Piano, finally

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...

We’re into the last three teaching weeks of the school year; final marking is nearly done, and I’m looking forward to a bit more time at the piano. 🎧 YouTube – Beethoven Literally Used Four Chords to Write Für Elise YouTube analysis channels can be a goldmine. Jazz pianist Charles Cornell – co-founder of Better Piano and author of Jazz Piano Improv – has a terrific breakdown of Für Elise . He loo...

G’day, I’m David Reidy. Welcome to Piano, Finally , a podcast by an old bloke who’s getting around to learning the piano, finally. This week was light on practice thanks to Year 9 camp at Lake Macquarie and the start of exam-marking season, but there was still some playing – including at camp – and some reflections on what it means to practise where people can see you . 🎧 YouTube – 5 Minutes on…...

Welcome back to Piano, Finally — the podcast of one bloke who’s learning piano later in life. This week’s episode is all about stepping up to new challenges and enjoying the progress along the way. I’ve been practising more than usual, working on three pieces — including my first “real” classical work: Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata . It’s tricky, but rewarding, and I’m discovering just how much a s...

G’day, everyone—and welcome back to Piano, Finally , a podcast by an old bloke learning the piano, finally. This week’s episode recaps my trip to the Out West Piano Fest in Bathurst—a weekend of incredible performances, great company, and the best farm food I’ve ever had. 🎼 Review – Out West Piano Fest Held on Blackdown Farm and organised by Piano Plus , the festival brings together music, meals,...

🎧 This Week’s Competitions The Out West Piano Fest is just around the corner, and I’ll be heading to Bathurst for the weekend—my first planned break from the podcast. If you’re there, say hello! Details at pianoplus.com.au/out-west-piano-fest-2025 . For those who enjoy piano competitions, the Honens International Piano Competition is underway, with finals streaming live and available afterwards o...

Episode 69 – It’s Not About the Money Welcome back to Piano, finally, the podcast of one bloke learning piano later in life. This week’s episode was planned and drafted on the train to Sydney—an unusually productive commute at $6.90 each way! 🎧 YouTube and Podcast – 19th International Chopin Competition Stage One of the 19th International Chopin Competition has finished, with forty pianists progr...

Episode 68 – It Takes Time G’day, everyone—and welcome back to Piano, Finally , the podcast from an old bloke who’s learning the piano, finally. This week’s episode comes to you from Queensland, recorded on portable Rode gear via an iPhone and edited in Cubase on a MacBook Pro. It’s also a rehearsal for the upcoming Out West Piano Fest, where I’ll be recording on location. 🎧 YouTube Feature – 19t...

Episode 67 – If a job’s worth doing… Welcome back to Piano, Finally , a podcast from an old bloke learning the piano later in life. Term three has wrapped up, and with it my piano lessons for now. Devi has me back on Wynn-Anne Rossi’s A Wild Chase , plus a new piece—Kevin Olson’s Machines on the Loose —and Juan Cabeza’s Diversion 1 . Plenty to keep me busy through the break. 🎧 Podcast & YouTu...

🎙 Episode 66 – Nothing’s Wasted Welcome back to Piano, Finally , the podcast of one bloke learning piano later in life. This episode didn’t go quite as planned—I was meant to be sharing a recording from Devi’s piano showcase, but thanks to a calendar mishap, I missed it by a day. Disappointing, yes—but not wasted. The extra practice means I now have four polished pieces ready to play whenever some...

Episode 65 – Aspirations Welcome back to Piano, Finally , the podcast from an old bloke learning the piano. With the showcase just a week away, I’ve doubled practice sessions—half an hour in the morning, twenty minutes in the afternoon—rotating between the Kawai NV10 and Nord Stage 4. Devi’s electric Kawai will be the instrument on the day, so I’m aiming to be ready, even if the occasional wrong n...

🎙 Episode 64 – Purpose G’day and welcome back to Piano, Finally . This week I had something like a first public performance—playing my four showcase pieces for a junior music class I was covering. They asked, I played, and it went alright. With just two weeks until the actual showcase, I’m ramping up practice but not aiming for perfection—it’s about learning, and sharing the journey. 🎧 YouTube Sp...

🎙 Episode 63 – Narrow or Broad Welcome back to Piano, Finally . Apologies for the break last week—I came down with Influenza A and even had to miss my lesson with Devi. Thankfully the antivirals worked, and I’m back at the keys (though you may still hear a touch of it in my voice). This week included some extra performances by senior students preparing for their exams—Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, and...

🎙 Episode 62 – Why Are We Playing? G’day and welcome back to Piano, Finally . This week included two very different performances: Circa and the Art of the Fugue at City Recital Hall, and Radio Luxembourg at The Joan in Penrith. Both highlighted the power of live music, from Bach’s intricate counterpoint to the raw energy of 1960s rock and pop. 🎭 Performance Reviews Circa and the Art of the Fugue...

🎙 Episode 61 – When Are We Going to Use This? Welcome back to Piano, Finally , where I share the ups, downs, and sideways detours of learning piano later in life. This week’s opening note: if you contact me via Buzzsprout’s FanMail, I can’t reply—so if you’d like a conversation, please send an email to david@pianofinally.show. It’s Science Week here in NSW schools, and between showing science demo...

🎙 Episode 60 – Choosing Six Welcome to Episode 60 of Piano, Finally , a podcast about learning the piano later in life and enjoying the journey along the way. This week, tickets went on sale for the Out West Piano Fest . It will be held in October at Blackdown Farm in Bathurst and features five concerts over three days with meals included. Wynona Wang, prize-winner at the 2023 Sydney International...

🎙 Episode 59 – It’s Our Job Welcome to Piano, Finally . This week brings a few changes in how the show is recorded. The entire episode has been produced in Cubase using Steinberg’s SpectraLayers for audio processing. Recording the MIDI data from the Kawai NV10 directly into Cubase has improved the quality of the piano sound—now I just need to work on improving my playing! A warm welcome to new lis...