Here are a couple articles I have written recently that do NOT appear in my blog, so you may have missed them. If any of them interest you, take a look: Play music! The absolute joy of playing music! Middle … Continue reading →
If you’re looking for a perfect way to keep your mind sharp, piano playing is the solution. It exercises several different parts of the mind and body, while providing you with years of musical enjoyment. Whether you play piano currently or are thinking about starting, playing piano is great brain food.
Continue reading →Every serious piano student eventually learns to play some of the most well-known classical pieces during his or her studies. Nary a pianist didn’t learn Palchabel’s Canon in D or Beethoven’s Fur Elise. Even non-musicians recognize names like Bach and Mozart. But what about modern classical pianists who have also made notable contributions to cultural history?
Continue reading →Building a piano arrangement of a song is very much like building a house. You have to have a foundation (music theory), the materials of the song (the melody, chords & rhythm), and you have to have a toolbox of techniques with which to “build the musical house”.
Continue reading →A staple of both spiritual and secular singers alike, Amazing Grace is one of the world’s most popular songs. John Newton, its writer, lived a life full of sin and redemption, which inspired the song’s lyrics. According to Newton’s biography, the words of Amazing Grace show the song was very personal in nature.
Continue reading →The joy of music comes in many ways, including playing the piano! There are lots of reasons to play the piano, but one of the most basic is simply that piano playing is fun! As Leonard Bernstein called it — … Continue reading →
In 1940, Woody Guthrie sat down and wrote his personal response to the song ‘God Bless America.’ He felt a different story of America needed telling. This story would celebrate the beauty of the American expanse. At the same time, it would also celebrate the average working citizen who labored across the land. The result of his creativity was ‘This Land is Your Land,’ a song that is still taught in school music classes.
Continue reading →George M. Cohan’s encounter with a Civil War veteran inspired a song that became a Broadway hit. Later it became a household name — “You’re a Grand Old Flag”.
Continue reading →What in the world is “naked music?” You know it when you hear it, but the words that describe it sound strange, don’t they? We’ve all heard of popular music and rock music and gospel music and jazz music, but … Continue reading →
What is it about The Yankee Doodle Boy, that puts a smile on one’s face and sets toes a-tapping’? It’s the verve and variety inherent in a great tunesmith’s song that gets pianos playing and people singing. Written by George … Continue reading →
