During my early years of piano teaching, I spent a lot of time on learning about piano playing and music aspects: piano technique, piano performance, music theory and analysis, music history – all the technical aspects of piano performance. Little did I know that, in order to learn how to teach better, I needed to… Continue reading Positive Encouragement
Sometimes we become impatient when it seems like we are not getting any progress in our piano journey. And it is completely normal to feel that way, especially when we feel we are putting a lot of effort trying to be better at the piano. With my many years’ experience of piano playing, performing and… Continue reading Patience and Persistence
There are a lot of questions and concerns about piano practice – indeed, piano lessons are only half of the battle so to speak. Without regular practice, progress is minimal. This post is not only for parents but also adult students. First thing I always stress is to set up a regular piano practice schedule… Continue reading How to Plan for Successful Piano Practice (1)
And I am speaking from my own experience. I had had quite a few piano teachers in the past, since I started taking piano lessons at the age of 5. Most of them told me to keep taking lessons and practice, and practice more, but few possessed the ability to teach me proper technique, guide… Continue reading Great Teachers Are Hard to Find
Many might wonder, why do anyone want to spend time on taking piano lessons, when one can simply enjoy music without learning to play a musical instrument? Or just go to watch some YouTube videos and learn to play piano from them? I understand technology has advanced drastically these days (or years!), and even I… Continue reading Piano Is For The Soul
Tonight I spent some time thinking through the history of my piano teaching. If you’re curious about it, you might find this post rather interesting. I started playing the piano at the age of 5. It’s basically a must in Hong Kong for every child to learn a musical instrument. And piano is probably the… Continue reading My Piano Teaching History
There were times I was taught with the most traditional way of piano teaching and learning. It seemed that there was only one right way to play well at the piano. Time passes and time has changed. Over the years, I have learnt to play and teach differently, and I believe for the better. Music… Continue reading The Joy of Piano Creativity
I love playing the piano, and teaching people how to play piano. Whether they are beginners, young or adult, or advanced players, performers or teachers, there is joy in our encounters: our lessons, our conversations, sharing our love and passion at the piano, having fun and tackling problems. Playing the piano (or teaching it) is… Continue reading The Joy of Piano Teaching
Today is not a teaching/music day for me. But I’d like to reflect on what I’ve learnt from last year. 2020 had us all off-guarded, in a way we would have never guessed, ever. It was devastating to me at first, with so many unknowns. In the midst of everything, I was glad to be… Continue reading Reflections on 2020 and Hopes for 2021
When we think about piano playing or piano lessons, a lot of times it seems to be about playing correctly: playing the right keys at the right time. Certainly there are the basics we need to learn and work on first. But once we have passed the basics (or at least are familiar with them),… Continue reading A Holistic Approach to Piano Playing
