Myles' Musical Musings (#6): Renewal, Discovery, and Growth of a Pianist

April brings with it a whole host of change; the weather is warmer, a new term is starting, and projects are growing!

Over the past few months, I've been squirrelling away at completely overhauling my website. I dreaded creating the first one as I've just no eye for graphic design, but after a fantastic (but intense) six weeks with Mastered doing what essentially amounts to a mini MBA, I plucked up the courage to take a crack at it again. It's been a journey, but we've finally got there! A new colour scheme, new layout, better SEO, easier to use, and so forth.

This got me thinking about all the new things that have come into my life since moving to Liverpool, as we enter this season of renewal.

Old faces, new places....

Well, last week, I had the absolute pleasure of seeing my piano teacher from Southampton University, Duncan Honeybourne (it's been 8 years since our paths last crossed!) perform a fantastic evening piano recital at Forsyth's Music in Manchester.

Now, let's just pause for a second. This place is like an oasis in the desert for a pianist. The piano showroom is huge, and the selection of sheet music is like a dream come true.

Heaven....

Anyhow, back to Duncan and Pitfield. This performance was a selection from an album he had recently recorded on the music of Thomas Pitfield (1903-1999).

Thomas Pitfield, with a wry smile on his face.

Pitfield was a complete unknown to me, but the man was fascinating. Appropriate that the book detailing his life is titled "Endless Fascination", really. His autobiographical writing is engaging, and I've yet to put it down! A composer was just one of the many things Pitfield was. A poet, illustrator, craftsman, engineer, and more, his autobiographical writings are full of pithy, humorous and shrewd observations. He starts his autobiographical writings with a short poem:

Thomas Baron Pitfield is my name: To eminence or rank I have no claim, (So in address my middle name's not vital - Merely a Christian name and not a title). It has been said by some my music's good-work For draughtsman-poet, qualified in woodwork; And like another Thomas, surnamed Tucker, I had to sing to earn my supper.

I see a lot of myself in Pitfield's life - it is often hard to stay on course with a single thing – even my degree had to have two subjects in! However, his compositions have really captivated me as much as the rest of his œuvre.

The album, titled "Thomas Pitfield: Piano Music" starts with his rousing Toccata. This lively piece really puts the piano's double action to the test, with a plethora of fast repeating notes and colourful chordal interjections. The Homage to Percy Grainger is tastefully written, and Duncan does such a lovely job of making the melody's journey crystal clear, as in "Two Russian Tunes" - the balance is really pleasing to the ear.

Alas, not much of Pitfield's music has been published, but I hear it is in the works, so I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for this. I performed two of his pieces in my recent lunchtime recital, Meditations and Majesty, and they seemed to go down a treat. If more is published, I'll perform it - but for now, you can enjoy Honeybourne's sensational playing on the album, available via CD or streaming.

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Celebrating Progress & Growth as a Pianist

While my website occupied a large part of my time, the piano has always been my sanctuary. Sitting at the piano keys and letting my fingers flow over the keys offers a sense of accomplishment and tranquility. The joy of learning something new is truly unmatched, and even coming back to old favourites feels like some kind of meditation.

The pre-concert hush, with some of Pitfield's music on the piano.

I'm not very good at celebrating success, if I'm honest. I'm sure many of us struggle with it. Progress isn't linear at the best of times, and being neurodivergent only makes it harder, with projects falling off the wagon left, right, and centre. I've had lots of help from my enduringly patient partner, whose wisdom and advice have been indispensable. We joke that one day I'll receive a back-dated invoice for all these tidbits, but in all seriousness I dread to think of what that number would be...!

Embracing the Journey

As my career continues to grow, I'm always reminded of the transformative power of learning, by myself or from others. There are always lessons here about dedication, patience, and the importance of knowing that when your own capacities are insufficient for a project, ask for help!

This next month brings new challenges. I am starting a choir, and I'm also starting group lessons alongside my 1:1 tuition! A great deal to learn, and some fun musical memories to make. I'll check in again next month and update you all how we're getting on!

See you next time,

Myles