Piano Lessons in our World Today.

I have been teaching the piano for almost 50 years. My focus, now more than ever, is on creating a safe, fun and relaxed space for all my pupils. There seems to be more and more pressure on our lives and our childrens' lives. I aim for my pupils' piano lesson to be a safe haven for them in the midst of the tensions and insecurities that are at large in our world today. Their piano lesson will be a place where everything about their lives is accepted and accommodated. But also a place where all their worries and struggles can be forgotten within the enriching process of learning to play the piano. Their pace.

Their way. For some pupils that might mean maintaining a rigid structure, working through the exams, for others it's an opportunity to decompress for 5 minutes and tell me about their day, play piano games and learn their favourite tunes, for others it's a mixture of all the above. It's very much a case of nurturing the pupils the way that they need it so that we can establish a perfect environment for them to flourish and grow. In retrospect, I have always operated like this, but I am becoming increasingly aware of the necessity to amplify this 'wellbeing' aspect of my piano lessons. We're making music. We need our whole beings to do this, not just our physical and intellectual faculties. We need to be present, relaxed and open. We need to enjoy.