David Soward is a pianist, piano teacher and vocal coach living and working in Headington, Oxford, a few steps from the London Road. A well-rounded musician with a wealth of performing and teaching experience, he has this to say about his approach to learning and teaching:
‘As an active musician, both as solo pianist and in chamber music and song, I am constantly learning more: I rethink everyday technical and interpretation difficulties and how best to tackle them. Both my teaching and my own development as a performer thus benefit each other.‘
‘One of my instructions to new pupils is to avoid practising too much! In other words, by all means learn the notes but don’t practise the wrong ones. How to learn the right notes and how to play them with intelligence and expression – and enjoy doing so – is what I aim to pass on to every pupil, whatever their ability or experience.
As well as young people wishing to master a richly rewarding instrument for the first time, I welcome returning adults who have made a start earlier in life and would like to work on their technique, their interpretation or their repertoire in order to get back to regular playing.’
DAVID SOWARD 