May 22, 2025
About the Author: Stefan Joubert
When Keith resumed piano lessons in 2022 after a long break, he never imagined he’d one day achieve a Grade 8 Distinction.
In this heartfelt and insightful interview, Keith shares his journey from self-doubt to success—reflecting on the challenges, breakthroughs, and joyful moments that shaped his musical growth.
What began with modest goals has become a true testament to the power of dedication, expert guidance, and a renewed love for the piano.
Stefan: Keith, congratulations on your distinction! How did it feel when you received the news?
Thank you very much! At first I felt relieved – the results took a few weeks to arrive, and I had increasingly surreal nightmares about failing spectacularly. After that I was able to reflect and felt pleased and proud.
Stefan: Let’s go back to the beginning—what first drew you to the piano, and how did your journey start with the London Piano Institute in 2022?
Keith: It started when a friend bought a beautiful glockenspiel, and he was amazed when I sat down and started to play tunes on it. I had learned the flute as a child, and later the piano for a short time, but over the years as life got busier I rarely played any music at all.
My friend suggested I might like to have an electric piano to play at home, and eventually I decided it was time to have lessons again. The prospect was quite terrifying after so many years!
I was reassured, however, when reading about the London Piano Institute and their approach to adult piano learning.
Stefan: What were your initial goals when you began lessons, and how have those evolved over time?
Keith: The initial plan was to aim for ABRSM Grade 6, to “finish off” where I stopped as a teenager 20 years before – I didn’t believe I had the ability to proceed beyond that.
After my first lessons with Laura, and with her guidance in (drastically) improving my technique, scales and practice habits, it became much more pleasurable and less frustrating to play and learn new pieces.
Stefan: You’re currently taking online lessons with Sonja. How has that experience been?
Keith: Amazing! I always look forward to our lessons and come away with new knowledge, ideas, and of course things to work on over the next week.
One of my biggest fears was that I would plateau and become too frustrated to continue, and Sonja is great at helping me find ways around all the problem areas of my pieces.
I will never forget the “eureka” moment when she fixed an issue with one of the dreaded “double thirds” scales.
Stefan: As an adult learner, how have you managed to balance piano with work and life?
Keith: Gosh, making time to practise is often easier said than done, so I try to be realistic about it. If I can only manage 15/20 minutes some days, I will then try to sit down later in the week and get some quality hours in.
My home piano has a headphone slot, so fortunately I can play at unsociable hours if need be!
Stefan: Were there any practise routines or strategies that particularly helped you?
Keith: Attention to detail in scales worked wonders for me, and being strict with the accuracy and finger patterns. Learning some of the trickier scales slooowly was astonishingly frustrating but it really did work.
Slow practice too, trying to perfect small sections of a piece – but taking a break when it started to get frustrating, rather than just going through the motions of practise, and having something totally different or fun to play as a “breather”.
Stefan: Grade 8 is no small feat. What did your preparation involve, and what were some of the biggest challenges?
Keith: I made extra time for practise each day where possible, particularly for scales, with extra hours at the weekend.
When learning the pieces, I often video myself playing them – it was hard to deal with in the early stages, and quite horrific listening back to the first attempts, but helpful to compare with later recordings and see a bit of improvement.
I had a great fear of disappointing others, but with a gradual growth in confidence I instead tried to turn that into: make them proud that you did your best.
Stefan: Many find sight-reading and aural tests especially demanding. How did you prepare for those?
Keith: The ABRSM app and books were very useful for the aural tests. Particulary with the aural tests, I found it valuable to sit by myself and give the answers out loud.
Much of the detail was still lurking in the back of my mind from my old flute days, although I am not entirely sure how! Sight-reading was more of a challenge and in the months leading up to the exam I set aside time to sight-read short pieces every day.
On some occasions I found myself saying loudly “don’t stop!” after a slip. Fortunately I didn’t say that to myself in the exam.
Stefan: Was there a particular piece in your Grade 8 programme that resonated with you?
Keith: Barcarolle: Juin by Tchaikovsky. I did not imagine I would ever be able to play it, let alone memorise it. That in itself felt like an achievement; slowly understanding the musicality, appropriate pedalling, phrasing and the overall mood of the piece, though, was a real joy.
I don’t think I’ve ever managed that level of depth with a piece before. (An honourable mention to JP Johnson’s Over The Bars, which is enormous fun to bash out on a street piano when the opportunity arises).
Stefan: How did Sonja support your preparation, especially in the weeks leading up to the exam?
Keith: Sonja was very supportive with helping me think clearly about how the pieces should be played in the exam, making sure my scales were ready and not panicking (which I tend to do).
We could also talk quite frankly about timing – not rushing to try and take the exam early, but getting to the right point first. Although the exam day itself was full of anxiety, I felt we had prepared as much as we could.
Stefan: Looking back on your journey from 2022 to now, what do you feel has changed most in your playing or musical outlook?
Keith: It’s all still changing. I started with very limited ambitions and have been constantly amazed when things have gone well!
Overall I feel encouraged that it’s still possible to get better with practise and great teaching and most of all, to enjoy the whole experience for what it is.
Stefan: Has learning piano impacted other areas of your life?
Keith: “Sorry I can’t, I’ve got a piano studio booked!” was a regular refrain for me over the last year. Friends and family have been very understanding and supportive.
It’s definitely given me more confidence in my own ability to learn and apply myself – and not to be embarrassed to ask for help.
Stefan: What advice would you give to other adult pianists working towards their Grade 8 or similar goals?
I can’t emphasise this enough: enjoy it!
Decide your own personal goals, but be flexible and don’t restrict yourself. Remember that you’re doing it for you. And listen to your teacher!
Stefan: Now that you’ve achieved Grade 8 with distinction, what’s next for you musically?
I would like to work towards the ARSM diploma. This was simply unimaginable a few years ago. I don’t yet know if I have the ability, but hopefully it will continue to be a fun journey!
Conclusion
Keith’s story is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to pursue excellence in music.
With dedication, the right support, and a love for learning, adult learners can achieve truly remarkable milestones.
We look forward to following Keith’s continued journey as he sets his sights on the ARSM diploma!
