Supporting Piano Education
Article written by Andrew Eales
The start of any new year or season is for many a time for making resolutions: a time for ambition, grit and determination. Whether it’s a fresh commitment to healthy eating and exercise, or a renewed self-discipline in setting aside time to practise the piano, there’s never a bad time to make a decision to turn a new leaf.
But how can we foster perseverance and ultimately success?
Continue reading The Pianist’s ResolutionPianodao Wellbeing
Article written by Andrew Eales
I used to be a coffee addict. I had several pots of fresh coffee a day, and when I tried to cut back I experienced acute withdrawal symptoms. Unfortunately though, coffee has some fairly unhelpful side-effects; among other things, it is especially bad for us if we suffer from anxiety (which is so common among pianists).
Having read about the virtues of tea drinking, I decided to try a switch. My previous experience of tea was the warm, milky, teabag variety. I realised that this is not exactly the drink that the great Daoist sages spoke of, so I jumped into the deep end and started to explore the wide variety of Chinese leaf teas that are available without straying too far from the beaten track.
To cut a long story short, switching to tea has proven one of the best choices I’ve made. Aside from tea drinking being better for my health (physical and emotional), my exploration of different Chinese teas has become a fascinating and absorbing journey in its own right.
It may seem odd to encounter an article about tea drinking on a piano site, but I will explain some of the reasons why tea might actually be the perfect brew for all pianists (and, well, people in general).
Also bear in mind that Pianodao addresses my interest in Daoist philosophy and practices; hence the “dao” part of the site name. Tea drinking is so embedded in Daoist culture and practice and that it might as well be described as a core tenet of the Daoist worldview. As the contemporary Daoist master Zhongxian Wu explains:
“Pin Ming Lun Dao is a commonly used Chinese phrase which means ‘to discuss and understand the Dao through the taste of tea‘. This phrase embodies the lifestyle of the most traditional Chinese sages and scholars, whether they be a master of Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, martial arts, music, calligraphy, and/or Traditional Chinese Medicine.”
foreword to Daniel Reid, The Art and Alchemy of Chinese Tea, Singing Dragon, 2011.
With all this in mind, this article will address the following questions:
Tea is by far the single most popular beverage on earth today, so chances are that most people reading this are already at least casual tea drinkers. I hope that the perspective and insight offered here will add to your enjoyment of tea.
And for those who haven’t yet considered this fascinating subject, inextricably bound as it is with the history of mankind, commerce, and even the rise and fall of empires, my hope is that this article will pique your interest, and give you good reason to try something new!
Let’s start by going back in time….
Continue reading The Pianist’s BrewFermata • The Pianodao Blog
Short Reflections by Andrew Eales
“Often we find ourselves in trouble simply because we are going too fast, disregarding signs of trouble that we would have seen if only we had been going a little slower.
All too often we get caught up in the rush; our whole culture is based on it. Get ahead! Do it now!
Sometimes the right thing to do is not to do anything.”
Solala Towler, Cha Dao (Singing Dragon, 2010)
These comments (which are taken from a book about the preparation and consumption of tea) offer golden advice which can be applied to pretty much any aspect of our lives. And no wonder so many of us feel completely worn out most of the time!
For our purposes, I want to touch on the value of taking our time in two areas:
• firstly teaching and learning
• and then our personal piano practice…
Pianodao Wellbeing
Article written by Andrew Eales
“Leave your thoughts in a place you will not visit, and let yourself return to the natural way.”
Most of the pianists that I have met are easy to describe as “deep thinkers”, and I would argue that an aptitude for analytical thinking is an essential skill for the advanced piano player.
But the jump from analytical thinking to overthinking is a small one. And here’s the problem. In recent years, we have become increasingly aware that overthinking any problem can break rather than solve it, and can often lead us to bizarre conclusions. Overthinking is inextricably linked to anxiety.
If we overthink an upcoming performance, this can undoubtedly contribute to performance anxiety. And in the same way, if we overthink life in general, this can have a significant and debilitating effect on our whole lives.
A growing body of research supports our suspicions that many physical health problems are rooted in the activities of the mind. Overthinking can be associated with anxiety, fear, paranoia and mental instability, all of which can have serious physical as well as social consequences.
Continue reading The Pianist’s OverthinkingPianodao Wellbeing
Article written by Andrew Eales
Louise Eales has more than 30 years of clinical experience as an advanced mental health practitioner, with specialisms in child and adolescent psychiatry, and neurodiversity. She is also a fully qualified practising acupuncturist. I am grateful for her professional insights, range of specialist advice, and collaboration in the writing of this important article.
Emotions are an essential aspect of our basic humanity. But when they are out of balance they can become problematic, with the potential to leave us feeling shipwrecked and adrift.
This is true for everyone, but for piano players there can sometimes be some additional challenges, and the back-and-forth swing from over-excitement to terrible disappointment can become our daily emotional landscape.
Continue reading The Pianist’s EmotionsSupporting Piano Education
Article written by Andrew Eales
Until quite recently it never occurred to me to consider who my teacher’s teacher’s teacher’s teacher was. But then I realised (somewhat inadvertently while looking into the history of piano teaching) that my teacher’s teacher’s teacher’s teacher was none other than Franz Liszt, perhaps the greatest and most influential pianist of all time.
At which point I decided it was time to give the matter more serious thought…
Now let’s get this bit over with quickly, because (as we shall see) I’m really not about to claim my “lineage” endows me with any special status or ability. But here it is:
THUD! There’s the sound of some pretty heavy name-dropping! And if you are interested in tracing your own legacy, this information on Wikipedia is a helpful resource.
Continue reading The Pianist’s Lineage
