PIANO WITH SPENCER
WELCOME
From Spencer
SEPTEMBER 2024 - PLEASE NOTE I AM ON A TEACHING HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Welcome and thanks for dropping by. I’m Spencer and I’ve been a session pianist/keyboardist for around 20 years working in all genres including theatre, film, live gigs and concerts. I continue to work as a freelance pianist in all styles and love it.
I specialise in helping keen pianists reach their potential, whether they be beginners, intermediate or advanced. My main focus is on efficient practise. I have a pretty relaxed attitude and also know the importance of encouragement. In general, I accommodate the more relaxed piano hobbyist who needs a little help choosing appropriate repertoire and has a fairly busy life. Quality rather than quantity of practise is my focus.
I will help empower you to:
Practise effectively
Read more fluently
Solve technical difficulties without me
Improve your musicianship
Avoid bad habits
Improve your critical listening
Feel confident at the piano
I look forward to sharing your frustrations, and your breakthroughs! So if you are keen to make faster progress then please feel free to introduce yourself.
Taster sessions are £25 for 30 minutes via FaceTime or Zoom. Due to demand, I can only accommodate weekdays at present, subject to availability.
So don’t be shy, say hi!
I’m also on Instagram & YouTube
SEPTEMBER 2024 - PLEASE NOTE I AM ON A TEACHING HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
A Little More About Me
I studied at Trinity College of Music, London. I have a love for a crossover of genres like classical, jazz & rock that has led to me playing in various West End theatres and most recently on the film soundtrack to Matilda The Musical.
Highlights include
Film: Matilda The Musical
Theatre: Matilda, Les Miserables, Love Never Dies
Sessions: The Batman with live orchestra
Rock/Pop: David Live, the David Bowie tribute band as Mike Garson
Solo recordings: The Crown, The Queen
On screen: The Crown, Maestro
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The Moldau (Smetana) - arranged & performed by Spencer
TESTIMONIALS
Special thanks to the following pupils who have been kind enough to write about our recent sessions below.
“For years I’ve wanted to learn the piano but didn’t feel I had the self confidence as an adult and then I met Spencer. He is a fantastic teacher. Even on my first lesson he had me playing complete songs and in a short period of time I have become a confident pianist. His approach to learning has allowed me to develop my own style and enabled me to critique my playing helping me to continually progress in my piano skills.”
Collette, Cambs.
“What a privilege it is to have the opportunity to learn from the talented and ever-patient Spencer. I closed the lid on my piano some years ago and never expected to play again but with Spencer’s guidance I gained the confidence to start again and I love it. Spencer is a calm and thoughtful teacher and with every lesson he sets achievable goals, enabling me to enjoy the piano more and more every day. I wasn’t sure how virtual lessons would work but Spencer is completely focussed on everything that is happening on the keyboard and it feels just as though we are together in the room. Spencer combines authority and kindness, he is an inspiring teacher and I would recommend any aspiring pianist to take this amazing chance to be taught by him.”
Anne, Surrey
“I really enjoy having online lessons with Spencer. He is a very good teacher and explains things very well. His friendly and encouraging approach have been a great help in improving my sight reading and aural skills.”
John, Norfolk
FAQS
WHAT IF I’M SHY OF MAKING MISTAKES OR GETTING THINGS WRONG?
I’ve made millions of mistakes on my learning journey and expect you to do the same. I’ll do my very best to help you relax and stay at ease with a few tips as we go. I realise that it can be daunting at first, but in my experience this is usually quickly offset by the joy of learning and improving this wonderful new skill together.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I TRY TO PRACTISE?
Most of us have the usual commitments but to make steady progress I would suggest aiming for between 5 and 30 minutes every day. Remember that quality of practise is more important than quantity.
DO I HAVE TO TAKE EXAMS OR PLAY SCALES?
This depends on your personal goals. Exams and scales have their place but for some can also create unnecessary anxiety and have negative associations. My students tend not to need these extrinsic motivations. Talk this through with me over a cup of tea sometime.
I’VE TRIED VARIOUS VIDEO LESSONS. WHAT DO YOU BRING THAT’S UNIQUE?
Video coaching certainly has many benefits and can be a great source of inspiration. However in one to one sessions you’ll glean nuggets of personal feedback to make you a more efficient pianist that might otherwise go unnoticed. Bad habits are easily formed which may result in unnecessary tension and make playing harder than it needs to be. It can also be useful to have someone to discuss progress with whilst avoiding the risk of a false economy of your time and efforts.
DO YOU TEACH BEGINNERS?
Absolutely! I’m more interested in attitude than ability. I have a strong fascination with growth mindset and strongly believe that anyone can achieve anything with the right attitude and motivation.
I’M KEEN TO TRY. WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT?
Fantastic! Please send me an email at pianowithspencer@gmail.com and we can arrange a virtual cup of tea together or short session to discuss further.
INSPRING RESOURCES
Links to audio
COMPOSERS
Bach
Mark Lowther recommends recordings of Bach's Keyboard Concertos
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000422221207
Tom Service is joined by harpsichordist Richard Egarr to explore one of the most mysterious, complex and rewarding pieces in all music, The Goldberg Variations.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-goldberg-variations/id1108468608?i=1000486175601
Bartok
Kate Molleson recommends recordings of Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 3, Sz. 119, BB 127
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000467430863
Beethoven
Lucy Parham chooses her favourite version of Beethoven's Piano Sonata, 'Les Adieux'
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000644192053
Beethoven's 23rd piano sonata is stormy and intense, so earned the nickname "Appassionata" or "Passionate". Pianist Iain Burnside has choosing his favourite.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000599585270
Perhaps the deepest-felt of Beethoven's piano concertos, the G major poses both interpretative and technical challenges of the highest order. Joanna MacGregor chooses her favourite.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000555448435
Katy Hamilton recommends recordings of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No 29 in B flat, Op 106, ‘Hammerklavier'
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000498349256
Harriet Smith recommends recordings of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major Op 109.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000401366999
Iain Burnside recommends the best recording of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000386720598
Angela Hewitt brings her profound admiration for the composer and explores the humour Beethoven injects into his music, the composer’s ability to write cantabile or singing style and how Beethoven responded to the advancement of the piano.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/beethoven-unleashed-piano-sonatas/id275377513?i=1000495815725
Pianist Jonathan Biss shares the wonder of Beethoven's piano sonatas with Donald Macleod.
As they talk, he demonstrates how and why Beethoven's piano sonatas advanced the genre far beyond anything that anyone had ever achieved previously.
Donald Macleod explores Beethoven the pianist and composer for the piano.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/beethoven/id275377513?i=1000400223053
Brahms
Tom Service recommends recordings of Brahms's Piano Concerto No.2 in B-flat Major
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000431929971
Britten
Erica Jeal recommends a recorded version of Britten's Piano Concerto, Op 13.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000406216879
Chopin
Building a Library: Kenneth Hamilton chooses his favourite recording of Chopin's Piano Concerto No 2 in F minor.
Frédéric Chopin composed this glorious concerto in 1829 when he was 20 and before he had finished his formal education. It was first performed in Warsaw, with the composer as soloist.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000604975899
Allyson Devenish compares recordings of Chopin's Piano Sonata No 3 in B minor and chooses her favourite.
Chopin's final piano sonata was composed in 1844.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000559323495
Iain Burnside recommends recordings of Chopin's four scherzi
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000463906360
Sara Mohr-Pietsch on Chopin's Piano Concerto No.1, live from Southbank Centre
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000375875909
Donald Macleod explores Chopin and his relationship with novelist George Sand, from their first meetings to their fractious end.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/fryderyk-chopin-1810-1849/id275377513?i=1000588498762
Donald Macleod explores Chopin’s Polish heritage and his relationship with his instrument, the piano. Chopin’s reticence to perform made his rare appearances extremely lucrative, but he much preferred the more intimate and sociable surroundings of the salon, where his trademark light touch could be appreciated to the full.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/fryderyk-chopin/id275377513?i=1000443053544
Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Fryderyk Chopin
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/chopin/id275377513?i=1000339672829
Debussy
Iain Burnside selects his favourite recordings of Debussy's Études
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000512069473
Iain Burnside recommends a recorded version of Debussy's Piano Preludes Book 1.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000407677863
Einaudi
The phenomenally successful Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi joins Sara from his home studio in the Italian Alps, where the pandemic allowed a break in his usual hectic schedule to reappraise his creative process.
Liszt
Music researcher and writer Katy Hamilton chooses her favourite recording of Liszt's Sonata in B minor.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000529158324
Donald Macleod reflects on Franz Liszt's Hungarian story - he spent little time there and couldn't speak the language but just how important to his music was the land of his birth?
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/franz-liszt-1811-1886/id275377513?i=1000548583691
Donald Macleod delves into the life and work of Franz Liszt through five striking images.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/franz-liszt/id275377513?i=1000428451462
Tom takes a deep drive into the music of Franz Liszt, celebrated, and sometimes denigrated, for his ultra-virtuosity.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/lisztomania/id1108468608?i=1000471958042
Mozart
Perhaps the first of Mozart's extraordinary sequence of 'late' piano concertos, the D minor, K466, has attracted pianists as varied as Edwin Fischer and Mitsuko Uchida, many directing the orchestra from the keyboard.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000546644899
Lucy Parham picks her favourite recording of Mozart's Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000514854902
Sarah Walker recommends recordings of Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos in E-flat major
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000419795572
David Owen Norris sifts through the available recordings of Mozart's Piano Concerto No 21
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000379295575
Rachmaninov
Lucy Parham chooses her favourite recording of Rachmaninov's 24 piano preludes.
Rachmaninov's 24 piano preludes in all the 24 major and minor keys are a glorious treasure trove of different pianistic styles from lyrical to barn-storming. He wrote and published them at different times, and didn't regard them as a unified set.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000591905929
Pianist Lucy Parham picks through the greatest recordings of Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Sonata.
Three years after his third piano concerto was finished, he moved with his family to Rome and started working on his second piano sonata. It is a mighty but technically challenging piece.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000549435525
Musicologist Marina Frolova-Walker chooses her favourite recording of Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000529975263
David Owen Norris chooses his favourite version of Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000505680977
Though St Petersburg and then Moscow was his base for much of his early life, it was Ivanovka – a country estate deep in the Russian countryside - that formed him. The house and the land surrounding it were a major source of his creative inspiration until his last visit in 1917.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sergei-rachmaninov-1873-1943/id275377513?i=1000606746826
Donald Macleod explores Sergei Rachmaninov’s years in America.
His life there was principally that of a virtuoso performer, not a composer; and Rachmaninov gave recitals for presidents, recorded discs for Thomas Edison, and felt obliged to rattle off his “hated” Prelude in C sharp minor for concert audiences wherever he went.
By the final year of his life, he’d become immersed in American cultural life, relishing jazz music and even admiring Mickey Mouse’s take on his ubiquitous Prelude.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sergei-rachmaninov/id275377513?i=1000420643888
Kate Molleson visits his home in Switzerland on the banks of Lake Lucerne. This is the peaceful summer residence where Rachmaninov lived in in the 1930s and where he composed the Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini and the Third symphony.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rachmaninov-on-lake-lucerne/id269944235?i=1000606872725
Tom Service examines one of the most famous concertos in the piano repertoire. What is the secret of its appeal? Why does it have such emotional impact? Why did the critics hate it, yet why is it such a classical favourite in the world of popular culture - from Mickey Mouse to Marilyn Monroe to Muse? And what did Rachmaninov have to go through to compose it? With pianist Lucy Parham.
Poulenc
Jeremy Sams chooses his favourite recording of Poulenc's Piano Concerto.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000618377846
Tom McKinney recommends recordings of Poulenc's Concerto for Two Pianos in D minor, FP 61
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000437795268
Prokofiev
Prokofiev was soloist at the concerto's 1921 premiere, which has become his most popular.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000385163071
Satie
Donald Macleod looks at Satie as a trailblazer and humourist as well as his penchant for composing in threes, his copious, playful and highly idiosyncratic writings and his serious side.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/erik-satie-1866-1925/id275377513?i=1000519433073
Tom Service explores the maverick world of one of the most popular French composers, Erik Satie, composer of the three Gymnopédies, with help from pianist Nicolas Horvath and composer Christine Ott.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-listen-to-erik-satie/id1108468608?i=1000542624673
Scarlatti
Domenico Scarlatti was well placed to build himself a glittering career in the music business. He was prestigiously talented and born into a family with powerful connections in the music business. Today, he’s rightly revered for the extraordinary catalogue of over 550 keyboard sonatas he left to posterity. Kate Molleson traces Scarlatti's story.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/domenico-scarlatti-1685-1757/id275377513?i=1000615419785
Schubert
Pianist Iain Burnside chooses the ultimate recording of Schubert’s Impromptus, D935
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000633828224
David Owen Norris recommends a recorded version of Schubert's Piano Sonata in B flat D960
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000397983585
Schumann
Lucy Parham recommends recordings of Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000435633845
Scriabin
Alexander Scriabin's music for solo piano has been recorded by many of the great pianists over the last century. But where to start if you're not familiar with this late-Romantic, sometimes elusive repertoire? David Owen Norris is on hand to navigate through some key pieces and makes some recommendations.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000551761026
Shostakovich
Pianist and composer Yshani Perinpanayagam chooses her favourite recording of Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2. We hear at the keyboard, amongst others, Alexander Melnikov, Cristina Ortiz and the composer himself. Presented by Andrew McGregor.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000522899392
Tchaikovsky
The pianist Joanna MacGregor's pick of the ultimate recording of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto in B flat minor, Op. 23
Tchaikovsky's famous piano concerto is one of the most popular concertos in the repertoire - full of swaggering great tunes and still, soulful melodies.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/record-review-podcast/id273489899?i=1000585419290
JAZZ
Chick Corea
Pianist and bandleader Chick Corea himself guides Alyn Shipton through some of his finest recordings. Few musicians in jazz have the extraordinary stylistic range of Chick Corea. His work ranges from acoustic bebop to rock fusion, from free jazz to the classic Miles Davis Quintet, as well as his own groundbreaking ensembles Return to Forever and the Elektric Band.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/chick-corea/id446147339?i=1000353711144
Erroll Garner
Erroll Garner was one of the most distinctive and original pianists in jazz. To select his finest recordings, Alyn Shipton is joined by the young British pianist Neil Cowley. The programme includes examples of Garner's earliest stride style, covers the emergence of his own individual jazz voice, and features his most popular album "Concert by the Sea". Producer Alyn Shipton.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/erroll-garner/id446147339?i=1000095127097
James P. Johnson
James P. Johnson is known as the Father of Stride Piano, and composed the most iconic work that captures the essence of the Roaring Twenties, the Charleston.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/james-price-johnson/id275377513?i=1000498471401
Scott Joplin
Donald Macleod looks at the African-American composer Scott Joplin.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/joplin/id275377513?i=1000384115057
Ramsey Lewis
A natural storyteller, Lewis remembers his father introducing him to the virtuosity of Art Tatum (prompting the question: 'Dad, who are they?') and, in conversation with Alyn Shipton, he describes how Western Classical tradition holds an important position in his musical thinking.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ramsey-lewis/id446147339?i=1000095127115
Brad Mehldau
Singer Gwyneth Herbert shares her enthusiasm for the pianist Brad Mehldau, who is one of the most challenging and innovative of contemporary jazz players. With a repertoire ranging from Broadway songs to the works of contemporary rock players, his music seldom stands still.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/brad-mehldau/id446147339?i=1000353711124
Thelonious Monk
Donald Macleod and Brian Priestley celebrate the centenary of jazz legend Thelonious Monk
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thelonious-monk/id275377513?i=1000395217734
Jelly Roll Morton
Alyn Shipton is joined by Morton specialist Martin Litton to explore the work of Jelly Roll's band, the Red Hot Peppers, as well as the solo discs.
The self-proclaimed 'inventor of jazz', Jelly Roll Morton was a colourful figure, with diamonds in his teeth and gold on his fingers.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/jelly-roll-morton/id446147339?i=1000353711125
Bud Powell
Alyn Shipton explores the best examples of recordings by pianist Bud Powell, who died in 1966 aged 41 and altered the course of jazz piano through his bebop innovations of the 1940s.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/bud-powell/id446147339?i=1000353711157
Oscar Peterson
Alyn Shipton presents a special tribute edition of Jazz Library devoted to Oscar Peterson, who died in December 2007 and is regarded as one of the greatest jazz pianists. The programme not only suggests the essential Peterson CDs, but also calls on the help of the man himself, with an extended interview recorded in 2000.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/oscar-peterson/id446147339?i=1000353711129
George Shearing
Pianist Sir George Shearing died on 14th February 2011. In an archive interview, he joins Alyn Shipton to look back over the highlights of his recording career, from early triumphs in London to the debut of his famous quintet in America, as well as his long-running partnership with Mel Torme.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/george-shearing/id446147339?i=1000353711137
Gwilym Simcock
Donald's joined by composer and jazz pianist Gwilym Simcock .
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/gwilym-simcock/id275377513?i=1000376191947
Fats Waller
The jazz pianist Fats Waller was a larger than life personality and his ample form fills this Jazz Library podcast with some of the most joyous recordings in history. Humphrey Lyttelton and Martin Litton join Alyn Shipton for a guide to the best discs by Waller, both with his band - The Rhythm - and as a piano soloist.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/fats-waller/id446147339?i=1000368656000
Mary Lou Williams
Donald Macleod charts the extraordinary life of composer and jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/mary-lou-williams/id275377513?i=1000457553895
Teddy Wilson
From his meteoric rise to fame with Benny Goodman to his small group records with Billie Holiday, pianist Teddy Wilson was one of the stars of the swing era. Pianist Martin Litton joins Alyn Shipton to select the best examples of Wilson's work, including his own short-lived big band, his solo recordings, and many latterday trios.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/teddy-wilson/id446147339?i=1000344028296
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A-Z of Piano
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/radio-3s-piano-a-to-z/id567508433
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PIANISTS
The Labeque Sisters
The Labeque Sisters, Katia and Marielle Labeque, shot to fame in 1980 with their arrangements of Gershwin, including the Rhapsody in Blue, and for more than half a century have made a unique musical life together. Tom Service talks to Katia and Marielle about the broad range of music that they are creating, the boundaries that they are constantly pushing, and their sound-world within two pianos.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/katia-and-marielle-lab%C3%A8que/id269944235?i=1000585166934
Vikingur Olafsson
Sara Mohr-Pietsch talks to Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olafsson, whose new CD juxtaposes the music of French composers Rameau and Debussy.
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Memory & Sight Reading
Tom Service on two of the most astounding musical skills, which the majority of professional classical musicians have in abundance - the ability to play from memory, and the ability to play at sight, without study or much in the way of rehearsal. How and why do they do it?
Piano Studies
Studies began life as an aid in the struggle to master the piano within the human limitations of two hands and ten fingers. But from being the bane of many a pianist's life and a means of selling more pianos, these arid technical exercises flowered into some of the greatest music written for piano from Chopin, though Debussy to György Ligeti. And in Conlon Nancarrow's studies for player piano, they even inspired the greatest set of keyboard works beyond any human ability.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-feasibility-of-studies/id1108468608?i=1000510055630