Piano, Organ & Other Keyboard Instruments

All enquiries to the Section Co-Ordinator
Mrs Jo Highley, 07793 751962, Email

Having been a solicitor in London and Hong Kong More ...

Having been a solicitor in London and Hong Kong for a number of years Jo is now a Suzuki Method piano teacher in the South Hams.  

She has found herself involved in all kinds of music-making over the years including teaching piano and theory, playing in concerts (solo and duet), accompanying, musically directing amateur dramatic productions, playing the organ, leading a gospel choir, singing in a madrigal group and a barbershop quartet and playing double bass in a jazz trio.  

She has found involvement in the Festival to be interesting and fulfilling.

Sometimes Levels are given rather than grades. For details please click here

GUIDANCE

Where reference has been made either to a specific grade, or to terms such as elementary, intermediate etc, or to a level expressed in Grades, it is expected that entrants, parents, and especially teachers, will bear in mind that it is in the spirit of the festival to try to adhere carefully to the standards suggested by the the relevant grade.  If in any doubt about the level of a piece then teachers should not hesitate to contact the Keyboard Section Co-ordinator who will be happy to give guidance.  

Whilst it is obviously acceptable to play an exam piece in the festival, wider repertoire is strongly encouraged, in the context of the above advice.

Candidates may play only one piece in each class, unless the description of the class expressly states otherwise.

Within any class, the adjudicator will pay more heed to the standard of the performance than to the level of difficulty of the piece. 

Adjudicator: Susan James MA(Cantab),MA(OU),ARCM,PgDip(RCM), CT ABRSM,LRSM

Susan attended the Trinity College of Music Junior Department for ten years, then continued her studies at Cambridge and successfully completed a Post-graduate Diploma in performance at the Royal College of Music.

She has appeared at many major London concert venues and throughout the country as a soloist, accompanist and given concerto performances in Harrow and Lincoln.

Susan teaches at Merchant Taylor’s School and Latymer Upper School and the Royal Masonic School for Girls and is London based. She examines for the Associated Board in the UK and internationally and is an adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals.

Susan has had three articles about teaching techniques published in the Music Teacher magazine and has published her own music theory book to help students prepare for their grade 5 theory exams.