Piano Shop Bath Piano Teacher Profile – Gordon Sullivan
This month Trowbridge based piano and guitar teacher and composer Gordon Sullivan stopped by to have a look at our piano range and talk teaching and pianos with The Piano Shop Bath. Gordon is a very experienced piano teacher and well established in the Wiltshire area having been teaching around here for 20 years. Inspired to play the piano from a young age by his granddad, who was a pub pianist in London, he went on to study in London at the Barbican and University of East Anglia. He teaches piano from home in a purpose built studio in Wiltshire and is comfortable teaching beginner piano lessons through to advanced level. He enjoys teaching both children and adults and is equally happy teaching classical piano or more contemporary styles. We discussed the satisfaction to be had from seeing the confidence and skills gained in learning the piano spill over into other areas of students lives, something he described as ‘opening doors for people’. One of the ways that teachers and parents can help children who are starting to learn the piano is to make the repetition aspect of practicing fun.
When I asked him if he felt pianos were living instruments there was no hesitation, ‘absolutely’, he replied. He explained that he had seen the same pianos side by side and found each one to play differently. A fellow piano enthusiast, we both love the way that no two pianos are ever the same and can clearly recall our favourite pianos. The Steinway Model B Grand piano from his university days stands out as being particularly good, ‘perfect’, he remembers. For more information about Gordon Sullivan piano teacher, Trowbridge, see his website.
The Piano Shop Bath always enjoys meeting the musicians and teachers that live and work around the area, so if you are a local piano teacher and would like to feature in our monthly profile please do get in touch on 01225 427961.
‘when learning to play the piano the ability to handle repetition is important’