I have few regrets in my life, but one of them is quitting piano lessons/not taking them seriously, and not practicing while I was taking them. Now, as a conductor, I am kicking myself for my lack of piano skills and my anxiety of playing in front of other people. Whenever I try to play anything in front of anyone, my fingers and hands forget everything we practiced and I flop around on the piano as if I’ve never seen one before -- it’s probably not that bad, but it feels like it!

To combat this anxiety, I am undertaking the long-overdue project of learning to accompany all my regular choral warm-ups on the piano in every key so that I can at least start a rehearsal with confidence!

(A caveat: there are many benefits for warming up a cappella, but there are times that just isn’t the right thing or the choir needs a boost.)

What are your favourite warm-ups that I can add to my repertoire? Anyone else in the same boat as me? Leave a comment below!