professors-hoping/ https://newmusicusa.org/nmbx/decolonizing-our-music/ https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/music-departments-should-resist-siren-song-pop-schools Adam Neely’s YouTube video on Music Theory and White Supremacy Trinity’s webpage for their piano syllabus: https://www.trinitycollege.com/qualifications/music/grade-exams/piano Buy the books here (currently 20% off all 9 of the extended edition books, an excellent deal): https://shop.trinitycollege.com/shop/powersearch/powersearch_results?catid=102316 Ebooks are available here- these are really excellent value for money! https://store.trinitycollege.com/collections/piano-exam-pieces-plus-exercises-from-2023 Notes: The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s

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