Piano Meditations Podcast

Tonight I was exploring certain tonalities I'm drawn to anyway, so I figured why not go deeper into my own favorite sonorities and see what happens. We finished right before a massive thunderstarm hit. Ah well, could have been a dramatic accompaniment!

iPhone audio only this time; set up all the mics and software and didn't turn it on. Whaddyagonnado... It's actually not that bad, just not CD quality. Best to hear with good speakers...

Steamy, muggy night, music emerged accordingly. Lots of minor keys and open spaces. Enjoy.

Core group tonight; having a good time exploring tension and release with the musical phrases. It seems to help with a sense of structure and anticipation. One piece was in a more jazz standard style; it's actually harder to do a free improv using standard chord progressions, because there's a conflict between playing what the ear expects and trying to avoid generic predictability. Let me know wha...

Big group tonight! A few new folks and lots of dedicated regulars. Because of the heat, we keep the windows open, so I was hearing the evening crickets and gentle rain and, except for a couple of pieces, went with the impulse to stay quite mellow. 

I figured out how to download FB video and extract the audio again, after they changed the format. This episode is recorded prior to the last, but it didn't seem worth the effort to keep them in order. Again, the audio is only from the iphone, as I've been having difficulties with the digital audio setup.

So this is the last week I'm using the digital audio recorder. Everything was looking fine but when I was done, I had no recording. From now on I'm pulling out the studio mics from the other room and recording straight to Final Cut Pro. In the meanwhile, please do your best to enjoy this iphone-quality recording via FB Live. 

So frustrated at myself; I forgot again to turn on the high-quality digital audio recorder, so once again the sound tonight comes from my phone. Still, the evening felt great and the audience was very appreciative, and there's always more music to come! Can't be too attached to an improv, after all...

Tonight felt a little more like work; on a couple pieces I was pushing myself to break out of familiar patterns so of course it didn't feel comfortable. I kept going, but I'm curious to listen back myself and see how it came out. The audience seemed fine with it! Also, the high-quality digital audio file came up 'damaged', so we're stuck with the audio from my phone again.    

Tonight's music went from very traditional tonality to a piece that was in major and minor at the same time, switching between hands. On another piece I fell into some fast alternating notes which began to have a Spanish flavor, so I dug into it. Enjoy!

Went for several styles tonight, kind of all over the map. Had new guests, new-ish guests and friends who've been coming almost every week since I started! It was hot so we kept the windows open; sometimes it was an enhancement with the birds chirping, other times a different vibe as children played, yelled or took the garbage out. It's all sound, and it's all part of the music!  

Had some new listeners tonight! What I had hoped for when I began this project is finally happening; there are enough people who know about it and have shared with friends that we're getting some new faces regularly! Nothing like having an audience come to you! I'm grateful for everyone who comes; it makes me play better and helps me really get into the music, knowing people are actively listening...

Small but appreciative audience tonight. Really leaning into "instant composing" and following the thread of a melody. Went into some Halloween territory tonight; enjoy!  

The rain was looming as the evening began, and became an element (wink wink) in the music. The pieces tended to be shorter tonight, so there's more of them. Enjoy!

After a long day of work, physical therapy for my shoulder (which is basically back to normal, hooray) and a quick meal of leftovers, I wasn't feeling particularly inspired or imagining I'd be doing anything very "good" tonight. But friends came, we poured some wine, suddenly it was time to make music, and it happened! I'm getting better at keeping my mouth shut about those feelings. They aren't u...

*Sigh* I forgot to turn on the digital audio recorder again tonight, so what you're hearing is the audio straight from my phone as I recorded to FB Live. Hope it's not to low-def. Enjoy!

Big audience tonight! My wife Sharon is part of a conference nearby and invited people for dinner and a concert. It was great to meet some new people, and a bunch are already subscribed to this podcast. Enjoy!

Once again it was a small but appreciative audience (of one), but I feel very lucky to have an audience of any size show up at my door! Feeling "contrapuntal" tonight, mostly focused on different melody lines sliding around each other and seeing how they could fit together. Enjoy!

Had a good sized group tonight! My friend and pianist Ruth Spencer came up from NY. We worked together teaching music and movement to little kids many years ago. Happy to have her ears tonight!  

Sometimes I'm playing and I feel that it's just not 'clicking', but I've learned to just keep going and follow the music as much as possible anyway. That happened with a couple of the pieces tonight, but I know it's part of the process; I'm getting better at not judging it and letting it be. See if you can tell which ones I'm referring to!

Had some new friends come tonight! it's an open invitation if you live nearby; just check with me if you've never come. It's always every Wednesday, except when it isn't! Next week it will be on Tuesday, March 27th, then we'll be back to the usual Wednesday schedule.

Tonight's music was inspired by the big snowstorm; I was shoveling till moments before beginning to play, and our neighbor April was my one stalwart audience member! The first piece was inspired by the snow; then it went in different directions. 

Felt like just moving my fingers more, or faster, or differently, or something. I was in a little unfamiliar territory, but I guess that makes it exciting! Enjoy.

We had a big group tonight! I edited out some of the conversation between pieces. Enjoy!

Tonight's music was geared towards Valentine's Day; just went with a few themes and put an intention on the most wonderful feeling; Love! Interesting to try and not fall immediately into "sappy", but then again, why not? Hmm, it's easier to play music about it than write about it, at least for me. Enjoy! Some quotes or songs; Cinema Paradiso, As Long As He Needs Me, Bewitched, My Funny Valentine,...