Playing with Freedom

11 May 2024 @ 11:30 BST (GMT +01:00)

Do you feel frustrated that your performances don’t always rise to the occasion? Are anxiety, doubts around interpretation or technical issues undermining your confidence and holding you back? 

There are many reasons why you might end up being dissatisfied - negative self-talk, uncertainty regarding interpretation and anxiety can easily lead to physical tension which in turn results in erratic or uncoordinated playing. Even with a positive mindset, we can often be let down by technical issues or sloppy practice habits.

In this revised version of one of our most popular workshops from 2022, Graham Fitch will provide insights and suggestions in the following key areas to help you achieve greater freedom in your playing:

• Positive mindset & confidence – Identifying sources of anxiety, how to free yourself from negative thoughts, practice techniques that lay down rock solid foundations for greater confidence when performing and dealing with nerves.
• Interpretation and narrative – Creating a vivid artistic image using mindmaps, imagery and narrative to deliver an interpretation that is musically satisfying to you and therefore your audience.
• Technical freedom - Approaching technical challenges in healthy, natural ways for more solid, reliable playing that will help you convey your musical intentions effectively.

This event will help you to achieve your full potential at the piano and to deliver performances free from tension and anxiety. It is only when we are solidly prepared, free from anxiety, and excited to deliver the composer’s message as we see it, that we are truly empowered at the piano!

Workshop format

The workshop will run from 11:30am until 15:00 and will be divided up into three sessions of approximately an hour each with two short breaks in-between. The event is being streamed from our studios and all ticket holders will receive a link to view high-definition recordings shortly afterwards. Therefore, if you are unable to join us live or missed some of the events, you will still be able to watch the workshop recordings and access the resources at your convenience.

Here is what some of the participants had to say about the original version of this workshop:

"There were several unexpected revelations for me in this workshop around the main missing links in my playing!"

"It's a pleasure to listen to a teacher who can not only identify what needs to be done but also how to do it."

"These presentations were excellent and gave me so many different ideas to take away and apply to my playing.

"Breaking the session up into free sessions worked beautifully and each was packed with invaluable insights."

"I was blown away by the examples of narratives and backstories presented by Graham."

Subscriber discounts

Discounted tickets are available to Online Academy subscribers. Please sign-in to your account and the discount will be automatically added at the check-out. If you are not an Online Academy subscriber and would like to find out more about subscription options then please click here for further information.

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