Classical Piano Performance for Goldsmiths University

During my undergraduate degree at Goldsmiths University, I chose to perform up to the second year. I went into university without grade 8. But still with a strong interest in Classical piano. Throughout my ‘certificate in music studies’ and degree, it was required to fulfil all of the requirements of a grade 8 exam.

It was the second year of study that I ran into serious issues with my playing. The combination of studying and practicing was too much and my posture was too insufficient. So I developed severe RSI across my entire arm span, into my shoulders. Some days, it was too painful to lift up a kettle. Pain would shoot down the nerves in my arms like electric shocks. I had to postpone all of my performances, visit a chiropractor and spend many days doing simple stretches and laying on the floor.

So my ability to play was severely hindered, but I managed to pull myself through the exams. With a relatively respectable 2:1 no less. I had to really slow down my playing and basically build it back up from a beginner level. At this point I became more interested in improvisation. Fortunately while I was working so hard on those performances, a good friend had the idea to record me. It was in the practice room, so not a fully fledged performance. But I’m very grateful for what remains of that time spent sweating away over the piano.

Looking back, I think it’s a real shame that the university didn’t offer to record my performances. After all, it’s such a simple thing to set up at a university. The value this provides to a musician moving forward in life, is far greater than a number on a piece of paper. I’m not sure if I’ll ever go back to this kind of piano playing. I do still love it and greatly admire musicians that do this. For me though, there is much else I love about music and wish to spend my time on.

I introduce all my students to recording techniques early on. I regularly remind them of the significance of recording things to as good a standard as possible. You can find out more about that here.