Piano, finally

Welcome to show number ninety-nine! In this week's show, I'll review an amazing production at the Sydney Theatre Company, take a musical trip back to the 1960s courtesy of the Blue Mountains Musical Society, and try to prioritise things. First, I must apologise for the unexpected break in the shows. It has been four weeks since episode 98; things just got in the way with visitors, exams,...

Welcome to show number ninety-eight. In this week's show, I'll review Matthew Cawood's latest video, talk about the myth of multi-tasking and let you know how last night's performance went. During my voice lessons on Monday, we found that I can now get to the D# above middle C reasonably consistently, and the E above that occasionally. This week's piano lesson was longer,...

G'day, everyone! Welcome to show number ninety-seven. In this week's show, I discuss getting back to learning scales, the changing way society approaches learning music, and last week's pretty special Sydney Symphony Orchestra concert. Progress Update I had my piano and voice lessons on Monday. Finding time to practice the piano has been a bit of a challenge lately, so progress is s...

Welcome to show number ninety-six! In this week's show, I'll discuss money and music, and let you know about an amazing free resource I've found on YouTube. You may have noticed that the last show came out a day early, and the week before that, there wasn't an episode at all. That was because I was called out to help with the St Vincent de Paul van. Sometimes, other things just...

Welcome to episode 95! I'm David Reidy, an old bloke getting around to learning the piano, finally. In this week's show, I review a new book about scales and arpeggios, discuss piano racing, and suggest one of my favourite YouTube creators who is back from a break. Listener Feedback & Progress I received an email from Chris, an adult piano learner, with some great suggestions for my...

Welcome to show number 94 of Piano, finally ! I'm David Reidy, an old bloke getting around to learning the piano. This week, it's school holidays, so we're busy tidying up the house to make a proper music room. I'm also putting in some extra choir practice to learn the bass part for A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman for an upcoming charity event in May.  Megalong Music...

G'day, everyone. Welcome to Piano, finally , a podcast by an old bloke who is getting around to learning the piano, finally. Review: Megalong Music Festival, Day One In this week's show, I start reviewing the Megalong Music Festival. The concerts take place in the Megalong Valley Community Centre, a concrete block, metal-roofed building which is used by the local scouts, the pony club an...

G'day, everyone. Welcome to show number ninety-two of Piano, finally , a podcast by an old bloke who is getting around to learning the piano, finally. In this week's show, I review the Sydney Theatre Company's latest musical, muse about cover versions, and review a really handy pocket device for practising note recognition and copying. Theatre Review: My Brilliant Career On Saturday...

Welcome to show number ninety-one of Piano, finally , a podcast by an old bloke who is getting around to learning the piano, finally. In this week's show, I'm going to think a bit about how we all should support our local music scene, review a collection of music by Stephen Sondheim, and share some progress recordings. Progress Update : The voice lessons are working! Two of the choir pie...

Welcome to show number 90! This week, we are taking a look at the 29th edition of the Blue Mountains Music Festival. If this is your first time listening, I hope you find the show interesting and consider subscribing. If you're a regular listener, thank you for your ongoing support. In This Episode: The Making of Synthesiser V's Choir Voices: I discuss the AI voice tool, Synthesiser V 2...

G'day everyone! I'm David Reidy , and welcome to show number 89 of Piano, finally . This week, I'm exploring the reliability of practising with others, reviewing a YouTube progress video, and diving into some fascinating AI vocal software. Recording Under the Storm This episode comes to you amidst some local connectivity challenges. A large electrical storm recently knocked out both...

G'day everyone! I'm David Reidy , and welcome to show number 88 of Piano, finally . In this episode, I'm branching out into some new musical territory while navigating the usual challenges of finding practice time. Singing Lessons and Choir Progress I've officially started singing lessons with Sussanne to help with my new choir. We're working on Tracey Chapman’s "Fast...

Welcome to show eighty-seven! It’s a busy week catching up with an ex-student launching a music career and managing a packed choir schedule.  YouTube: Bardcore I explore "Bardcore" this week! Hildegard von Blingin' orchestrates modern songs with medieval instruments, while The Miracle Aligner translates hits into ancient languages like Latin and Attic Greek. https://www.youtube.com/...

G'day everyone. Welcome to show number eighty-six. If you're a regular listener, thanks for your support, and if you're new here, I hope you enjoy the show. This week, things have taken a vocal turn. Following my enjoyment of the Belong choir, I've signed up for another community choir—one that didn't require an audition! I've found myself in the bass section, managin...

G'day, everyone! Welcome to show number eighty-five. It was in January 2024 that I finally picked up a keyboard to start learning the piano. That means I've officially passed the two-year mark! I’m not organised enough to know the exact date,but looking back, deciding to learn the piano after sixty was undoubtedly a great decision. Podcast Review: The Music Show I recently rediscovered &...

G'day, everyone! Welcome to show number eighty-four. The holidays are officially over, and we are back into the swing of things at school. It’s been a busy week of planning and welcoming new classes, but it's always nice to have a fresh start. Follow-up: Amazon Returns Last week, I mentioned receiving some dubious print-on-demand music books from Amazon. I’m happy to report that the retu...

G'day, everyone! Welcome to show number eighty-three. I’m writing this week's show from a slightly different location:under the shade of a Eucalypt tree at the Stargazer Lawn in Barangaroo. It is the day of the dress rehearsal for the Belong Choir's performance at the Sydney Festival Vigil. The atmosphere is buzzing with activity as chairs are set up and the area is taped off. It’s...

G'day, everyone! Welcome to show number eighty-two. I’ve just returned from a week in Queensland visiting family, though it meant very little piano practice happened. It’s been great working in the Belong Choir with Nardi Simpson, a Yuwaalaraay storyteller and composer, who makes the rehearsals inclusive and fun. Podcast Recommendation: No one saw it coming I’m a big fan of history podcasts,...

Welcome to show eighty-one! It's scorching here—hitting 43°C—and I'm busy prepping for the new school year. I’m recording early this week as I’m heading to Queensland to assemble a 3D printer for the grandkids! YouTube Review: Matthew Cawood - 30 Piano Techniques Matthew Cawood's video "30 Piano Techniques Explained in 15 Minutes" is excellent revision. He covers everythin...

G'day everyone! Welcome to show number eighty. It's the new year, and despite a rocky start with unseasonably cold morning swims, everything is going well here. I've been busy tidying up the house, potentially making room for a new keyboard once the driveway is sorted! Podcast Update: The Rest is History I need to make a quick correction to last week’s episode. The new musical episo...

Episode 78 - A Series of Fortunate Events G'day everyone! Welcome to show number seventy-eight. The holidays have finally started! School has finished for the year, and while I have some work to do on a new Physics program for 2027, there is plenty of time to get it done. Devi and I have chosen some new pieces to keep me busy over the break, and I'm looking forward to increasing my daily...

Episode 78 - A Series of Fortunate Events G'day everyone! Welcome to show number seventy-eight. The holidays have finally started! School has finished for the year, and while I have some work to do on a new Physics program for 2027, there is plenty of time to get it done. Devi and I have chosen some new pieces to keep me busy over the break, and I'm looking forward to increasing my daily...

Episode 77 - Christmas Shopping G'day, everyone! Welcome to show number seventy-seven. Teaching has finally finished for the year, wrapping up with a wonderful awards ceremony and a staff performance that was definitely more enthusiastic than musical! I’m looking forward to my last piano lesson of the year this Monday, where Devi and I will pick out a few pieces to keep me busy over the break...

G’day everyone, I’m David Reidy. Welcome to Piano, Finally , a podcast by an old bloke who’s getting around to learning the piano, finally. In the lead-up to Christmas, practice opportunities appear and disappear in equal measure. A little more playing happened this week, though not as much as hoped. The 3D printer is busy producing small gifts for the staff party, and while it’s handy for persona...

G’day everyone, I’m David Reidy. Welcome to Piano, Finally — a podcast by an old bloke who’s getting around to learning the piano, finally. With the exams marked and reports written, the last weeks of the school year bring a welcome return to regular practice (and twice-daily swimming). This week’s episode is built around a story in two parts: a run of theatre outings, and an unexpected new musica...