Accomplished pianist & experienced teacher offers lessons in piano performance, music theory, accompaniment, improvisation. Carnegie based

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• When did you first develop a passion for music and your favourite instrument?

  I learnt electric piano at 4 years old, my teacher asked my mum to take me to learn “real piano” because I was good. During the last 30 years my favourite instrument changed from voice, violin, flute, cello now back to my first instrument piano.

• Is there a particular type music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  No all songs will drive me crazy if listening for too long. I’ve learnt to save a good song for days to come, just like I can’t eat the same favourite food everyday.

• Explain to us the most difficult or 'riveting' lesson you could personally give to one of your students.

  The most difficult (to some student) also important in music teaching is probably how to connect music with feelings instead of just following the written signs. It rarely works to say “play with more feelings”. Some young students struggle to make contrasting sections of forte and piano. In my experience, I would encourage them to imagine different characters in their storybook or life, for example, the first time p is a little cute girl, while playing, make the finger touch small and light, quick and agile, second time f, imagine a strong fat boy, carrying it into strong fingers, firm and heavy, maybe more from the arm. Or in the example of Beethovan’s Sonata in D major, I would explain the first 2 short phrases are the reiteration of some important question, the long phrase following that is exploration for direction and effort in trying to get an answer. I would let students think on what the question they would like to ask.

• What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  I would think several. Firstly, I have not mastered the vibrato and how to sing high notes in a natural and effortless way. The control on breath and vocal chords takes lots of practice. Second drum, how to coordinate 4 limbs to do different things at the same time, again I find it complicated just because I do not practice enough to master.

• What are your keys to success?

  Empathy
  
  Persistence
  
  Fitness

• Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  Chopin
  
  Fou Ts’ong
  
  Mitsuko Uchida
  
  I’d like to listen to Mitsuko play Mozart and get her feedback. Fou Ts’ong, I’ve always enjoyed his teaching with poetic metaphors and rich cultural traditions. Chopin, I would like to discuss with him about Rubato and listen to himself perform his pieces.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your musical journey, or your days at 'music school'.

  I remember the first day of my music school, my teacher called me up to the front and held out my hand to other students and parents saying “ this is the hands of a pianist!” as if the young Simba held out by the wise monkey on the cliff in Lion King. It was intimidating and honourable. My teacher took me to become her private student after a term or two.

• What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  I try to use imagination and images wherever possible to inform their bodily movement, instead of saying “loosening your wrist” I say and demonstrate “a balloon is floating from the wrist” Students feel more engaged and gain better understanding.
  
  
  I would isolate just one phrase of one bar or two and let them play in different ways, angrily, sleepily, secretive, a question or answer, exploring their own emotional world and be inspired by themselves. I’m less concerned with students playing wrong notes than not bringing out the characters of the song, sometimes I even exploring with them further on the new notes they accidentally stumbled on. Wrong notes can always be corrected later, but connection to inner world and having fun should be the reason of why we learn music.