Two kinds of creativity: Aesthetic or True Expression

In this video, I explore two very different kinds of artistic creativity: aesthetic creativity and what I call true creativity. Aesthetic creativity is driven by stylistic manners, clever inventiveness, under the supervision of the critical mind. True creativity, on the other hand, comes from a deep, feeling and perhaps even spiritual place — the soul.

These two forms of creativity are not necessarily opposed, but they are different in essence. One can create amazing, excellent, inventive work from the top down — but true artistic power often comes from surrendering to something much more mysterious and heartfelt, coming from the deepest place.

Whether you’re a musician, painter, writer, or any kind of creator, this video may interest you, inviting you to wonder how your creative impulses and processes really work and where they come from.

Why wanting to play well can block your musical growth!

In this video, I explore a surprising but important truth: the desire to play music well—to impress, to achieve, to be perfect—can actually stand in the way of learning music as a language of feeling and self-expression.

Music is not just a performance art. It’s a way of communicating emotion, energy, and meaning. When we get caught up in status, ego, or perfectionism, we lose the spontaneity and fluency that real musical communication requires.

This video is for musicians, students, teachers or anyone at all who wants to reconnect with the deeper purpose of playing music— not to impress, but to express.

If you’ve ever felt blocked, tense, or disconnected from your music, this message could help you unlock your inner child’s creative voice.

How to Make Syncopated Rhythms Groove & Sit in the Pocket!

Struggling to make syncopated rhythms feel stable, flowing and cool? Whether you’re a drummer, instrumentalist, or vocalist, performing off-beat rhythms without sounding awkward or sloppy can be a challenge — you need to know how to practice getting them to sit in the pocket. In this video, I break down how to approach syncopation so it feels expressive, groovy, and flowing deeply and securely in the groove. I’ll explain:

  • How to avoid sounding rigid or off-time
  • Tips for developing internal feel and timing
  • What separates clumsy syncopation from professional groove
  • Exercises to help you master it

This isn’t just about getting the rhythm right — it’s about FEEL.

What kind of music is best for training fluent musicianship?

To fully internalize the language of music in order to become a fully fluent musician, you must find the mindset of a child to be full of awe and wonder. The music we practise in this state is unsophisticated, yet it feels very deep and powerful, especially in the early stages when the language used must be very simple. To do this, we must let go of our adult musical taste and the associated repertoire, styles and genres, as well as any theoretical ideas of what music is or how it functions, and focus on the very simple model of musical language that I teach, practising in a pure, playful, unselfconscious state, like a small child.

How to play with great rhythm – 7 important keys

How to practise to make your playing rhythmically flowing and stable can be quite a conundrum. People often struggle to feel confident that they’re playing the correct rhythm and they tend to worry about going out of time. Often they resort to practising with a metronome and try to be perfectly in time but this just leads to more problems, tension and stiff unmusical playing. In this short video, I explain how to approach improving your rhythm and developing a strong sense of musical pulse and metre. Put these 7 keys to good rhythm into practice and you’ll find that playing with great rhythm can be easy and natural.

How to get a fluent sense of tonality

Tonality works according to some basic, solid principles that we can easily learn. But we must also use strong expressive intention which is based more on rhythm and cadence than theory.

Op. 14 no. 1 by Beethoven – how to make it flow

Beethoven’s Sonata op. 14 no. 1, 1st movement is one of the Grade 8 piano exam pieces 2023. In this video, I explore how rhythm and basic good piano technique can help you create a flowing and stable performance of this tricky piano piece and offer helpful piano practice tips.

Listening critically as you play… for or against?

Listening to what we play in an examining, scrutinising way might seem to be a skill that’s necessary for developing expressive skills as a musician. I want to challenge this. Whilst we hear what we play and this helps us to make the sound we want, our response to the auditory feedback is entirely natural and needs little, if any, directing. In fact, critical listening might be the cause of a much more fundamental problem that makes people’s playing sound stiff and unmusical.