THE ART OF CLASSICAL MUSIC BLOGGINGFrances Wilson AKA The Cross-Eyed Pianist

What is a blog?

noun 1. a website containing a writer's or group of

writers' own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other websites.

2. a single entry or post on such a website

Origin: a shortened form of “weblog”

Differences between a website & a blog Website Most content is static. Formal/professional. Interactivity is usually limited: typically, there is only one-

way communication. Communication tends to be about products and/or

services. Almost everyone has a website.

Blog Content is regularly updated. Less formal in approach and tone. Interactive – readers can leave comments. A blog is more like a magazine or journal.

Why did I start The Cross-Eyed Pianist?

I have always enjoyed writing about music

I wanted to find a way to record my thoughts about the music I was playing and hearing at concerts

Maybe other people would find what I was writing interesting…..

How I got started

Before The Cross-Eyed Pianist there was Demon Cook….

Getting started

Choose a blogging platform Wordpress, Blogger, Tumblr, Live Journal

Choose the right design Eye-catching, attractive and appropriate to

the content Accessible – don’t overload the reader with

information Easy to navigate

Content

Try to develop a consistent online persona or “voice”

Keep content fresh and regularly updated

Include pictures, video and soundclips to enhance and vary the content

Consider including guest posts to add greater variety

Increasing the readership

Don’t expect overnight success! It can take several years for an online profile to grow

Use categories and “tags” (key words that people may use in search engines like Google) to enable better Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Stream your posts to other social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn (SEO is improved through referrals from other popular sites that reference your blog)

Add a “blogroll” of links to other related sites & encourage others to link to your site

Allow readers to comment and interact with them (but always have the option to moderate comments to avoid spam and trolling)

What can a blog achieve?

Enhanced profile and promotional opportunities A chance to offer insights into your work & share with

readers your thoughts and opinions on: Repertoire Practising Teaching Performing Touring Recording Audience interaction Your day to day working life

Opportunities to connect with others in the profession across the world

How has blogging helped my career?

Blogging has put me in touch with a wide range of classical musicians and music professionals

The quality and frequency of my content has given me an enhanced profile in the UK classical music world (and beyond) which has led directly to: Invitations to review and write for other music sites,

including Bachtrack.com, HelloStage, The Sampler, Musical Orbit and InterludeHK

Press invitations to attend concerts, CD launches and other music-related events

The Stats

To date, the Cross-Eyed Pianist has 570,000 views c4,000 followers (blog subscribers &

followers via social media) 990 published posts, including over 150

‘Meet the Artist’ interviews Most popular post: ‘Describing Music in

Words and Sound’ Most popular Meet the Artist interview:

Stephen Hough

Further reading….

Stephen Hough’s blog in The Telegraph

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/author/stephenhough/ Graham Fitch’s Practising the Piano

http://www.practisingthepiano.com/ Boulezian (Mark Berry)

http://boulezian.blogspot.co.uk/ On An Overgrown Path

http://www.overgrownpath.com/ Susan Tomes – pianist & writer

http://www.susantomes.com/

The Cross-Eyed Pianist

www.crosseyedpianist.com

www.franceswilson.co.uk

Twitter @CrossEyedPiano