Edition 001 · June

Reflection

The Letter

Dear Pianist,

It feels surreal to say that this is the first month of the Piano Post Mail Club. The idea of sharing my compositions across the world through a monthly mail club is something that truly excites me. Being able to share the way I see the world through music is something I hold very close to me - so I want to start by saying a sincere thank you for joining and not only supporting my work as a composer, but also hearing the world through my eyes (and ears!) I’m excited to see where this journey goes - sharing new compositions each month and celebrating the simple joy of playing the piano together.

This first piece is called Reflection. I recently moved to Sydney, Australia from the UK, and being away from loved ones has been a very reflective time for me. This piece echoes a lot of those feelings. The photograph on the front cover was taken during a walk near the Botanical Gardens here in Sydney. I remember looking out across the water and feeling caught between two places in my life - the one I had just left behind and the one I was beginning to build. I think we often move through life in cycles like that. Sometimes we’re looking forward, sometimes we’re looking back. This piece tries to create space for both of those feelings.

When I compose at the piano, I'm always searching for feeling. So when I stumbled across these descending broken chords I fell in love with their sound instantly. The melodies and harmonic patterns in this piece are something I've been improvising around for what feels like half my life as a pianist, exploring how they shift with different chords and bass notes in the left hand. In that sense, this piece feels like a culmination of years spent chasing this idea and the feeling it gave me. The descending melody drifts between A Major and E Major triads, a combination I've always found sounds rather beautiful.

I hope you enjoy learning the piece as much as I enjoyed writing it, and that it offers you a small moment of reflection when you sit down at the piano.

Composer’s Tips

Listen to Reflection

Edition 002 · July

Angel's Trumpet

The Letter

Dear Pianist,

Welcome to the second edition of the Piano Post Mail Club!

I hope this month's edition brings fresh inspiration to you and your piano playing, wherever you are in the world. As I'm writing this letter, there are just over 30 members in the club, making this a wonderfully small and intimate community.

This month's composition is called Angel's Trumpet, inspired by the beautiful flower featured on the postcard. I took this photograph while out on a walk in June, not far from my apartment. I often look to nature for inspiration, and there was something about this flower that immediately drew me in. Its shape feels as though it's constantly evolving, and despite its beauty, it hangs gently towards the ground.

When writing this piece, I wanted the music to evolve in the same way. It begins gracefully before the harmony gradually develops, leading to a fuller, more expressive C section. Like the flower itself, everything in life begins, grows, and fades. Looking closely at the photograph, you'll notice flowers in full bloom, some damaged, and others nearing the end of their journey. I wanted the music to reflect that natural cycle.

As you play, I hope your emotions evolve with the piece. Let the music grow with you, and allow yourself to embrace each new feeling as it unfolds.

Finally, while the Piano Post Mail Club is still a small community, one of the joys of that is being able to connect personally. If you have any questions about the piece or would like some guidance on a particular passage, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I'll always do my best to help.

Composer’s Tips

Listen to Angel's Trumpet

Edition 003 · August

Lost At Sea

The Letter

Dear Pianist,

If you are reading this, then you have just opened the third edition of the Piano Post Mail Club! New members, welcome - it’s so lovely to have you here. And to those of you joining me for another edition, it’s so nice to have you back!

This month’s composition is ‘Lost At Sea’ - a feeling I’m sure we can all relate to from time to time. When I sat down to write this piece, I was feeling just that. Some days I feel like I’m having the best day of my life, while on others I can feel completely lost. I wanted this piece to capture that journey through constantly changing emotions.

For me, the A section represents an uncertainty - moving between feelings without quite knowing where we’ll find ourselves next. Then, as we travel through the B section, the right-hand motif repeats, changing ever so slightly as it goes, whilst the left-hand harmony constantly shifts between minor, major and diminished chords. The motif is almost trapped within this ever-changing emotional landscape.

Eventually, everything builds into the C section - a moment of pure passion and emotion as the tides pick up. We are in the eye of the storm, with familiar motifs now sailing through crashing waves... Finally, we reach the last section. Take note of the performance direction ‘Repeat ad lib, morendo al niente’. I want you to truly lose yourself here. Repeat for as long as feels right, allowing each repetition to gradually disappear into nothing. For me, this final section represents slowly finding our way out of the storm and towards whatever comes next. It isn’t quite a moment of clarity - we don’t suddenly know where we’re going or have all the answers. Instead, it’s simply an exit from the storm we have just travelled through.

Perhaps that’s what being lost really is sometimes: not knowing exactly where you’re going, but trusting that eventually, the tide will change.

Composer’s Tips

Listen to Lost At Sea