‘As a child, I thought the whole world played the piano! Music was an integral part of my life, as a family we were steeped in music, most of my relatives being musicians. I could compose before I could even write!

 

While devising my teaching method, I was cognisant of two basic ‘types’ that musical training can lead to – one which was to be avoided at all costs and the other which all students should aspire to:

 

       - The Music Player: This student cannot play without their sheet music; the ‘player’ can neither compose nor improvise, they cannot read chord chart or generate their own accompaniments since they always need the sheet music to direct them. Alas, all too often this is precisely the kind of student that conventional training fosters.

 

      - The Musician: This student, conversely, has an array of musical skills. The musician understands the language of music and its structure. They can sight read music, play by ear, improvise, compose and can readily play in sync with others. In addition, their musical knowledge and skills are transferrable to other instruments.

 

My goal is to help students to become musicians, not simply to learn how to follow the notes on a page in front of them! With this goal in mind, I have designed my own piano system which caters to the needs and proclivities of individual students allowing them to flourish as students and become musicians.’

                                                                               - Ovidio de Ferrari