April/May
Sunday 1 May, 3pm
Jacqueline Vann: Dance to the Music of Time
Encouraging tonal quality and expressing duration in music.
The expressive capacity of the piano is enormous with its large range and the ability to create tonal variations so allowing for different parts and voices to be heard within one instrument. One thing the piano can’t do so well, unlike strings and woodwind, is to sustain a single sound for a great deal of time because of the decay once a note has been struck. These two topics–tonal quality and duration–will be addressed in this workshop. Using movement to express duration and explore the quality of sound, participants will be able to take away some simple activities to help pupils gain a better understanding and feel for duration and different sound qualities.
Please note: the format of this session has been converted to a regular Meeting. If you are unsure whether you have the correct Zoom details, please get in touch with the administrator at admin@epta-uk.org
Sunday 15 May, 3pm
Jan Loeffler: Just who plays in time anyway?
Unpicking our relationship with time and musical communication.
Concert pianist and teacher at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Radley College, Jan Loeffler, talks about a performer's relationship to time in musical perfromance. Demonstrating and using recorded examples, he will explore the reality of 'playing in time' and how great interpreters use time in their performances to communicate their musical ideas.
Please note: the format of this session has been converted to a regular Meeting. If you are unsure whether you have the correct Zoom details, please get in touch with the administrator at admin@epta-uk.org
Sunday 29 May, 3pm
Michael Stembridge Montavont and Frédéric Aguessy: The Pianistic Ideas & Ideals of Alfred Cortot–Wrist Technique
Drawing on Chapter V of the Principes rationnels de la technique pianistique & the Éditions de Travail devised by Cortot.
The importance of the wrist and the notion that the wrist drives the fingers, as on a car the motor drives the wheels! The webinar will include both description and full demonstrations at the piano:
- horizontal and vertical movements/‘gestures’
- technique of playing chords
- technique of playing tremolos
- technique of playing octaves (‘movement de tiroir’)
Sunday 12 June, 3pm
Pamela Wedgewood (Faber): The Rusty Pianist
Pam introduces her upcoming publication Playable Pieces, the second in her latest piano series, The Rusty Pianist - an invaluable resource for teachers of returning players. This webinar will provide unique insights and musical demos from Pam herself.
Pam takes us through both books which aim to aid both returning pianists and adult learners from approximately Grade 3 to Grade 5 standard. The first book features ‘Rusty Reminders’ that serve as helpful teaching points, whilst offering expert advice on an array of original pieces and arrangements of well-known folk and classical pieces. These include Scarborough Fair, Chopin’s ‘Raindrop’ prelude, Beethoven’s Pathetique and many more. In this webinar, Pam gives you exclusive live demonstrations of a selection of pieces with advice on how to make the most of the books during lessons. The series encompasses a range of musical styles – from Latin and Romantic to Ballads and Blues - helping players and teachers to develop your repertoire further.
“Making the decision to regain your love for the piano will establish an enjoyable skill to use for the rest of your life. Think of it as a little piece of personal well-being and calm in this challenging world. That can’t be bad!” –Pam Wedgwood
Sunday 12 June, 3pm
Christopher Norton: It’s never over till it’s over!
The writer of the Microjazz series – 40 years on
The first 2 volumes of Microjazz for Piano came out in 1983 and the distinctive style of this series has kept them at the forefront of educational music for nearly 40 years. During the pandemic Christopher Norton felt emboldened to write 2 new volumes–Microjazz collections 4 and 5, which were released at the end of 2021. These intermediate and late intermediate pieces include backing tracks and are ideal not just as piano literature but also as a springboard for chord playing and improvisation. Christopher will demonstrate both the pieces and the ways they can be used to improve musicianship and ear-training.
About the Series
April 2020 witnessed the first of what has immediately become an extremely popular EPTA UK event, almost an institution. Our two-weekly online webinars have attracted audiences of over 200 EPTA members, and we look forward to seeing more of you as the weeks go on.
These stimulating and informative sessions feature distinguished teachers and performers talking passionately about areas of teaching close to their heart. For those of you who haven't experienced them, they are almost always 3pm every other Sunday. The subject matter varies hugely across the spectrum of teaching.
If you come away with just one new idea, or it opens up thoughts about your own research, then it will have been time well spent. The diary is filling up quickly, and a quick glance at the sessions already planned will show the diversity of exciting presentations on offer.
Don't miss out, register before the day (invitations will be sent to members the week before the webinar). As always, if you have a subject you would like addressed, have heard a presenter you think we would all love to hear, or even wish to present something yourself, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
