My adult student Laurence has broken my student all time record of the highest score for Grade 5 theory – scoring an amazing 99 percent!
He has just given me the most amazing home made card with a picture of a 99 ice cream on the front. Inside it says:
“Hi Anne, I’m growing fonder than ever of 99s! Sorry it took a while testing the ingredients, but the final dessert you served up was a beaut, simply cool, and much more than expected. It really has to be graded five star.
Many thanks, Laurence.
P.S. Hope this isn’t too cornety.
Oh Laurence, groan!!! And I think you had something to do with the result yourself…… 😉
I am very excited by the vastly superior upgrade of my website – many thanks to Neil at http://www.nonamenoslogan.co.uk/ for his design skills. The VIP area now has a proper forum for students, parents and friends to post in. If you don’t know the password to gain entry and would like to, please let me know.
July 2014
Good luck to all my students, who are sitting exams on this Friday, 4th July.
It’s a very special day as we are having a private visit from the ABRSM examiner. Just a reminder to all candidates: come in through the front door to the main house as we will be waiting in the old part of the house. There will be a chance to warm up too.
I hope you are all raring to do – I am looking forward to it, and there is going to be some great music played with a varied repertoire. I’m having the piano tuned on Thursday, so it should feel fabulous to play.
Anne
January 14th 2014
Today my piano was expertly serviced by Jim Titterington and Maurice Peck. Thehammers were reshaped after years of wear and tear, it was regulated, tuned and voiced and given a really good clean out. It’s as good as new again now! Here are the master technicians in action:
I shall be breaking up for the Christmas and New Year holidays a little early this year – the final lessons of the year will be on Saturday 14th December. Lessons will be starting IN THE NEW STUDIO on Monday 6th January 2014! 🙂
Here are the latest pictures of the new studio and waiting room, which is almost ready to move the piano into! I am very excited:
LATEST PICTURES OF THE NEW STUDIO, 23rd SEPTEMBER 2013
There is still a way to go, but we are getting there! I hope that we will be in before Christmas. 🙂
The exterior door that leads to the waiting room stairs:
The waiting room:
The music room:
LATEST NEWS:
I am now very busy as it is back to school time. I am also excited at the prospect of a new academic year, with new challenges, and some high hopes for my students and their progress over the coming months. I really enjoy the lead up to Christmas and those who are willing will be introduced to some festive repertoire from late October/November onwards, in the hope that they can be the star of their Christmas get-togethers for family and friends. There will be a break in lessons beginning on Thursday 19th December, and lessons will restart on Monday 6th January, 2014.
News on the new facilities:
I am not yet sure when we will be moving into the new studio. For those of you who have seen the building work, it looks almost finished, but there is a lot still to do. Hopefully we will be in before Christmas…..
LATEST NEWS:
6th August 2013
The most recent pictures of the new music room under construction! 🙂
Coming soon …….
New music room specially designed for inspirational acoustics and view
Comfortable waiting area and facilities for parents and students
Easy off-road parking
The BIG PIANO MOVE, 16th April 2013
We are all set to go in the new temporary teaching room. Thanks to Gilberts Piano Transport – the people I would always recommend to move a piano in an expert way: http://www.pianoremovals-manchester.co.uk/
The next move will be back to the newly built studio, hopefully later this year. The temporary teaching venue is only about a third of a mile from the present one, and there is ample parking. I’m looking forward to teaching looking out over the fields! 🙂
March 2013
Update – we will be moving to the temporary teaching premises on Tuesday 16th April. It is still in Barton, a 5-10 minute walk from the current studio. Anyone who hasn’t received a copy of the map and address should be getting one soon. There will be car parking in front of the house, and toilet facilities, but please note that there is nowhere to wait inside, so please don’t arrive too early for your lessons! (Those who do may be forced to play duets!) I’m not sure how long we will be in the temporary venue, but the good news is that I am taking my Yamaha grand piano with me, so some things will be the same. Building work for the new studio starts on May 6th, all being well. It’s exciting!
February 2013
The planning permisson for our extension was approved in December, and I am very excited to be able to tell you that we now have a starting date for building the new music room. It will have lovely views over the garden and the fields and will be purpose built for making music. When building work starts in May, for a while I shall be teaching from a temporary venue close by, so that lessons are still peaceful and undisturbed. More details to follow.
November 2012
With Christmas fast approaching, I have been busy concocting my usual fun and games for the season! 🙂 This year’s Christmas Quiz for all the family is to do with musical instruments from a wide range of eras and countries, and the secondary school challenge (to take place in end of term lessons) is an exciting “Guess the Year” listening challenge. The instrument Quiz will be handed out in next weeks’ lessons and will be due back in January for entry. In due course, I will also publishing the Instrument Quiz on this site too for anyone else who wants a go!
ALSO………..Good Luck to all who are taking ABRSM exams next week!
October 2012
The Barton Grange Trophy for Music 2012
This trophy was commisioned by my late grandfather, Edward Topping, himself a keen amateur musician. He started to present it to a local young musician every year who showed promise. After many years of it not being awarded, I restarted the tradition in the early 1990s. At least three of the people I have awarded it to have gone on to careers in music, whilst another two are currently at university reading music.
Last year it was awarded to Josie Coffey, and this year I have awarded it to Hannah Culver, who was also a semi finalist in the Young Musician of the Guild competition.
Congratulations Hannah!
July News
We are coming up to the school holidays and I am looking forward to them – although I take some time off, I also enjoy the “out of school” time to explore some other projects! Although some of you have special summer projects already in place with me, if anyone else is interested – duet workshop?…..composition workshop? Other ensembles? Jazz workshop? Boost your music theory? Let me know. I am happy to match some ensembles up if anyone is interested, for violin and or piano. Great fun for those rainy days in the summer……. subject to availability, so “first come, first served”…..Anne 🙂
I have been very busy today exploring the new syllabus for the ABRSM exams for 2013 and 2014, and there are some interesting pieces – including “Meet the Flintstones” for Grade 2, “Chatanooga Choo Choo” for Grade 1, and a lovely piece called “The little Peruvian Girl” for Grade 4. Look here for more details:
http://issuu.com/abrsm/docs/pianosyllabusissuu/1
The current pieces can be used for exams right up to and including Spring 2013, so don’t panic if you are still learning them! Anne
June News:
We now have a date for ABRSM Practical Examinations: Monday 2nd July at The Crossroads Centre, Watling St Road. Anyone who needs further information, please contact me. Good Luck to all candidates!
My student Hannah, has two recitals coming up, one on 6th July at 2pm, at The Assembly Rooms in Lytham, and one as part of the Garstang Festival of the Arts, at the Garstang Arts Centre, on 26th July at 1pm. Please come along if you can!
Many congratulations to all who took and passed ABRSM exams this term, but especially the following:
Kim B., who passed Grade 7 Piano with Merit
and
Ben O., who got a whopping 142 marks out of 150 for Grade 1 Piano, an amazing result and well deserved!
I finish teaching for the Christmas break next week, and when I restart in January, we will have been in the new studio for a whole year. I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone.
A Merry Christmas to all, and my very best wishes for 2015.
I am very excited by my newly upgraded website, and many thanks to Neil at http://www.nonamenoslogan.co.uk/ for all his design skill in setting it up. The VIP area now has its own forum for students, parents and friends. If you would like the password to gain access to it, please ask or email me.
Good luck to all my students, who are sitting exams on this Friday, 4th July.
It’s a very special day as we are having a private visit from the ABRSM examiner. Just a reminder to all candidates: come in through the front door to the main house as we will be waiting in the old part of the house. There will be a chance to warm up too.
I hope you are all raring to do – I am looking forward to it, and there is going to be some great music played with a varied repertoire. I’m having the piano tuned on Thursday, so it should feel fabulous to play.
Today my piano was expertly serviced by Jim Titterington and Maurice Peck. Thehammers were reshaped after years of wear and tear, it was regulated, tuned and voiced and given a really good clean out. It’s as good as new again now! Here are the master technicians in action:
I shall be breaking up for the Christmas and New Year holidays a little early this year – the final lessons of the year will be on Saturday 14th December. Lessons will be starting IN THE NEW STUDIO on Monday 6th January 2014! 🙂
Here are the latest pictures of the new studio and waiting room, which is almost ready to move the piano into! I am very excited:
