Jeremy Taylor

Gershwin - Prelude No 2 | Piano Progress Week 143

I decided to take a bit of a break over the last few weeks from solely doing Grade 6 prep, and have had some fun with this Gershwin Prelude on my own away from lessons! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Schubert - Moments Musicaux No. 3 | Piano Progress Week 140

The piece I have chosen for my Grade 6 exam. Why did I have to pick one of the hardest pieces in List A?!? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Second live piano practice session!

Join me for my second live piano practice session! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oscar Peterson - Jazz Exercise No.2 | Piano Progress Week 121

I always pick a jazz piece in the C list for ABRSM exams, and it's great to have an actual piece of jazz by a recognised jazz musician in the Grade 6 syllabus this year. I do find some of the other jazz pieces are a bit too... pedagogical, to put it mildly. I'm still wrapping my fingers around the runs in the middle section - quite obvious in this recording - but it's coming. Next up, I will be working on my A list piece - Schubert's Moment Musicaux No.3. Not easy! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mendelssohn - Venetian Gondola Song (Op.19 No.6) | Piano Progress Week 118

One of my choices for the Grade 6 exam next year with ABRSM. I've been putting off recording on my new piano (I say new... it's a pretty old Kawai K15 that I've rented, so it's not exactly a Steinway!) but I'm still getting used to it and I wasn't sure what the audio was going to sound like recorded on my iPhone - but in the end I just thought let's get on with it! It's lovely to have a real piano to play on each day. I haven't missed my digital once! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Schumann - Bunteblätter (Op.99 No.4) | Piano Progress Week 107

Much like Prelude in C, this one was a short project. I have started some bigger pieces which are going to take a while before they're ready to record, but in the meantime I looked at this. I practiced it for a few hours, and tried to do as little takes as possible; I think this was about the 10th. It's not perfect, the voicing isn't great upon listening back, but - who cares! Enjoy the beauty of Robert Schumann's music. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Denes Agay - Blue Waltz (ABRSM Grade 5 2023-2024 C4) | Adult Piano Progress

This is my C list piece for my upcoming Grade 5 exam with ABRSM. I find Blue Waltz sounds and feels very different when played on an acoustic rather than on my digital - which I've recorded this on - so my plan is to hire an acoustic for a few hours over the next couple of weeks before the exam to practice on! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bach - Invention No. 8 (ABRSM Grade 5 2023-2024 A4) | Piano Progress Week 100

Not a perfect recording by any means, but the best I can do for now. Lots still to work on in the run up to the exam! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

practicing.. my first Beethoven Sonata!

First live piano practice session!

Join me for my first live piano practice session! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bach - Prelude in C (BWV 846) | Piano Progress Week 93

This piece, Bach's Prelude in C from the Well Tempered Clavier, has been the most significant progress marker for me so far. This was one of the first pieces I attempted to play when I was just starting out (......!) and it took me AGES to piece it together, of course. Coming back to it after nearly two years, I was amazed to find I was able to sight read it to 90-95% accuracy. After an hour of playing it through (and negotiating the page turn) I made this recording. Progress on this instrument feels like it happens on a geological time scale - making those occasional moments when you can notice the progression extremely satisfying. I hope you enjoy listening to this piece as much as I enjoy playing it! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jeremy Taylor - Piano Progress Live Stream

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Field - Nocturne No.5 (ABRSM Grade 5 1971-1972) | Piano Progress Week 90

I'm extremely pleased to be able to upload this video of me playing John Field's Nocturne No. 5 in Bb major... pleased because I can say with absolute certainty that, to date, this is the most difficult piece I have played! With constantly changing left hand arpeggio patterns, and a melodic right hand that appears with more and more decoration as the piece progresses, it has been a challenge. There's also a 4:3 polyrhythm in there for good measure. The left hand arpeggios are so consistent (and persistent!) throughout, that my left hand/arm ached as I practiced this... from sheer muscle use alone. I had to remind myself this was once a Grade 5 piece, not a Grade 6/7. Despite these hurdles, it has been super exciting to be able to tackle a Nocturne after listening to so many of Chopin's great ones. I look forward to doing many more in the future. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scriabin - Prelude in Db, Op.11 No.15 (ABRSM Grade 5 1999-2000) | Piano Progress Week 90

A recent recording I made of Scriabin's Prelude in Db major, Opus 11 No. 15. This is a piece of many firsts: my first Scriabin piece, and also the first piece I've looked at in Db major... I think anyway! It's a beautiful piece - blissful and melancholic in equal measures. Phrasing came quite naturally when practicing this piece, but technically it was a challenge. I'm still struggling to get all notes of a chord to come down at exactly the same time (I can hear a few duff ones in this recording...) but it's something that will hopefully improve with time. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

practicing.. Scriabin’s Op. 11 No. 15

Bach - Invention No. 4 (ABRSM Grade 5 1995-1996) | Piano Progress Week 88

It felt like the right time to work through another Bach Invention - the previous one being No. 1 in C last year: https://youtu.be/XJFNb9hHrNA. I have enjoyed this one in D minor much more. There seems to be much more drama here because of the minor key, the ominous left hand trill and the low C# that the scale pattern hits each time. Enjoy! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

practicing.. my first Nocturne

practicing.. Bach Invention 4 in Dm

Full piece https://youtu.be/zHznrCNC31A ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gillock - New Orleans Nightfall (ABRSM Grade 5 2019-2020 C4) | Piano Progress Week 84

New Orleans Nightfall by William Gillock, an ABRSM Grade 5 piece from a few years ago. I luckily spent some time in New Orleans in 2016 so had a mental image in mind when i was practicing/playing… though I will say the French Quarter Is more like the fast bit of the piece not the slow! Not much more to say about this piece... it's an easy piece to love! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mompou - La Barca (ABRSM Grade 5 2023-2024 B8) | Piano Progress Week 84

La Barca by Federico Mompou, from his collection "Impresiones íntimas". This piece immediately jumped out at me when listening to all the exam pieces for Grade 5, so I added it to my list. This is technically a lot harder than it sounds... lots of held notes, melody and accompaniment in the right hand, with a bass and tenor part in the left hand. There is also some pretty big chords - one in particular where I had to stretch both hands to reach a tenth in each... just at the limit of my hand span. I imagine I will either play this or Schumann's "Von fremden Ländern und Menschen" as my List B piece, but will decide much nearer the exam. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sibelius - Joueur de Harpe (ABRSM Grade 5 2019-2020 B3) | Piano Progress Week 82

I have finally got round to recording Sibelius' lovely piece Joueur de Harpe from the ABRSM Grade 5 syllabus for 2019/20. After having a lesson on this piece with my teacher, I worked on it for a while, but then put it away for a bit whilst I worked on the Beethoven Bagatelle and the Chopin Prelude. There has been the odd piece over the last year that I haven't recorded, and I didn't want this one to become one of those - as it always sounds really beautiful, even when not played perfectly. Objectively, I'm not sure all notes rang out as clear as I intended them to - but as always, this is the best I can get this piece.. for now! I look forward to returning to some of these lovely pieces in a few years time when, hopefully, my technique and musicality has improved. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chopin - Prelude in E minor, Op.28 No.4 (250 SUB SPECIAL) | Piano Progress Week 81

A recent recording I did of Chopin's E minor Prelude (Op. 28 No. 4). These subscriber special videos are three things, a) a thanks to those who have subscribed, obviously, b) an opportunity to challenge myself with a "stretch" piece, and c) a bit of fun. I'm usually quite strict with myself and only do pieces that are of the Grade I currently am working towards, but every now and again I like to challenge myself with something from the Grade above. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beethoven - Bagatelle in Gm (ABRSM Grade 5 2023-24 A5) | Piano Progress Week 80

My recording (for now!) of this Bagatelle in G minor by Beethoven (Op. 119, No. 1). This is probably the most challenging piece I've played so far. As always it is a work in progress, but this is as good as I can get it for now. I will revisit this piece later in the year when it is time to start choosing exam pieces for Grade 5! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

practicing.. Chopin Prelude in E Minor (Op. 28 No. 4) #shorts

Link to my full version: https://youtu.be/wfgMdCEnyug ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Einaudi - Elegy for the Arctic (ABRSM Grade 5 2023-2024 C8) | Piano Progress Week 76

A recording I made of Einaudi's "Elegy for the Arctic" after about 5 or 6 hours of practice. I will certainly come back to it, but I've done all I can with it for now. It is quite a simply constructed piece, yet no less difficult because of it. It feels quite improvisatory in tone, so whilst I have paid attention to Einaudi's articulation markings, I haven't been too strict with the dynamic instructions... and have put my own stamp on bits of it instead. It's actually quite a nice piece if you want to familiarise yourself with the F minor key! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Einaudi - Atoms (Improv) | Piano Progress Week 75

My version of Einaudi's "Atoms". It took me about half an hour to work out the chords - and in light of the sheet music not being available yet, this improvisation is as close an approximation of Einaudi's new piece as I could get after half an hour. Einaudi's style seems to be basically improv anyway, and he sometimes plays his published pieces very different live. The chords are variations of F# minor, to E major, then to a B major 7 of some sort... I think. There is a B section with a base D, E, D, C# pattern that is quite nice, with about the same right hand chords on top. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Schumann - Of Foreign Lands.. (ABRSM Grade 5 2023-2024 B10) | Piano Progress Week 67

Schumann's "Of Foreign Lands & People" from Kinderszenen, Op. 15. Since I began on this piano progress journey, I have always wanted to play this piece that is packed full of reminiscence and memory. One day I hope to be able to play some more from Op. 15! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grieg - Arietta (ABRSM Grade 4 2019-2020 B2) | Piano Progress Week 66

This is a tricky piece (that feels more Grade 5 than 4!) and there is lots to learn from it. It has three lines... a melody at the top, an arpeggio/broken chord pattern in the middle, and a bass line at the bottom. One of the challenges is keeping them all separate and distinct. The next challenge is bringing out the melody, and the bass line to some extent, and keeping the arpeggio lighter and less prominent whilst also solid and secure. Not easy. Anyway, it's a great, short piece that should be on every Grade 4'ers rep list I feel! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chopin - Sostenuto (100 SUB SPECIAL) | Piano Progress Week 63

Thank you to everyone who has subscribed. To celebrate 100 subscribers (and the Chopin Competition this month!) I have attempted to play Chopin's Sostenuto in Eb. It is included in the Waltz collection by Henle as an Appendix. Tackling even "beginner" Chopin is difficult, and more than ever, this is definitely a work in progress! Some of you will notice I am not playing this on my usual Casio... but on a Bechstein Grand! I hired one for an hour at Jaques Samuel Pianos on the Edgware Road for this recording - and what a beautiful piano it is! 02:01 - Outtake! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Martha Mier - Worrisome Blues (ABRSM Grade 4 2023-2024 C6) | Piano Progress Week 61

A lovely Gershwin-esque piece, in this year's ABRSM Grade 4 Syllabus. There are some technical difficulties like pedalling which, at least to my teacher and me, needed some more choices and lift-offs than the sheet music prescribed. There was also the challenge of making the right hand legato and cantabile, and shaping it in the right way; listening back to this recording, I have bumped a few notes... so perhaps if I decide to do this piece for the exam later this year, I'll iron those out and re-record it. I haven't played through the rest of the book (Jazz, Rags & Blues Vol. 3), but if they're anything like this one, I think this book is well worth buying. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bach - Invention No. 1 (ABRSM Grade 4 2015-2016 A4) | Piano Progress Week 60

I've finally got round to recording this very difficult piece - well, difficult for me! It's relentless but also accessible; it's in the key of C major, and has a repeated pattern in both hands which, once in the fingers, brings fluency to the whole piece. It was in the ABRSM Grade 4 Syllabus for 2015/16, but I believe it to be on the more taxing end of Grade 4 pieces... closer to Grade 5. I would have recorded it slightly sooner, but I don't like to attempt a 'final' recording until I've taken a piece to my teacher and worked on it with him at least once - and my teacher has been extremely busy recently, hence why this has taken over a month. Enjoy! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buxtehude - Saraband (ABRSM Grade 4 2023-2024 A6) | Piano Progress Week 59

Continuing my love for Baroque pieces in Minor keys, this Sarabande from Buxtehude’s Suite in E minor (BuxWV 236) is really beautiful. The challenge with this piece has been to hold the notes on for the correct amount of time (harder than it sounds), as well as separate the lines out within the broken chords… keeping the melody prominent, as well as keeping the piece routed in a steady bass line. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Playing piano in a capital city

Link to full version of this piece: https://youtu.be/6-8RKHE2Imk ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Valerie Capers - Billie’s Song | Grade 4 | Month 14

Some jazz for a change! From the ABRSM Grade 4 syllabus 2013/14. There are a lot of challenges in this piece... the two most prominent being the extended jazz chords, which are much more complicated than any chords I've encountered so far in any other pieces, and attempting to project the melody line in the right hand - often within a chord being played in the same hand. This should be a touch faster (minim = 60) but I think the slower tempo makes it sound like something you’d here in the corner of a cocktail bar. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Schumann - Der Dichte Spricht | Month 14

One of my favourite Schumann pieces. I attempted this piece at the beginning of the year (see my One Year Progress video https://youtu.be/WxnOgLpoAuI!) but it was just too difficult. As always with all the pieces I upload, it’s a work in progress - especially so with this one. I have a feeling I’m going to return to it many times in the future. Like all my other videos, I’ve blended the audio file I recorded at the same time with the live audio picked up by my iPhone - it sounds clearer, and you don’t get so many of the London emergency services sirens. Although there is one right after I finish

Vaughan Williams - Valse Lente | Grade 4 | Month 13

0:00 - Hour 1 (hands separate, hands together slowly) 0:17 - Hour 2 (metronome) 0:24 - Hour 3 (quicker tempo) 0:28 - Schmitt exercises, Op. 16 0:34 - Hour 4 (hands together, fluency) 0:49 - Hour 6 (set backs...) 1:20 - Final take! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zipoli - Preludio | Grade 4 | Month 13

I found this in an old ABRSM Grade 4 book from 2007! I seem to enjoy pieces in B minor too. This is the first movement from Zipoli's Suite in B minor (Op. 1, No. 17). This piece is the longest I have played so far, and that's without doing any of the repeats... Again, I'm finding ornaments really tricky, and I am working on them with my teacher - at the moment, I am attempting to play exactly what is written on the page for them. Enjoy! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CPE Bach - Andante | Grade 4 | Month 13

It's great to be getting started with Grade 4 material. For me, it's a big step up from Grade 3 - I'm particularly noticing the frequency of multiple voices played in one hand (although not so much in this particular piece) and the challenge of bringing one out over the over. There also seems to be pieces with much more emotional weight than previous Grades; like this delicate, reflective and quite sad piece by C.P.E. Bach (J.S's son!). It seems this piece is an arrangement by Lang Lang (or someone who works for him?) of a section of the Cantabile movement of CPE Bach's Sonata in B minor (Wq. 55/3, H.245), which in turn has been picked up by the exam board for this year's Grade 4 Syllabus. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jeremy Taylor interviewed about his career | WICKED, WE WILL ROCK YOU, PHANTOM… and more!

Jeremy Taylor is interviewed about his life and career in Musical Theatre! 00:00 - First experience of theatre 03:56 - Drama School 06:00 - Coasting at drama school 09:10 - Career highlights 13:40 - Pre-show rituals 17:23 - Special skills 23:01 - Favourite theatre 26:40 - Quickfire round 27:33 - F.R.I.E.N.D.S 31:10 - Advice to young people who want a career in theatre Recorded on 08/08/20 #Wicked #ThePhantomoftheOpera #GuildfordSchoolofActing

Jeremy Taylor talks about his career in MUSICAL THEATRE | Encore Radio (Post-Show Drinks)

Connor and Catherine sit down with Jeremy Taylor, to discuss Phantom, his training at Guildford School of Acting, making his West End debut in The Sound of Music at the London Palladium, playing Fiyero in Wicked, and being part of We Will Rock You at the Dominion! Recorded on 22/05/19 #Wicked #WeWillRockYou #ThePhantomoftheOpera

Jeremy Taylor on being in THE SOUND OF MUSIC at the London Palladium | BBC Radio WM

Joanne Malin interviews Jeremy Taylor about his experiences working at the London Palladium! Recorded on 01/09/10 #TheSoundofMusic #LondonPalladium #Rolf

Jeremy Taylor on being in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA | Resonance FM

Tim McArthur and Nathan Matthews interview Jeremy Taylor about his experiences playing Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera in London's West End! Recorded on 01/02/19 #Raoul #ThePhantomoftheOpera #HerMajestysTheatre

Jeremy Taylor on being RAOUL in Phantom of the Opera | BBC Radio WM

Jeremy Taylor interviewed about his latest job, Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera in London. Recorded on 13/09/17 #Raoul #ThePhantomoftheOpera #HerMajestysTheatre