Thought$

And now it makes sense...

Should You Be Practicing Right Now?

Composition Helpers

I enjoyed the tips from this site: http://learn2writesongs.hubpages.com/hub/Learn-How-To-Write-Songs

Here are the charts they posted.  Also see their instruction video on how to use the progression chart: 

Read Mozart (Not Just His Notes)

A biography to be reckoned with by a historian who rivals the best. I have enjoyed Johnson's work before, so this book will be on my reading list!

Quick review by Doug Wilson, one of my favorite cultural commentators:

"This was a quick and enjoyable read. Mozart was a phenomenal genius, and this short book -- short just like Mozart's life -- gives a marvelous sense of that genius. For those who don't know much about Mozart's life, and don't know whether or not he was a founding member of the Dave Clark Five, this is the book for you. If you know enough about Mozart to think that joke wasn't funny, this is also a book for you."

The Golden Ratio

 The piano keyboard is a repeating pattern of eight white keys interspersed with five black keys. That statement is dull unless you see its association with the Golden Ratio.  Eight and five and their sum, fifteen, are part of a number sequence related to the Golden Ratio, and this numerical patterning is found often in nature. Before you raise an eyebrow at this seemingly numerological statement, take some time to acquaint yourself with the subject.
While it has nothing to do with numerology and is merely an observed aspect of nature, you begin to realize why people would come up with this idea that approaches a superstitious character.

 

The actual Golden Ratio number (rounded) is 1.618.  The following are called "claims," but so many observations and some undeniable associations strongly suggests the truths of the increasingly popular "Intelligent Design" movement:

  Bees follow it in their reproduction: their male to female ratio is golden.  It is seen in the architecture of flowers, stems and leaves as well as skeletal structures.  The spirals of DNA molecules, cyclones, shells and galaxies follow it.  Polls show a face is more attractive if it reflects the golden ratio.  It was even observed in the shape of  woman's uterus at its most fertile. (!)

Famous artists use it.  Renaissance painters were obsessed with it.  And it isn't a recent discovery: the ancients used it, as seen by the architectural of the Pyramids and the Parthenon.

Read more HERE about The Golden Ratio in music.

The intersection of music and science are fields that I know almost nothing about but find absolutely fascinating.   When it comes to my musical work, I'm more a laborer than a philosopher.  I practice, practice, practice, and then teach how to practice. But here and there I can dabble in musical metaphysics and science, and write a little post to hopefully inspire greater appreciation for the wonderful gift of music.

Like Chopin, never play it the same way twice.  This article from Bulletproof Musician is fabulous.  The popular posts on the right side bar look great as well. 

Excerpt: 

How to Keep Performances of the Same Piece from Getting Stale

by Dr. Noa Kageyama


More engaged musicians

A trio of researchers (including conductor Timothy Russell) ran a study to see if a more mindful approach to performance would be a) more engaging and enjoyable to the musicians, and b) preferable (and noticeable) to listeners as well.

To test their hypothesis, they recruited 60 members of a college orchestra to perform the finale from Brahms’s Symphony No. 1 two times.

The first time, the conductor gave the orchestra the following instructions: “Think about the finest performance of this piece that you can remember, and play it that way.”
This was the control condition – where musicians were given an aspirational and presumably motivational goal, but a comparatively passive goal, geared more towards recreating a performance than creating it anew in the moment.
Before the second performance (the experimental condition), the musicians were instructed to “Play this piece in the finest manner you can, offering subtle new nuances to your performance.” The idea with these instructions was to get the musicians to be more present and mindful, to think more creatively and spontaneously in the moment, and be more improvisational in their performance.

To gauge the impact of these two sets of instructions on the performers’ level of engagement, the musicians were asked to rate their enjoyment of the performance after each run-through.

Not surprisingly, musicians rated the more mindful, improvisational performance as being more enjoyable. The results suggest that being more actively involved in creating something new is more engaging than striving to recreate something from the past.

Canned Laughter

Of course Weird Al Yankovich is the king of musical comedians.  Tim Hawkins is a great second.

And what was his name?  Oh yes, found him:Victor Borge.  I knew it started with a B.

He did musical stand up comedy to make uprights fall over.
I tried.

Oh, and I must insert my favorite piano joke:

Which kind of piano does God love best? 

God favors the upright.

*canned laughter*



Not as much a shining group, but maybe worth perusing: 10 Essential Musical Comedians - About.com Comedians

Bach Would Be Proud: I Teach Modern Basso Continuo (Chords)

As I talk to prospective students and their parents, I think more about explaining why I teach playing by chords and ear, not just by note reading like most teachers, and how remarkably effective this
teaching method is.  I'm passionate on this and want to spread this method!   Learning chords is a very old and somewhat forgotten essential keyboard skill.  Really, essential.  Like scales.  But it's been lost for the most part.  Why?  Especially since learning to play by ear and aural training is still common in Eastern Europe, Russia (Eur-russia is where a LOT of the greatest pianists and composers come from) and Asia (think Suzuki method for toddlers).

Familiar with Bach? In Bach's day, it was taken for granted that a keyboard player could be given the basso continuo (their equivalent to chord symbols) and realize the appropriate harmony in order to accompany other musicians or simply a melody.  Bach would be proud: I teach that.  Why don't others?

There are many reasons many pianist don't know, much less teach, chord playing today. Since I'm a history buff and music history was my major's concentration, this development was fascinating to me.  One reason for chord playing's neglect is that this skill was not the rage of the mid to late 1800's, when learning piano became a favorite American hobby especially for the young.  The rage was to be able to play like Chopin - or at least play Chopin.  And every other virtuoso that was the rockstar of Victorian audiences.  Seriously, Franz Liszt was the Beetles/BG's/Ricky Martin/One Direction/Backstreet Boys of his day.   (I had to think hard for the names of these girl-gaggle-gathering boy stars.)

  Though the piano rage started to wane as Elvis and the Beatles came on the scene, it seemed like by the 50's, hardly a house lacked a piano, and everybody's aunt taught lessons. For the purpose of playing classical and sacred music by note.

And still today piano teachers are trying to get every student to be Rachmaninoff.  And yes, I totally completely 100% want every pianist to play classical music!!!  But, Bach would say they need to play chord symbols too.  And Rachmaninoff would scoff (I had to) if he heard musicians didn't have aural training.  So, let's all get together, take over modern America, and LEARN TO PLAY THE THREE WAYS!  **cue in 1812 Overture Canons**

I just searched online: "humor piano"

 Oh. the. joy. Where have I been? I posted that question to facebook. And tagged all the musician friends I could think of in 20 seconds. And there was much rejoicing.

And I'll just post one find - you can go indulge on the rest.

Paperman - Pixar Short

I must learn this piece - probably by ear, but I'll check out if there's sheet music available.  This is part of my youtube playlist "Uplifting and Serene."



Track from Paperman Short Movie before Wreck It Ralph