Jessica O'Leary – författare

Over the years, many examination pieces have captured the imagination of teachers and students, but the stars of past syllabuses are often forgotten. The Best of Grade 2 Violin brings together favourite Grade 2 pieces from the Trinity and ABRSM syllabuses, ranging from fresh editions of folk and classical masterpieces to contemporary favourites. Downloadable performance and accompaniment tracks are available, as are useful practice tips.All pieces have been rigorously researched by teacher, professional violinist and ABRSM examiner Jessica O’Leary. See Jessica discuss a piece from the Grade 2 book here.

Over the years, many examination pieces have captured the imagination of teachers and students, but the stars of past syllabuses are often forgotten. The Best of Grade 3 Violin brings together best-loved grade 3 pieces from current and past Trinity and ABRSM syllabuses, such as Build that Wall, Overnight Mail Express (Cohen) and Sleep Song (Humperdinck). Online audio of performance and accompaniment tracks are available to download, as are useful practice tips.Containing fresh editions of folk and classical masterpieces alongside contemporary favourites, all pieces have been rigorously researched by teacher, professional violinist and ABRSM examiner Jessica O’Leary. She has toured and recorded extensively as a member of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and has performed with Madonna, Led Zeppelin, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Opera House. See Jessica discuss a piece from the Grade 3 book here.

Over the years, many examination pieces have captured the imagination of teachers and students, but the stars of past syllabuses are often forgotten. The Best of Grade 4 Violin brings together best-loved pieces from current and past syllabuses, including Hindu Song (Rimsky-Korsakov), Sometime Maybe (Wedgwood) and Fly me to the Moon (Howard).Containing fresh editions of folk and classical masterpieces alongside contemporary favourites, all pieces have been rigorously researched by violin expert Jessica O’Leary. Online audio of performance and accompaniment tracks are available, as are useful practice tips. This book includes pieces from current and past Trinity and ABRSM syllabuses.Jessica O’Leary has a successful career as a teacher, professional violinist, ABRSM examiner and seminar presenter. She has toured and recorded extensively as a member of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and has performed with Madonna, Led Zeppelin, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Opera House. She teaches violin and viola and directs string ensembles at St Paul’s Girls’ School, Eltham College and Junior Guildhall London.

Over the years, many examination pieces have captured the imagination of teachers and students, but the stars of past syllabuses are often forgotten. The Best of Grade 5 Violin brings together best-loved grade 5 pieces, including Pleyel’s Sonatina in B flat, Fauré’s Sicilienne and Wedgwood’s Survivor. See Jessica talk about a piece from the Grade 5 book here.Containing fresh editions of folk and classical masterpieces alongside contemporary favourites, all pieces have been rigorously researched by violin expert Jessica O’Leary. Online audio of performance and accompaniment tracks is available to download, as are useful practice tips. This book includes pieces from current and past Trinity and ABRSM syllabuses.Jessica O’Leary has a successful career as a teacher, professional violinist, ABRSM examiner and seminar presenter. She has toured and recorded extensively as a member of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and has performed with Madonna, Led Zeppelin, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Opera House. She teaches violin and viola and directs string ensembles at St Paul’s Girls’ School, Eltham College and Junior Guildhall London.

80 Graded Studies for Violin Book 1 is a must-have resource for teachers and students. Studies are an established part of every instrumentalist’s training. They place technical problems in musical contexts, and can be invaluable aids for development. This study book brings together a broad selection of repertoire including works by famous pedagogues such as Wohlfahrt, Schradieck and Kayser, as well as folksongs, lesser known gems, contemporary studies and some original compositions.The studies in Book 1 are arranged in order of increasing difficulty, according to a carefully planned technical progression from Grades 1-5. Each grade features solo studies focussing on specific areas of technique, plus one accompanied piece per grade available to download, to help with intonation and for use as a performance resource.

Violin Basics is a landmark method by two of the leading figures in music education. Comprising pupil’s tutor book, teacher’s accompaniment book, and online audio, Violin Basics provides everything you need to get playing. This Teacher’s Book supports the pupil from absolute beginner level, progressing to Grade 1 level. It contains piano and violin accompaniments for the pieces in Violin Basics, along with general guidance for teachers. Audio of all the accompaniments is available online.

Double Bass Basics is a landmark method by two of the leading figures in music education, Paul Harris and Jessica O’Leary. Comprising pupil’s tutor book, free downloadable accompaniment parts and online audio, Double Bass Basics provides everything you need to get playing. The method presents a step-by-step technical progression supported by fun exercises and warm-ups with a wide range of imaginative repertoire. Helpful fact files, rhythm boxes, music theory and musicianship activities provide a holistic approach for beginners. …bursting with wonderful practice tips, tricks, word puzzles and a subtle introduction to music theory. There is a comfortable pace to this method so the student will steadily progress and never feel stagnant... This is an ideal publication for the beginner bassist.Marian Heckenberg, Stringendo, April 2024

From Violin to Viola: Another String to Your Bow is the essential guide for violinists making the transition to viola. Aimed at intermediate violinists and above, the book guides players through their first steps on the viola, covering essential topics such as reading alto clef, adjusting bow hold, developing a good sound, string crossing, vibrato and shifting. Devised by leading educators Jessica O’Leary and Paul Harris, this practical method includes carefully selected exercises, studies, solos and duos that reinforce skills and build confidence along the way. Whether you are switching to viola or simply expanding your skillset as a violinist, this book provides all the tools you need to add another string to your bow!

Federico and Ferrante Gonzaga came of age during a time of intense change in sixteenth-century Italy: The Italian Wars (1494–1559). The first and third-born sons of Isabella d’Este and Francesco Gonzaga spent their formative years at the courts of Francis I of France and Charles V of Spain, where, as effectively diplomatic hostages, they learned valuable lessons about the transnational social codes and rituals central to sixteenth-century political life. As adults, they applied these lessons in their political and martial collaborations with Charles V: supporting his dominions in Italy, facilitating his attempted colonisation of northern Africa, and praising his attacks on Muslim pirates in the Italian Mediterranean. This book uses epistolary, literary, and material sources to argue that the boyhood and adult experiences of Federico and Ferrante Gonzaga are illustrative of wider strategies adopted by elite Italians to respond to conflict and crisis in a global age.

Federico and Ferrante Gonzaga came of age during a time of intense change in sixteenth-century Italy: The Italian Wars (1494–1559). The first and third-born sons of Isabella d’Este and Francesco Gonzaga spent their formative years at the courts of Francis I of France and Charles V of Spain, where, as effectively diplomatic hostages, they learned valuable lessons about the transnational social codes and rituals central to sixteenth-century political life. As adults, they applied these lessons in their political and martial collaborations with Charles V: supporting his dominions in Italy, facilitating his attempted colonisation of northern Africa, and praising his attacks on Muslim pirates in the Italian Mediterranean. This book uses epistolary, literary, and material sources to argue that the boyhood and adult experiences of Federico and Ferrante Gonzaga are illustrative of wider strategies adopted by elite Italians to respond to conflict and crisis in a global age.

Federico and Ferrante Gonzaga came of age during a time of intense change in sixteenth-century Italy: The Italian Wars (1494–1559). The first and third-born sons of Isabella d’Este and Francesco Gonzaga spent their formative years at the courts of Francis I of France and Charles V of Spain, where, as effectively diplomatic hostages, they learned valuable lessons about the transnational social codes and rituals central to sixteenth-century political life. As adults, they applied these lessons in their political and martial collaborations with Charles V: supporting his dominions in Italy, facilitating his attempted colonisation of northern Africa, and praising his attacks on Muslim pirates in the Italian Mediterranean. This book uses epistolary, literary, and material sources to argue that the boyhood and adult experiences of Federico and Ferrante Gonzaga are illustrative of wider strategies adopted by elite Italians to respond to conflict and crisis in a global age.

This book explores the diplomatic role of women in early modern European dynastic networks through the study of Aragonese marriage alliances in late fifteenth-century Italy and Hungary. It challenges the frequent erasure of dynastic wives from diplomatic and political narratives to show how elite women were diplomatically active agents for two dynasties.Chapters analyze the lives of Eleonora (1450-1493) and Beatrice d'Aragona (1457-1508), daughters of King Ferrante of Naples (1423-1494), and how they negotiated their natal and marital relationships to achieve diplomatic outcomes. While Ferrante expected his daughters to follow paternal imperatives and to remain engaged in collective dynastic strategy, the extent of his kinswomen's continued participation in familial projects was dependent on the nature of their marital relationships. The book traces the access to these relationships that enabled courtly women to re-enter the diplomatic space after marriage, not as objects, but as agents, with their own strategies, politics, and schemes.