Weekly Studio Update + Keeping Yourself Accountable

Over the past two weeks I've been checking in with each of you at your lessons to make a plan for your self-directed learning and practise while I'm on paternity leave. It's been great to zero in on the areas of your development that you feel like you could benefit from some focused work in your next few lessons to give you the best opportunity to be productive over November and December.
If you, upon reflection, have decided that there are some other skills that should take priority in the next few weeks, then please let me know at your next lesson. In essence, as you're practising over the week, I want you to ask yourself, "What's one skill I wish I had more training in?"

It could be something to do with reading music, playing by ear, rhythm, memorisation, technique... pretty much anything!
In combination with this skills focus, I'm working on a set of resources and pieces for each of you that will see you through until the new year. Some of you may find it challenging to continue to practise without the accountability of a weekly lesson. If you're one of those people, I'd highly recommend finding a system of accountability that works for you. This could be:

• a family member
• a journal or chart
• a daily achievement app
• a fellow student of music

Basically, someone or something that can ask you if you've done your practise! I know some of you are highly self-motivated and this won't be an issue, but I get the sense there may be a few of you that might find a few excuses during my leave to take a break from playing.
A reminder that the online recital is happening this Sunday afternoon at 2pm. If you didn't receive the email last week with instructions for uploading your videos, please let me know ASAP. I'm asking that you record and upload by Thursday night to give me enough time to edit everything together. If you're running late for upload, let me know and I'll do my best to make sure I'm still able to include you.

Things I've been watching/listening to this week:

1. Clair De Lune Yourself by Debussy & Eminem - my colleague Chris at HDPiano is an incredible jazz pianist, and has taken to making mashups. His brain works in interesting ways.
2. Van Halen Eruption Guitar Solo - the passing of Eddie Van Halen was felt by many across the music community. If you've never seen/heard the man play guitar, this is 13 minutes worth watching.
3. Making Advanced™️ Kids Music (odd meters, metric Modulation, etc) - a bunch of the most popular YouTube music theorists made an album of classic nursery rhymes with different rhythmic devices in each song. Who knew that "London Bridge" worked so well in 7/8 time!
4. SEPTEMBER - Earth, Wind & Fire x Peter Bence (Piano Cover) - it's now October, but it's always listening to the classic disco hit September, particularly when Peter Bence is involved.
5. Jacob Collier - Fix You (Live for There With Care) - Jacob covers the Coldplay classic. Lots of beautiful reharmonisation.
6. Tutorial: Playing funk on the keys pt 1 - the current keyboardist for one of my all-time favourite bands Jamiroquai takes us through some of the tricks and tools he uses to create funky accompaniment parts on the keyboard.
7. Albums beginning with the letter S: Tara Simmons (Show Me Spirit 'Til the End), Cake (Showroom of Compassion), The Avalanches (Since I Left You), Big Boi (Sir Lucious Left Foot), Ben Folds (So There), K.Flay (Solutions), Doves (Some Cities), Eskimo Joe (A Song Is A City).

Be sure to let me know what you've been enjoying lately and if there's anything you think I should check out!