Monthly Archives: June 2015

On Not Reading Sheet Music

Below I’ve linked a great article that supports notation-free musicianship and education on a variety of levels. Learning to develop your own voice and vision is primary to your musical evolution. Sight-reading is not as paramount as an intrinsic ability to think and hear … Continue reading

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Einstein on Being a Musician

“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” – Albert Einstein How do you see your life … Continue reading

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The Necessary Pointlessness of Art

“Art is so wonderfully irrational, exuberantly pointless, but necessary all the same. Pointless and yet necessary, that’s hard for a puritan to understand.” ― Gunther Grass From a New Statesman and Society interview, 1990 Ah, pointlessness. So underrated and so … Continue reading

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Game of Thrones theme piano improvisation

Since I’m a big fan of Game of Thrones and watched every episode, the theme had been haunting me~ I just had to play around with it on the piano and take a little trip to Westeros. If you’re a … Continue reading

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Five Things to Know Before You Take Piano Lessons

Hi there! If you are thinking about taking piano lessons or are already underway, here are a few important thoughts to make sure you are on a straight course to success. With a proper foundation and understanding, you can achieve … Continue reading

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The Ten Commandments of Jam

Sage advice from Derek Trucks, a modern master of his craft. Do you want to be able to improvise and create music? Once you understand music simply as a language (and without the burden of notation) you can apply yourself … Continue reading

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Music Education is not Just for Making your Brain Function Better

Just came across this article on music education and wanted to comment. This writer rightly rejects the idea of music education being sold only for it’s merits of helping you in other subjects rather than its true benefit of learning music … Continue reading

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The Making of “A Day in the Life”

Great piece on the making of “A Day in the Life” by The Beatles. Here’s a telling quote on the limits of sheet music, even among some of the highest caliber players (from the Royal Philharmonic & the London Symphony orchestras): George … Continue reading

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Beyond Piano Lessons

Hey there~ so it occurred to me that most people assume I give “piano lessons” and I wanted to clarify. Yes, I teach via the piano and yes, I can teach you how to play the piano in whatever style … Continue reading

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Playing Music is the Brain’s Equivalent of a Full-Body Workout

http://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2014/11/20/365461587/musicians-brains-really-do-work-differently-in-a-good-way Playing music is “the brain’s equivalent of a full-body workout.” Seems that neuroscientists have discovered that when we listen to music, it activates many different parts of our brain, but when we play music, our entire brain functions symbiotically … Continue reading

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