This season, 2025-2026, will have four sessions. Each will cover a topic related to the theme 'Building a community of pianists'.
The series will focus on creating a community of piano enthusiasts who love learning and connecting with other like-minded people. We will gather around a piano and learn together by:
- Developing motivation
- Setting goals and challenges
- Exploring new repertoire
- Learning effective practice strategies
- Getting involved in discussions and musical activities
- Developing musical understanding
- Fostering creativity
- Performance in a 'safe circle' environment
- Collaborative piano playing (duets and trios)
The sessions are aimed mainly at adult pianists at a beginner/intermediate level but advanced level students and piano teachers will also benefit from it as the main goal is to make connections and learn together.
Please, check our FB and IG page for dates and session topics.
The Belfast Piano Group
Building a community of pianists
Session 2: Productive Practice
We had a great time on Saturday chatting about practice techniques. A very informative session, with lots of ideas shared by everyone.
We all had a chance to perform a piece we are currently practising. Lovely feedback and great support!
It was so good to see everyone so enthusiastic and eager to go home and practice!
And remember - 'Practising is not performing, it is problem-solving' so.... good practice plan, using effective practice tools and reflecting on your practice are key elements to a successful outcome.
So get your practice diary and start planning for this week's practice!
What pieces/sections/bars are you going to focus on this week? How long are you going to spend in each part? What practice tools are you going to use? Have you set a timer? Have you got rid of distractions? How creative will you be?
Session 3: Piano duets
We had such a great morning today at the Belfast Piano Group meet-up.
Thank you to those who came to practice duets. We had 10 participants and lots of enthusiasm.
Thank you to all of those who brought spare portable pianos. We even had a roll-up keyboard demonstration!!
The morning went like this:
1) Introduction and check-in
2) Choosing partner and piece (or two)
3) Split up into groups in different rooms using the extra keyboards
4) Every 15-20min we rotated so everyone got an opportunity to play in the big Yamaha upright piano
5) Tea and coffee throughout
6) Back together into the main room for performance time
7) Reflections, feedback and sign-out
We played pieces from books like: Microjazz, melodic explorations, Piano Safari, 'Fairytales in Treble' featuring
Great Adventures (duet),
The king and the dragon (duet),
Two-Headed Ogre (duet),
Turning Tides (duet)
Country waltz (trio)
....and more
A really fulfilling experience!
We are always welcoming new members so if you love playing the piano and would like to share your music with others, come and join us!