I’m at an exciting stage as I begin the second year of my PhD research project looking at the impact of active engagement with music on health and wellbeing.  

There really is a strong feeling that there is a piano community within the wider community at Man Group and this is partly the result of having “piano evenings’ two or three times a year…

In the next few weeks my colleague Rob Brockway and I will host a workshop with adult piano students…

It was a pleasure to work with Coach House Pianos on a project to encourage workplaces to embrace the concept of providing music-making facilities for employees to take a break during their working day…

After almost 8 years of teaching the piano at Man Group plc in London it was clear that there was greater demand for lessons than my availability could cover…

How to approach learning the piano - to play by ear, to play from sheet music, to memorise? Here are examples of two pianists who have learnt in very different ways….

It always strikes me as ironical that we use the word “play” for something which we do with the utmost seriousness and even, at times, fear - of playing a wrong note, of displeasing a teacher…

… but I gave it up because I wasn’t any good…

”It makes my heart bleed when I hear this. While I support the pursuit of excellence, surely that shouldn’t be the only of measure of whether something is worth doing?

A few years ago I had the unexpected opportunity to replace the piano I’d had since I was a student, but which was sadly past its best, with a 2-year old Bösendorfer 170 grand. This was an instrument I wouldn’t have expected to own in my wildest dreams…