Weekly Studio Update - New Equipment - 13/01/20

I had a great first week back teaching, it was great to get back in to a few routines and help set some goals for new and returning students. I like to check in regularly to keep on top of your goals and make sure you're working towards the areas you'd like, and from there it's my job to facilitate the learning of the skills that will get you there.
You might notice a small change in my studio setup this week - I've upgraded my music stands behind my keyboard so that I can now accomodate six sheets of music. It's not uncommon for me to learn songs for HDPiano tutorials that have five or six sheets, so this will make that part of my work much easier. I'm always on the lookout for ways to make my setup more efficient for learning and teaching and those of you who have been having lessons for the past few years have seen quite a few upgrades and changes in that time.

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If you're ever curious about what each part of my setup does, feel free to ask! Never be afraid to be curious, and I'll happily pass on any advice for how you might make better use of your practise space at home. Sometimes a small equipment change can work wonders for your comfort and productivity, whether it's a new stand, bench, headphones, music stand, integrating technology or upgrading to a new piano or digital keyboard.

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

1. 5 Creative Ways to Improve Your Throws in Ultimate Frisbee - not at all piano related (I'm playing frisbee on the weekends), but a reminder that there are plenty of resources on anything available on the internet. If you're feeling curious about something music or piano related, have a search and tell me about it - I might have a different take on something or a different way of explaining something if it doesn't make sense, but I'll never be annoyed that you're curious!
2. Maxence Cyrin - Where is my mind - Official 2018 Video (The Pixies Piano cover) - one of my students is learning this arrangement and it's a brilliant example of the skill that I value most in a musician, taking a song and developing your own compelling arrangement.
3. Albums beginning with the letter H: Ball Park Music (Happiness and Surrounding Suburbs), The Beatles (A Hard Day's Night), Harry Styles (Harry Styles), Goldfrapp (Head First) and William Shatner (Has Been).