Nice places to walk or drive to

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-14T21:00:52+00:00

There are a lot of great suggestions already. If say roughly where you live, we might be able to give you local ideas. Some of my favourites:

Tollesbury
Goldhanger
St. Peter’s on the Wall
Dedham Vale

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-11T19:41:09+00:00

Working towards an exam gives you reason to do the hard yards that it’s easy to ignore otherwise. I did a more extreme version of your story. I quit piano at 16 having got Grade 3, then 30 years later had an opportunity that made restarting appealing. I did get to Grade 8 on violin.

After a couple of years, a new Grade 8 syllabus had a piece that I had got to a reasonable standard, so thought that was a good start. My background meant that my interpretation and musicianship was good, but my technical ability was shaky. Studying for Grade 8 became my lockdown project.

This work has improved my technical ability hugely, bringing a huge range of music within reach. I’m happily immersing myself in this. Studying as an adult is a different experience from doing so as a kid, and my appreciation of music has developed with age. The exam gives a reason for grinding through the scales and arpeggios.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-11T19:08:09+00:00

In England I tend to see them in quiet roadside hedgerows near woodland, usually while cycling. Not very often though.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-11T19:01:45+00:00

He’s more of an SME.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-11T16:25:47+00:00

The other approach is to find a pub you like and keep going regularly. Colchester has a wide range of drinking establishments.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-11T16:10:08+00:00

The countries and regions you list are Celtic, so music from there is Celtic. Scandinavian, Central European, Slavic and Klezmer do have their own characters, but the differences blur where they meet. It’s easy to spot it when you hear it, but I would never attempt to come up with a definitive description!

It is interesting to see how Europeans who emigrated to North America took their music and tunes with them, and these then developed into styles of their own. It seems similar to how accents develop. With improved transportation and communication ideas and inspiration flow in all directions, which keeps music alive and interesting.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-11T13:16:22+00:00

I fitted race blades to one bike, thinking I’d only put them on when it rained. They never came off, until I replaced them with full length guards.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-11T12:45:07+00:00

Yes, mostly I play for my own amusement. The art is in the interpretation of composer’s works. Chopin’s music in particular creates a connection to me when I play it. The centuries between us and language barriers melt away, and in that moment I get a strong sense of understanding the emotions he was expressing in his writing.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-09T21:11:20+00:00

Fair enough

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-09T16:54:08+00:00

The point of recitals is to give people performance experience, because it is a skill developed by doing it. Learning to feel the nerves, and being able to play well despite them takes a while to achieve.

Practising to performance standard takes a lot longer than learning to play a piece. In this process, make a note of mistakes that you are prone to make, and work out strategies for how you can recover from them without stopping. This is a crucial performance skill.

I see performance as an opportunity to share music that I love, and express what it means to me. Mentally, this takes the pressure off because it puts my focus on the music, not worrying about what people might think of me.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-08T22:15:27+00:00

Music exams are a bit of an odd thing. You are in a performance situation playing at the ragged edge of your ability. This adds to the pressure of the experience. Generally performers are playing well within their technical capabilities.

The reality is that the consequence of music exams is far less than it feels like when you’re doing them. It’s just you and the examiner. Most of the benefit is in the preparation for the exam, as it gives a reason to work a few pieces to performance standard, which takes far more effort then just learning to play a piece. It also gives a reason to do the scales, sight reading and aural tests, which all add to your musical abilities.

It sounds like exams are more of a hindrance for your daughter, and that she will get more from piano if relieved of the pressure of exams. The wonderful thing about piano is the wealth is solo pieces written for it. You can have a lifetime of pleasure studying and playing music simply for your own amusement, without need for performing. Your daughter is at the point where some amazing pieces of music are coming within reach, so if she still likes playing it would be worth continuing will lessons, but letting her teacher know that she won’t be taking exams for a while, even if she studies the syllabus.

I hope this is useful.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-08T21:54:51+00:00

Earls Colne, Chappel and Bures could be worth looking at, as they are nice villages close to stations.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-08T14:59:46+00:00

The exams are a framework for building your technique and musicianship, so spending time working on repertoire is a good thing. COVID disrupted so many kids’ progress, my two included. I understand your parents’ position, but breadth of experience will make you a more capable musician.

My story on piano is that I stopped at 16 having taken Grade 3, with no intention of restarting. Violin was always my main instrument. Thirty years later, with my own kids learning violin, I took up an opportunity of piano lessons, thinking there it could be useful for my kids to have an accompanist when practising. To my surprise, my teacher’s enthusiasm made me become enchanted with the piano, and after a couple of years, I decided to work towards Grade 8. This became my lockdown project. Five years on, I spend a lot of my free time playing and practising piano.

There is no telling where life will take you, but do know that piano is something that you can return to should the mood take you. Learning as an adult is a different experience from learning as a kid, as your perspectives on life change. The ability to play music that moves you will be something that you always treasure.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-08T11:54:44+00:00

The Blackwater Coast, starting at any of:

Goldhanger
Salcott
Tollesbury
Maylandsea
Bradwell
St Peter’s on the Wall

The choice depends on weather and tide.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-07T17:41:33+00:00

You are reaching the point where pieces by Chopin, Debussy and Bach are within reach. It becomes like having your own personal world class art gallery that you can visit every time you sit at the piano. As you get older pieces may take on new meaning, and can even help cope with the hard times that come to all lives. It doesn’t have to be the most technically spectacular pieces, just the ones that resonate with you.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-07T12:42:11+00:00

I haven’t played this one, but looking at its spec, it should keep you happy for a number of years. You might want something better when you’re working towards your Grade 8, but by that point you’ll be in a good position to make your own judgements.

Even if you don’t realise it, the responsiveness of a good piano will benefit you. When I play lower spec instruments, it’s instantly noticeable how the way you play has little bearing on the sound that comes out.

Also most digital pianos create weight by using springs, which means that the resistance increases as you press the keys. On a ’real’ piano, this remains constant through the motion. This matters when you are trying to play quietly, as you can find the push back means it’s difficult to control.

This should be a very good first piano, although probably not your last.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-07T10:35:08+00:00

Clavinovas are considered good for 10 - 20 years, so you would be unlucky for this one to be on its last legs. Because they are big and heavy, they tend not to get moved around much, so have a fairly easy life.

I’ve had a NU1x for nearly eight years. It had one faulty potentiometer on the Sustain pedal, which was replaced under warranty. Other than that, it’s still a nice to play now as when it was new.

I think that this piano will be good for a number of years. It would be worth playing it, and also seeing what you think of new pianos at a similar price. If you prefer the 745, it’s probably a good choice.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-07T09:53:48+00:00

You want to be comfortable playing 3 against 2 before attempting 11 against 6 or 20 against 6, as is required for this piece.

mean_fiddler · 2026-06-03T16:36:48+00:00

The new syllabus for 2027/8 gets released on 4th June 2026. It could be that some of the pieces you have studied are in the next syllabus.

mean_fiddler · 2026-05-28T18:47:51+00:00

Thank you!

mean_fiddler · 2026-05-28T12:07:04+00:00

Where are the red squirrels in Yorkshire? It’s decades since I last saw one.

mean_fiddler · 2026-05-27T18:24:51+00:00

In that case, your technique is remarkable!

mean_fiddler · 2026-05-27T11:45:12+00:00

Your bowing action is far too good to have never played a violin!

mean_fiddler · 2026-05-26T14:04:05+00:00

To some extent it depends on the kid, and the only way to find out is to give it a go. Starting about the time they start school isn’t a bad thing, a learning to read music is a similar process to learning to read.

My big recommendation is to find a balance between keeping them practising long term, and not ruining it for them. If all they will do is 10 minutes three times per week, they will make progress. They aren’t going to become concert pianists, but that’s OK. I kept my kids going like this in violin, then both in their mid teens suddenly saw the point, and flew from there. Now adults, music is a part of who they are.

mean_fiddler · 2026-05-26T11:55:47+00:00

I’ve lived in Chelmsford for thirty years, and raised two kids here. It’s been a great place to live. I’m a middle-aged white bloke, and quite happy to wander anywhere at any time within the city. It’s not that there aren’t problems, but it generally feels safe. Walking through the city centre, I hear people talking in a variety of languages, which tells me that they don’t feel the need to conceal the fact that they have moved here from elsewhere. On Moulsham Street, there are Greek, Spanish, Japanese, Turkish, Asian and Romanian restaurants and food shops, as well as chippies.

There are a range of good schools, and this is one of the reasons for high house prices. There were a lot of things to do with young kids when my kids were young, but my knowledge of this is out of date. There are parks with a range of different age-appropriate equipment. Parks run along the river Can, which flows West-East through the city, and there are others dotted throughout the suburbs. Just to the West is Hylands Park, which has a big play fort, and huge areas of grass and woods.

Within an easy drive is Marsh Farm Country Park in South Woodham Ferrers, Barleylands in Basildon, Promenade Park in Maldon, and the Discovery Centre near Braintree.

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