PianoCareer

Hi everyone! Lesson No. 3 for GRADE 5 from our new INTERMEDIATE Course is now waiting for you on PianoCareerAcademy.com! 🎹🥰

In this Lesson we explore a romantic piece that holds a very special place in my heart: the poetic "Erinnerung" (Remembrance) op. 68 No. 28 from Schumann's beloved "Album for the Young" 🎼.

A luminous and deeply expressive elegy, this miniature masterpiece is rich in challenges - and therefore immensely rewarding. Designed to nurture your artistry, deepen your musicality and refine your technique, it will take your coordination and multitasking skills to a whole new level - while also strengthening your interval/chord/arpeggio control, sound quality, intonation, voicing, phrasing, dynamics and pedaling.

Every bar is a multi-layered universe, demanding active pre-hearing, sharp focus, and truly in-depth practice 😇. If the word holistic was ever appropriate to describe a piece - this is it! And yes - get ready for tons of silent finger substitutions that will make ballet seem easy 😅.

For your viewing comfort, I have split the Lesson into three parts:
• Part I: Demonstration (video).
• Part II: At-a-Glance Analysis (written).
• Part III: Practice Insights (video).

Enjoy! 😊

#piano #pianoteacher #pianopractice #pianotechnique #pianotutorial #Schumann #PianoCareerAcademy

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 5

PianoCareer

Hi everyone! The holidays are quickly approaching 🎄🎁 - a wonderful occasion to enrich your repertoire with a new Christmas piece!

In my latest tutorial (now available on PianoCareerAcademy.com) we explore and savor a gorgeous arrangement of "Silent Night" ✨ (ideal for the intermediate level). Its juicy, jazz-tinged harmonies, smooth melodic flow, and majestic culmination make it an absolute joy to practice and perform 🥰.

For your viewing comfort, I have split the Lesson into three parts:
• Part I: Demonstration (video).
• Part II: At-a-Glance Analysis (written).
• Part III: Practice Insights (video).

So, are you ready? 😃 Meet me at the piano and let's enjoy this inspired music together! ✨

members.pianocareeracademy.com/tutorial/silent-nig…

#piano #pianoteacher #pianopractice #pianotechnique #pianotutorial #Christmas #ChristmasMusic #PianoCareerAcademy

2 months ago | [YT] | 8

PianoCareer

Hi everyone! I just published the 2nd episode of 'Beyond the Notes' - our new podcast-style project on PianoCareerAcademy.com! 🎹🎙 Its purpose? To take the "puzzle pieces" of our art (technique, tempo, reading, articulation) and place them into a meaningful context while exploring music's deeper layers. 🥰

In Episode 2 - 'I Can't Reach the Final Tempo!' - I'm answering a common member question:

"I can play the piece well in a slower tempo, but when I try to increase the speed, everything falls apart. I just can't reach the tempo of your demonstration! Is it ok to move on to the next piece? And if not - how can I fix this?"

Join me for a session of mindful tempo building, where we uncover the 4 main causes of speed walls - and learn how to overcome them in a healthy holistic way. ☺️

Enjoy! 😉

members.pianocareeracademy.com/tutorial/beyond-not…
_______

Real music isn't about pressing the right keys in the right order. It's not the mechanical 'recitation' of notes, but rather what we DO with them that makes a performance come alive. Every piano challenge has deeper roots, yet we often get so wrapped up in finger movements, legato slurs or beats-per-minute that we overlook them entirely. 😅 When the real issues stay hidden, true progress is out of reach.

Music is what happens BEYOND the notes 🎶 - and that's the journey we'll take together in this podcast. Let's step back to discover the bigger picture 🌎 and learn to see the whole forest, not just the individual trees. 🌳

Each episode is inspired by our members' questions - the real problems and puzzles that come up in their daily practice.

So, are you brave enough to look behind the curtain and uncover the inner workings of our art? 😇

#piano #pianoteacher #pianopractice #pianotechnique #pianotutorial #classicalmusic #PianoCareerAcademy #pianopodcast

3 months ago | [YT] | 8

PianoCareer

Hi everyone! It's finally here! 😇 Lesson No. 2 for GRADE 5 from our new INTERMEDIATE Course is now waiting for you on PianoCareerAcademy.com! 🎹🥰

✨"Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are..."

Most of us grew up humming this simple tune - but did you know it has French origins, and that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the greatest composers of all time, transformed it into a dazzling set of 12 piano variations?

Only true genius can turn a playful children's song into a work of art. In this ample-form piece, Mozart showcases not only his brilliance but also his famous wit and sense of humor 😇, crafting music that sparkles with imagination while testing both artistry and technique.

So, drumroll please 🥁... today's lesson features the Variations in C Major, K. 265/300e, on the French folk song "Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman" (known today as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star), by the legendary Austrian composer W. A. Mozart (1756–1791) 🎉.

For your viewing comfort, I have split the Lesson into four parts:
• Part I: Demonstration (video).
• Part II: At-a-Glance Analysis (written).
• Part III: Practice Insights: Theme, Variations I and V (video).
• Part IV: Practice Insights: Variations VII, VIII and X (video).

So, are you ready? 😃 Meet me at the piano and let's enjoy this effervescent music together! ✨

members.pianocareeracademy.com/tutorial/mozart-12-…

#piano #pianoteacher #pianopractice #pianotechnique #pianotutorial #Mozart #PianoCareerAcademy

5 months ago | [YT] | 8

PianoCareer

🎉 Hi everyone! I have exciting news! 🎹

You asked. We listened. After years of requests, we’ve launched the Free Trial Membership at PianoCareerAcademy! 🎶

Explore our entire platform, get access to 80+ free tutorials, and experience the depth of our curriculum – with no credit card, no time limit, and no strings attached.

Whether you're a beginner or advanced, this is your chance to experience PCA for yourself. 🙌

📺 Watch the new video & join for free today:
www.pianocareeracademy.com/

#piano #pianoteacher #pianopractice #pianotechnique #pianotutorial #PianoCareerAcademy #FreePianoLessons

6 months ago | [YT] | 2

PianoCareer

Hi everyone! I just published a NEW tutorial on PianoCareerAcademy.com! 🎹🥰
Inspired by our members' recordings, this video exposes a sneaky 'silent saboteur' that can cause serious damage to your piano progress if left unchecked: selective hearing - the tendency to 'cherry-pick' only parts of the guidance offered in a lesson or tutorial - while tuning out the rest 😇.

No, perfection is not the goal. A known cause of tension and overthinking, our desire to be 'perfect' is often the enemy of true art. We are not computers: every pianist is unique, and no two interpretations can be identical. Even core fundamentals like ergonomic technique, phrasing, or dynamics have nuance and flexibility, and can't be forced into a rigid mold.

Still, small mistakes accumulate. Overlooking the occasional detail is human - but entirely ignoring whole-arm movement or the artistic concept of a piece? That's where trouble begins 🙃.

So, let's explore why we all fall into the trap of selective hearing in our early learning stages - and more importantly, how to recognize it, outsmart it, and grow beyond it 😉

members.pianocareeracademy.com/tutorial/overcoming…

#piano #pianoteacher #pianopractice #pianotechnique #pianotutorial #classicalmusic #PianoCareerAcademy

8 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 7

PianoCareer

Hi everyone! It's finally here! 😇 Lesson No. 1 for GRADE 5 from our new INTERMEDIATE Course is now waiting for you on PianoCareerAcademy.com! 🎹🥰

In older times, all roads led to Rome... In classical music, all roads lead to Bach. ☀️🎶 His incredible compositions are not just destinations, however. True cornerstones that support the entire 'bridge', they are a crucial part of our journey.

Today's lesson is dedicated to one of these cornerstones - a polyphonic piece that, in my opinion, every aspiring pianist should learn: the Invention No. 1 in C Major (the first piece in Bach's cycle of 30 Inventions and Sinfonias, BWV 772-801).

A masterful dialogue between two independent voices, this Invention is a powerful exercise for your entire musical skillset: polyphonic hearing, imagination, sound quality, expressive precision, coordination, and technical dexterity. Being in contact with Bach's timeless genius is also a transformative spiritual practice - helping us to access a calmer, kinder, deeper part of our being, one that is in tune with the perfect harmony of the Universe.

For your viewing comfort, I have split the Lesson into four parts:
• Part I: Demonstration (video).
• Part II: At-a-Glance Analysis (written).
• Part III: Theory Insights (video).
• Part IV: Practice Insights (video).

Enjoy! 😊

members.pianocareeracademy.com/tutorial/bach-inven…

#piano #pianist #pianoteacher #classicalpiano #pianotutorial #pianolesson #onlinepiano #pianopractice #pianocourse #intermediatepiano #pianotechnique #PianoCareerAcademy #Bach #Invention

9 months ago | [YT] | 8

PianoCareer

Hi everyone! I just published a NEW tutorial on PianoCareerAcademy.com! 🎹🥰 Inspired by our members' recent recordings, today's video addresses a common issue: playing with low, fixed wrists that disconnect the hand from the arm, forcing the fingers to do all the 'heavy lifting' on their own 🥵.

Besides limiting our technical and expressive freedom, this constricted alignment is also a frequent cause of tension and injuries.

So why does this problem arise, and how do we correct it? Why is it crucial to keep our wrists higher, and make sure they are flexible and relaxed? What role does the wrist play in overall alignment, whole-arm action and weighted playing? And can a 'floating' wrist position improve sound quality? ☺️

Watch the video to find out! 😉

members.pianocareeracademy.com/tutorial/elevate-yo…

#piano #pianoteacher #pianopractice #pianotechnique #pianotutorial #classicalmusic #PianoCareerAcademy

11 months ago | [YT] | 6

PianoCareer

Hi everyone! I just published a NEW tutorial on PianoCareerAcademy.com! 🎹🥰 Inspired by our members' recent recordings, this video tackles a common challenge: performing 'shyness' ☺️.

A shy pianist is afraid to take space. They play close to the keys, with small movements, in a careful 'two-dimensional' manner. It's like driving on a flat road - safe and contained - when we should be soaring like a bird, or piloting an airplane ✈️.

No, confidence is not just a result of experience. In the professional world, it's a skill we develop from day 1 through a step-by-step, scientific approach. It's something we cultivate, refine and master - both technically and expressively. It's also a mindset, and it all begins with awareness.

So how do we break free? How do we 'defy gravity' and take flight? [Sorry, couldn't help myself! 😅🧙‍♀️] How do we discover our stage voice - that bold, expressive presence that makes our playing shine? 🎇 How do we move beyond the 'typewriter' approach and step into the role of confident, radiant artists?

Watch the video to find out! 😉

members.pianocareeracademy.com/tutorial/finding-yo…

#piano #pianoteacher #pianopractice #pianotechnique #pianotutorial #classicalmusic #PianoCareerAcademy

1 year ago | [YT] | 16

PianoCareer

Hi everyone! The TIMAKIN series is back! 🎉🎹 Episode 17 from the famous cycle of interviews/lectures with professor Evgeny Timakin (with my English subtitles!) is now available on PianoCareerAcademy.com! 🎶

Evgeny Mihaylovich Timakin (1916-2004) was a renowned Russian pianist and teacher. He graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied with the legendary piano professor Konstantin Igumnov. Prof. Timakin became famous for his longstanding (and extremely fruitful) pedagogical activity at the Moscow State Conservatory and Central Music School. Among his disciples - Michail Pletnev, Ivo Pogorelich, Olga Kern (and many many others).

In this interview/lecture he makes a synthesis of his entire pedagogical approach - an insightful overview of the most important elements of our art. A lot to learn for all of us! 😎

The lecture is more than 5 hours long - and it is divided into 47 short videos. I will translate and post them one at a time, until the series is complete! 😉

members.pianocareeracademy.com/tutorial/evgeny-tim…

#piano #Timakin #pianoteacher #pianopractice #pianotechnique #pianotutorial #classicalmusic #PianoCareerAcademy

1 year ago | [YT] | 11