ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stefan Joubert

About Stefan Joubert

Stefan Joubert manages the London Piano Institute, a premier destination for adult piano learners seeking individualised instruction and progress towards their musical goals. He believes anyone can learn to play regardless of age or ability!

Watermelon Man by Herbie Hancock

2023-10-11T11:30:06+01:00

In a Nutshell:"Watermelon Man" is a jazz standard by Herbie Hancock from his 1962 debut album, "Takin' Off."The original version featured Freddie Hubbard and Dexter Gordon in a grooving hard bop style.Mongo Santamaría's Latin pop rendition reached No. 10 on the pop chart and was Grammy Hall of Fame inducted.Hancock later reworked it with funk influences for his 1973 album "Head Hunters."The song's structure is a sixteen-bar blues drawing from R&B, soul jazz, and bebop.Over two hundred artists have recorded the song, including David Bowie's band and live renditions at Montreux Jazz Festival.About the Piece:"Watermelon Man" is a jazz standard composed [...]

Watermelon Man by Herbie Hancock2023-10-11T11:30:06+01:00

Interview with Xinyue – Aug 2023

2023-08-08T21:09:36+01:00

About Xinyue Xinyue, a renowned classical piano teacher at London Piano Institute, brings over a decade of experience, remarkable skills, and awards to inspire students. Stefan Joubert: How do you deal with technical difficulties? Xinyue: I employ several strategies to overcome challenges and improve my skills: 1: Isolate the Problem: When facing a technical issue in a specific passage or technique, I isolate that section and practice it separately from the rest of the piece. Focusing on the problem area allows me to address it more effectively. 2: Practice Rhythmic Variations: To enhance my rhythmic control, I experiment with different [...]

Interview with Xinyue – Aug 20232023-08-08T21:09:36+01:00

Interview with Xinyue – July 2023

2023-07-20T20:17:13+01:00

About XinyueXinyue, a renowned classical piano teacher at London Piano Institute, brings over a decade of experience, remarkable skills, and awards to inspire students.Stefan Joubert: What is the most difficult piece you have ever played so far and why?Xinyue: The most difficult piano piece I have tried to play so far, it would be Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor. This concerto is notorious for its technical demands and requires exceptional skill, strength, and endurance. The intricate fingerings, rapid passages, and extensive use of octaves make it an incredibly challenging piece to master.Octave Passages: Rachmaninoff incorporates numerous octave [...]

Interview with Xinyue – July 20232023-07-20T20:17:13+01:00

Interview with Xinyue – June 2023

2023-06-15T15:34:58+01:00

About Xinyue Xinyue, a renowned classical piano teacher at London Piano Institute, brings over a decade of experience, remarkable skills, and awards to inspire students. Stefan Joubert: What advice would you give to an adult who has never played the piano but is interested in learning? Xinyue: Set clear goals: Determine what you want to achieve with your piano playing. Do you want to learn a specific song, play for leisure, or pursue more advanced levels? Setting goals will keep you motivated and focused. Start with the basics: Begin by learning the fundamentals of piano playing, including proper hand positioning, [...]

Interview with Xinyue – June 20232023-06-15T15:34:58+01:00

Interview with Laura – May 2023

2023-07-18T09:59:08+01:00

About Laura Laura Bevan is a piano teacher at the London Piano Institute. She has been playing the piano since she was seven years old and since then has studied at the Conservatoire in Leeds, gaining a degree in classical and Popular music. Stefan Joubert: Who is your favourite pianist and why? Laura Bevan: My favourite pianist is Yuja Wang for reasons other than her technical capabilities. Yuja Wang is my favourite pianist because she doesn’t listen to what is expected of her. The fact she wears what she likes despite it being deemed as ‘inappropriate’ for a classical musician [...]

Interview with Laura – May 20232023-07-18T09:59:08+01:00

Interview with Laura – April 2023

2023-07-18T09:57:42+01:00

About Laura Laura Bevan is a piano teacher at the London Piano Institute. She has been playing the piano since she was seven years old and since then has studied at the Conservatoire in Leeds, gaining a degree in classical and Popular music. Stefan Joubert: Laura Bevan: My favourite pianist is Yuja Wang for reasons other than her technical capabilities. Yuja Wang is my favourite pianist because she doesn’t listen to what is expected of her. The fact she wears what she likes despite it being deemed as ‘inappropriate’ for a classical musician is inspiring and shows that she is [...]

Interview with Laura – April 20232023-07-18T09:57:42+01:00

Why Scales?

2022-03-30T13:30:40+01:00

Scales can be seen as a tedious task by many people who choose to study the piano but without them your technique and knowledge will never reach its full potential and no one wants to be held back! I get asked frequently by students ‘why do I have to play scales?’ ‘What do they even do that benefit me?’ I usually struggle to find one short answer when this happens because there’s a whole list of reasons I could dive into…. And I do. The main reason for practicing your scales is to build up your finger technique. If you take [...]

Why Scales?2022-03-30T13:30:40+01:00

Five benefits of learning the piano in small group format

2021-03-01T10:48:51+00:00

You learn from others in the class. This is a tremendous advantage as you can see the mistakes that others make and avoid those mistakes. In fact at the highest level of piano virtuosi study classes are generally in masterclass and group format. The reasons for this are that individuals have the opportunity to listen to others, analyse each other’s playing, have the opportunity to listen (as you will not always be playing; hence there’s no pressure) and have the benefit of hearing sound advice on their playing with a master teacher in front of a class. At a beginner/intermediate level, [...]

Five benefits of learning the piano in small group format2021-03-01T10:48:51+00:00

Interview with virtuoso pianist Ljubica Stojanovic

2021-03-01T10:44:53+00:00

How and when did you develop your passion for the piano? It was early on in my life, it started since I know of myself. My father is a pianist and my older sister is violinist, music was surrounding us since we were born. We would go to sleep listening to classical music tapes and were in general encouraged to play songs or music that we heard. The piano was the central piece in our living room and I considered it a fun toy. I loved music straightaway and would always dream awake while listening. It felt like one of the [...]

Interview with virtuoso pianist Ljubica Stojanovic2021-03-01T10:44:53+00:00

Why is it advantageous to learn to play a musical instrument in your adult years

2021-03-01T10:43:34+00:00

This question begets a much more fundamental question namely why is it advantageous to learn a musical instrument at all? I will, however, proceed on the premises that the reader is convinced of the benefits of being able to play an instrument reasonably well at an early age, the only question now remaining, is if it is worth your while to put in the time and effort at a later stage of your life. It is not only about being able to play “The Moonlight Sonata” faultlessly at a party to impress your friends with Coldplay's’ newest “Hot” play but in [...]

Why is it advantageous to learn to play a musical instrument in your adult years2021-03-01T10:43:34+00:00
Go to Top