Events: Week of Apr. 29 - May 5

Florida Orchestra:  Pops in the Park

Thu, May 3, 2012 at 7:30 PM
Curtis Hixon Park, Tampa   FREE!!!

Pack a picnic basket and enjoy a free Pops in the Park Concert under the stars with The Florida Orchestra  for a program of fun and familiar favorites

Fun Piano Duets

Duets are fun and a great way to learn to play with others, a skill that can often be lost to pianists.   Of course, any piece can be made into a duet - divide here, add a little there.    I would love to do a recital with Whitewater Chopsticks made into a duet.  Here is one arrangement.  Although I would probably arrange it for four hands instead of two pianos.

Two years of "Piano Ensemble" in college consisted almost entirely of playing with the other pianists in duets and trios.  Here are a few  of the pieces I learned and watched in class.

Brahm's Hungarian Dance no. 5

Buy at: http://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/score/Hungarian1H.html

Free copy - The first ever published version - more difficult:
http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/9/92/IMSLP205870-PMLP16016-Brahms_-_Hungarian_Dances__14___2P_ed.Simrock_.pdf

The Bercuese from Faure's Dolly Suite is a charming beginning duet for intermediate players, and is also available on Virtual Sheet Music.  IMSLP or other printable classical score providers might have it for free. 
Here is the Bercuese:

Also, listen to the world's most famous duet playing pianists, the Lebeque Sisters:

And for some real inspiration, listen to the Five Browns.

Arrival of the Queen of Sheba

This past Sunday, I played one of my favorite pieces, Arrival of the Queen of Sheba,

by Handel, transcription for piano solo, as postlude for Sunday worship.  I wanted to do it on organ, a much neglected instrument these days, as fewer and fewer learn to play it.  It has well been named the Queen of the instruments, only topped by the voice.  This piece lends itself well to organ, though the score was not written for it.  I am not trained in organ, but, as G. K. Chesterton said, "if something is worth doing, it's worth doing badly" (rather than not at all!)  It went off alright, and there were some very happy listeners who thanked me afterward.    Here is the score.  It is truly one of the most pristine pieces ever written.

Theme from the film Amelie

 I was practicing in the rooms at the USF School of Music one evening when I heard this.  I asked the girl playing it what it was, and found the sheet music on scribd and noteflight (also adding it to my youtube playlist). 

I find a lot of sheet music on Noteflight.  It requires registration to search it for music people have written/transcribed/arranged, but it's no hassle.  So register and search if you like, but for ease, here is the sheet music, courtesy of http://m-piano.blogspot.com. 

Events: Week of Apr. 22- 28



Monday, Apr. 23,  Choral Concerts, Concert,Southeastern College at First Presbyterian of Lakeland(Presbyterian Series), 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Apr. 22, 2012, 2 – 4 p.mThe Music of Olivier Messiaen

 University of Tampa,  Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values

-The works of the giant of 20th century composition include the masterpiece, Quartet for the End of Time, songs, the motet O Sacrum convivium and organ works performed by faculty artists.

Messiaen

Free!!!

Friday, Apr. 27, 7:30 pm
USF SYCOM
Concert Hall, USF
Free





One of the best inspirational videos ever - Susan Boyle - Britains Got Talent 2009

Yes, I was inspired.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSrAJsWvEIc&feature=related

And here' the Korean version :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=tZ46Ot4_lLo&feature=endscreen