Motivation

17 m², a saxophone, and letters of apology to the neighbours: the truth and poetry of an adult learning music in Paris

2026-01-14T16:55:17+00:00

People often imagine that coming to Paris to study music is like a scene from a film: sunlight on the Seine, the aroma of coffee and saxophone notes carried on the breeze. But when I arrived in 2021 to learn the saxophone, the reality proved very different. I lived in a 17 m² room in the heart of an old Parisian building, with no soundproofing and neighbours so close that even the slightest sound travelled through the walls. Every practice session ended with a knock at my door: ‘Excuse me… it’s a little loud.’ I wrote [...]

17 m², a saxophone, and letters of apology to the neighbours: the truth and poetry of an adult learning music in Paris2026-01-14T16:55:17+00:00

Keeping the pleasure of music-making intact when practising music

2024-10-03T11:18:40+01:00

How can we ensure that, despite the work and a degree of self-imposed discipline, we do not lose sight of genuine enjoyment? We are all too inclined to place our activities into separate boxes. Perhaps this is due to a system that confronts us like an Excel spreadsheet. At first glance, work and enjoyment seem entirely incompatible. Work represents something imposed on us, with rules, schedules and a certain hierarchy to observe, while enjoyment is associated with freedom, following our desires without constraint…in short, complete fulfilment [...]

Keeping the pleasure of music-making intact when practising music2024-10-03T11:18:40+01:00

Learning classical piano as an adult

2022-04-26T20:50:59+01:00

Learning classical piano as an adult is an excellent choice, as you have the maturity needed to appreciate the full meaning of each work, as well as the physical strength required to produce the sometimes intense sound demanded by certain compositions. With your in-depth knowledge of history, you can certainly understand the differences between each period and develop an interpretation of piano works written during the Baroque, Classical, Romantic or modern periods. You may already have preferences, such as studying works by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Debussy, Ravel or Stockhausen. This is excellent, as it [...]

Learning classical piano as an adult2022-04-26T20:50:59+01:00

Returning to the piano after a long break

2021-10-06T17:42:34+01:00

Returning to the piano after a long absence can be disappointing. I wrote this article to help you get back into it if you have not played for a long time. Throughout my career as a piano teacher, I have met a number of people returning to the piano after a long absence. They all told the same story. They took piano lessons until their teenage years, but played less and less as their schoolwork became more demanding. Some carried on and tried to balance their university studies with practising the piano, [...]

Returning to the piano after a long break2021-10-06T17:42:34+01:00

Learning the piano is a journey. Not a destination

2021-09-08T17:59:38+01:00

As adults, we are all alike. We want to learn quickly and easily, hoping that we can acquire a new skill without investing too much time or effort. I have never understood why we are all so eager to achieve results so quickly, while children and teenagers give themselves plenty of time to master what they have learnt. Is it because we realise that we are running out of time? Perhaps... But rushing has never produced positive results. On the contrary, trying to achieve our goals too quickly only leads to failure. We need to take our time and put in the [...]

Learning the piano is a journey. Not a destination2021-09-08T17:59:38+01:00
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