Hi, it's Emma Blair! I've been playing the piano for over 13 years, and I'm passionate about learning new music and perfecting my craft. Here at Emma Blair Piano, I want to equip and inspire you to do the same!
What You'll Find on Emma Blair Piano
You'll find piano exercises, practice tips, and helpful hints to refine your piano technique and to help you be productive during your practice time. Whether you're a total beginner or advanced pianist, you'll find something here to inspire you along your piano journey!
My Mission
- My goal is to help you learn and perfect a solid piano technique while having fun! Music should never be scary or boring.
- I craft detailed blog posts and YouTube videos that teach piano exercises and give you helpful tips in a simple, easy-to-understand way.
- I want to inspire you to learn piano and to be motivated to do your best and never give up. You can do this!
More About Emma & The Blog
My Mom got her Level 8 Certificate from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Ontario and wanted to pass along her love of music to me. She started teaching me piano around the age of six, but I wasn't excited about these early lessons, and I certainly didn't enjoy practicing!
By the time I was in high school, I stopped piano completely, and switched my focus to dance. Ten years of ballet, tap, jazz, and pointe gave me a sense of musicality and rhythm that I'm grateful for today.
Years later, my younger sister Beth wanted to quit piano lessons. I didn't want her to stop, so I started taking lessons so we could do it together. I was surprised to find that practicing wasn't so boring after all, and I've never looked back!
I started playing the piano at the age of six, but quit in high school to take dance instead. Altogether, I've been playing the piano for over 13 years.
I enjoy playing classical music, especially the works of J.S. Bach. Since jazz is my favorite style of music to listen to, I also enjoy playing Joplin rags and Christopher Norton's upbeat Latin-inspired pieces. My favorite living composer to play from is David Hicken, since he writes engaging and Baroque-inspired compositions.
To shoot photos, I use a Canon 77D and the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.
For video, I use the iPhone 11 and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
My mic setup is the Earthworks Icon Pro connected to the Steinberg UR-RT4 audio interface with the Rupert Neve transformers active.
My favorite tripods are the Overhead Pro tripod for photos, and the Magnus VT-4000 for video. The Impact C-stand with the sliding leg paired with the Oben BE-177 ball head is fantastic for overhead shots!
My lighting gear is the Aputure Light Storm CS 120D II light (now discontinued) with the 35" light dome attached for a key light. I also use two GVM 800D light panels for hair and fill lights. For accent lights, I use three rechargeable Weeylite RB08P Mini Portable RGB lights.
I use Adobe Audition for sound recording and editing, and Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing.
What Others Are Saying about Emma's Piano Playing
My real passion is playing the piano. I love sitting at the keys, working on new pieces, and perfecting them! I publish piano performance videos on my second YouTube channel, Emma Blair Piano, and I've been honored to have several fantastic pianists and composers give me amazing feedback on my playing.
In December 2021, I was honored to be the runner-up in David Hicken's Chiang Mai Rhapsody piano contest. This was my first ever piano contest!
"Excellent work Emma, well done!"
(David Hicken, on "Captain Sharpe's Mission")
"Nice performance Emma!"
(Christopher Norton, on "Latin Lament")
"A beautiful performance Emma - well done!"
(David Hicken, on "Ellette")
Congratulations to Emma and Beth on a great performance and video! I'm delighted that you chose to perform this particular piece which is definitely one of my favorites.
(David Hicken, on "Gemini")
My performance of "Captain Sharpe's Mission" has also been featured on the BachScholar YouTube channel. Cory Hall, the man behind the BachScholar channel, has been my piano teacher for a couple of years.
Fun Facts
- I love nature walks, travel, photography, coffee, and baking.
- I'm a professional food blogger, photographer, and social media manager for Savor the Flavour, the food blog that my mom and I run. Be sure to check us out for all your food cravings!
- My favorite pianists include Beegie Adair, Vince Guaraldi, David Hicken, Brian Simpson, and Michele McLaughlin, and my favorite classical composer is J.S. Bach.
- I love Jesus! Everything I am is a result of His love, mercy, and grace, and it is my goal to glorify Him in all that I do.
A Family Business
Although I'm always the one writing the blog posts and videos, you'll sometimes see my two younger sisters, Beth and Alex, appear in some blog photos and videos. They're both piano students of mine, and I'm grateful for their input and assistance in my posts and videos!
Also, my mom, who was my first piano teacher, helps a lot with proofreading and shooting thumbnails. We are all passionate about music and are happy to work together to help you learn piano!
My Top Posts
Connect with Emma on Social Media
"The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul."
- J. S. Bach