Music is a magic that can change the world
Teachers are one of the best resources for picking music that challenges you but is within your current abilities to achieve. I could go on for days about how goal-setting (maybe just in America — that's my only experience, so maybe it's different elsewhere) has become an activity that burns us out. We choose all …
170 years after his death, Chopin still captivates audiences with his music. His set of preludes that cover all 24 major and minor keys are a great starting place to learn how to analyze his work, as it can be dense. This post looks at the qualities that make us feel the melancholy of the …
Claude Debussy's music creates magic wherever it goes. It frequently draws new students to the piano with the desire of playing his most famous pieces like Clair de lune and Arabesque No. 1. This post looks at how Debussy composed this music and what that has to do with being a performer of his music as …
Continue reading "Creating Magic: Debussy’s Arabesque No. 1"
As musicians, we spend a lot of time by ourselves in the practice room trying to acquire skills on our own, albeit with a little guidance from our teachers. It's pretty easy to practice when we first start out on an instrument. As the honeymoon phase comes to an end, however, we frequently find ourselves …
Continue reading "5 Ways to Find Joy While Practicing an Instrument"
On this day, October 17th, in 1849, Frédéric François Chopin passed away in Paris. "He had no predecessor and no successor.... Chopin came and departed like a comet from remote space," said Australian pianist, Ernest Hutcheson. He is remembered as a morose and anxious man, one who composed a song to cope with his sorrows …
Were you a child prodigy? Did you have to suffer through the same courses of practice and lessons as people obviously not as gifted as you? Then this post is for you! Presenting How to Practice Like a Prodigy: A guide for those incredible geniuses who only ever excelled at their craft. Play through your …
You made it to the weekend! I wanted to share one of my favorite pieces as a fun way to start the weekend. The "Rigaudon" from Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin is one of the pieces that made me fall in love with piano, and it's just a fun piece to both listen to and play …
Continue reading "Ravel: Rigaudon from Le Tombeau de Couperin"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO3_mblaIlY This song will forever remain one of my favorite pieces to play and listen to. In this recording, Horowitz beautifully captures the lightness and wit that Mozart is known for. In fact, this piece itself is a bit of a musical joke. A Rondo is a form that repeats a theme, in this piece, …
With all the tumult of the Christmas season, I forgot about this blog. 
Oh well, at least I can share some Christmas cheer with you all the best way I know how. New song on the SoundCloud channel: Hope you all enjoy! Merry Christmas!
