A Unique Forum for Piano Teachers, Sunday 28th October

On Sunday 28th October 9.0 am, we are offering a forum for piano teachers entitled: ‘Who do You Think You Are’? The purpose of this forum – which is the first of its kind in the UK – is to address a hitherto increasingly urgent, yet unexplored problem concerning the health and emotional wellbeing of the piano teacher. While achieving success and high marks for the student is a given, work of this nature can be extremely stressful and largely undertaken in isolation.

It will begin with a viewing of the film Madame Sousatzka (1988), which is based on the life and work of the formidable, but little-known teacher Maria Levinskaya. The aim is twofold: firstly, to open up issues which are rarely addressed, and yet are familiar to most piano teachers, such as: the private emotions and health issues, which may arise during teaching, and which must necessarily be contained; and the difficulties which can often arise, due to the mind/body dualism, which still pervades performance and its teaching thereof; secondly, we aim to encourage discussions on these and other issues peculiar to the piano teacher, sensitively supported by a  distinguished interdisciplinary panel comprising: Prof John Sloboda, Psychologist; Murray McLachlan, Concert Pianist, Educator and  Chair of European Piano Teachers Association; Cristine MacKie, Musicologist and Author; Dr Sam Thompson, Clinical Psychologist, The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. The findings will be collated and evaluated by the Psychology Dept, Royal Holloway, University of London, and provide direction for piano teachers as well as future research.