Yesterday I had my first experience of a piano club. Some of you may have heard of these before and even attended a local piano club. The one near me is held in a house where there is a beautiful Steinway Model B grand piano. Around 20 people attended and the afternoon began with a cup of tea or coffee giving me the chance to meet others in the group. There were quite a range of ages and abilities. One lady played one of her grade 3 exam pieces while others played pieces closer to grade 8 standard. Composers ranged from J S Bach to Scott Joplin. We all drew a number from a bowl and that decided the order of performances. The atmosphere was informal and very encouraging and following all the performances there was yet more tea and coffee but this time with cakes!
I really felt that this was one of the best ways of giving pianists informal performance opportunities that I have come across. Playing in exams and music festivals, where you are assessed, can be quite stressful and isn't for everyone. Playing in a piano club, such as the one I attended yesterday, can still create nerves but as the playing is not being assessed and everyone there is in the same situation and want to encourage each other, it is a much more relaxed environment in which to perform.
So, I would encourage pianists to try to find out about any local piano clubs and go along if they can and if there isn't already a piano club in your area why not consider starting one?
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