Damian OxboroughComments Off on Performance Opportunities in Skipton, Craven & Wharfedale
Following is a list of opportunities that my students and visitors to this page might like to grasp to get on stage and perform over the coming academic year (2022-23). Some of these are quite formal events such as music festivals while others are open mic nights and sing-arounds. They’re all within a short drive of Skipton in North Yorkshire…. Read more »
The Problem(s) It’s great, isn’t it, that you can download the chords and TABs for pretty much any popular song you can think of? There are loads of wonderful TABs websites, such as Ultimate Guitar, where users contribute their transcriptions of song accompaniments. There are really two problems, though: Often the chords and TABs given are pretty inaccurate. This is… Read more »
Damian OxboroughComments Off on London to Paris Charity Bike Ride
Over the past year or so, I’ve been training to participate in the L2P bike ride: a trip from Croydon to the Champs Elysee over 4 days. Below you can see live updates of my endeavours from Strava, updated each time I complete a ride / a day in the saddle, including the big event itself. To make a contribution… Read more »
Damian OxboroughComments Off on Songs with Good Piano Accompaniments
I think it’s fair to say that piano is a versatile instrument and as such it’s possible to translate the accompaniment parts of lots of (the majority of?) songs into a recognisable arrangement for it. But, some types of songs work better than others. For example, piano is particularly good as the backing to ballads if performing as a soloist… Read more »
Damian OxboroughComments Off on 10 Things I Wish My Piano Teacher Had Told Me
1. There’s only one reason to play piano: for fun Every day I hear myself telling my students to remember the reason that they’re having piano lessons: because playing piano is supposed to be a thoroughly enjoyable way of enhancing your life! Playing piano should not become an extra job to squeeze into your day, a chore or something to… Read more »
At the weekend I was at a friend’s birthday party when the inevitable question popped up: “Can you teach anyone to sing?” As usual, this question was followed up with a statement that I hear people saying all the time: “I can’t sing. I’m tone deaf.” Once I’ve reassured them that everyone can sing, I would usually go on to… Read more »
Damian OxboroughComments Off on ‘Pay As You Go’ Piano, Guitar, Singing!
On the front page of this website, my service is advertised as “Modern, Flexible & Fun”, and that’s exactly how I would like my clients to think of my business! No longer should piano lessons necessitate students to attend religiously at the same time and on the same day every week. If you would like to do some singing, you… Read more »
ONE TWO THREE FOUR: The Beatles in Time by Craig Brown I thought I was a knowledgeable Beatles fan until I read this book (leant to me by my lovely, adult student, Martin). The music of John, Paul, George and Ringo were a constant backdrop to my childhood: my dad was particularly fond of the Rubber Soul album, my mum… Read more »
Damian OxboroughComments Off on Music Lessons for Home-Schooled Kids
There’s an often quoted scene in the Monty Python film The Life of Brian in which the story’s eponymous anti-hero is trying to convince the crowd outside his house that he isn’t in fact the messiah at all, and that they don’t need to follow anyone in their lives: “You are all individuals!” “YES, WE ARE ALL INDIVIDUALS!” “You’re all… Read more »
