Maximise your music practice routine by taking tips from the business world. After listening to several business talks discussing time management and maximising productivity it struck me that much of what is suggested is also beneficial for making sure that we get the most out of our time at our instrument. 8 simple tips give us common-sense advice to help us get maximum benefit from our music practice. I even find a quick burst of motivation from the world of sport!

The current health crisis is impacting us all. I discuss how, as a piano teacher, I’m responding to the social and health implications. The necessary precautions are affecting all of my household but we’re adopting a proactive approach and staying positive. I take inspiration from my Grandparent’s lives and the fortitude they exhibited throughout the war years, and I remember the lessons I tried to install in my children years ago - with old photographs I’m not sure they’ll thank me for!

Of course I love music in the usual sense but music notation is also so very beautiful in an artistic sense. I collect old music for many reasons; I think it is beautiful to look at and it can be repurposed as pieces of art and also for up-cycling old furniture. I also think that there is a sense of social history in these old music books, as we see glimpses of bygone performances. I don’t like to think of such music going to waste and I like to see it live on in another form.

Writing Bureau Shabby Chic Up-cycle Furniture DIY Project with Chopin and Haydn Sheet Music YouTube Video

Grieg’s Notturno (Opus 54 No 4) seems like the perfect piece to choose when sleep evades and the piano calls. I used to play this piece often when the children were small but it’s languished in a pile of music until just now. My family are quite used to me playing the piano at strange hours of the night, so I thought you might like to join me in a little midnight melody. I preface the playing of this nocturne by giving a little introduction to the music and the composer. Enjoy!

Playing an instrument can be hard work at times. Any artistic endeavour involves many hours of application and effort, and sometimes we can’t help but wonder, ‘Why Bother?’ It’s difficult to express in words the tangible effect that music and art has on our lives but we are much more than mere machines. Pieces of art and video clips help me to express the impact that music and art has on my life . Visits to the National Trust give me ample opportunity to find inspiration and help to explain why music and art deserve a place in our lives. Making music is so very worth the effort - keep on bothering!

The National Trust

Little girl dancing to old church choir Youtube Video