Picking Up the Pieces

  How is it almost time to flip the calendar to July? I swear I just started my June spreadsheet, but here we are, with June nearly in the books. July will be a bit of a whirlwind--partly because I'm sneaking away for a week of vacation. This means I'm keeping things focused: no shiny new pieces until August. Instead, I'll focus on Liebesträume and America the Beautiful for performances, keep up with my maintenance pieces, and dive into a few creative projects that have been swirling around in my brain for a while. Still, I need to have goals beyond "focus on," "keep up with," and "dive into." Let's make them SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound)! Liszt: Back in the Spotlight After a short break, I'm putting Liszt back on the priority list. My mission? Get it performance-ready before vacation. I'm aiming for an August recital--maybe Piano with Rebecca B or a video to share on social media. I'm hoping...

I haven't had a chance yet to seriously work on Jonny's jazzy intro to his "America the Beautiful" rag. This morning I had about 5 minutes before taking my daughter to driver's ed, so I sight-read through the intro once. It hasn't come together yet, but you can see that some sections are easier than others. None of it is really hard--it's just jazz, which means the usual harmonic rules (at least the ones I'm used to in blues and ragtime, and even classical) don't always apply. One reason I'm not crazy about jazz is the constant reharmonization and the dissonances ... but I really, really love this arrangement. This first take is a bit rough, full starts and stops as I hunt for notes. But stick with me—it will sound great after a few days of practice!

When the Song Gets Lost in the Style I was playing yesterday's recording of Jonny's "America the Beautiful" rag for my husband last night, and he gave me the strangest look. "What?" I asked. "I can't even tell what that song is," he said. I sang along to help him follow the melody, but he just shook his head. "I don't hear it. I don't hear 'America the Beautiful.'" I thought maybe my version was too slow and mistake-riddled, so I played a recording of Jonny himself playing it. It still just sounded like a bunch of tinkly notes to him. I was floored. This isn’t the first time this has happened, either. Awhile back, I played a bluesy improv on "Silent Night," and he couldn’t decipher that one either, even when I sang along. I shared that recording on Facebook, asking friends to name the tune. Some recognized it instantly, but others? Completely stumped. How can a song be so clear to some and unrecognizable to...

Ah, the joy of trying to make a quick video while your teen daughter is pushing you to hurry up so you can get her to drivers’ ed on time! That was my life this morning as I worked on Jonny May’s delightful “America the Beautiful” rag. Where I’m At I’m having a lot of fun learning this rag—it’s not too difficult, and the structure is simple enough that my brain is buzzing with improv ideas. Now that I’m mastering the score, I’m ready to start adding my own signature, and perhaps a key change. (No more details for now in case it doesn’t work out!) I also have the option of learning Jonny’s page-long jazzy intro, which I’ve sight-read a few times. But it’s tricky, and I’m not sure I can have it ready in time for my July 4 deadline (particularly since I’ll be away from the piano all weekend). The Video This progress clip is at a slow tempo, and my playing is a little raw and wooden, as I’m just trying to make sure I hit all the right notes. Despite my best efforts, I fumble a few notes (I...

Here is a post I shared on in the Piano With Rebecca (PWR) group . I am making important practicing discoveries these days! Retrieving Maintenance Pieces: Lessons Learned On Saturday, I posted that I was about to tackle my neglected maintenance pieces. I was afraid it would be a miserable weekend of stumbling through a dozen or so pieces that I'd worked so hard to learn and memorize in the past year. I started with an interleaved approach (7-minute intervals), alternating between with Mozart's Rondo alla Turca, Jonny May's "Bare Necessities" arrangement and Scott Joplin's "Solace." It was, as expected, quite frustrating as I struggled to re-learn measures I'd mastered just a few months before. Switching to Block-Style Practice In the afternoon, I switched to do a more block-style approach with three other pieces ("The Entertainer," a bluesy "Amazing Grace," and Chopin's Nocturne in F Minor) and accidentally discovered the ...

June’s almost in the rearview mirror, and what a ride it’s been at the piano! This month has dished out some serious highs, a few lows, and a whole lot of learning. With one week left, I’m ready to wrap it up strong and set the stage for an exciting July. Let’s dive into the good, the not-so-good, and what’s on the horizon. June’s High Notes (and a Few Flat Ones) This month was a whirlwind of progress and a few stumbles. Here’s what went down: Big Wins: I nailed Pineapple Rag (or is it Pine Apple? Who knows!) not once, but twice in performance. It felt like a graduation ceremony for this sassy, syncopated gem—time to hang its diploma on the wall! I also kicked off a new weekend ritual: dusting off old pieces to keep them shiny and ready. Plus, I’m making serious headway on two new projects: America the Beautiful Rag (perfect for July 4 vibes) and a great G Blues Improvisation course from PWJ . The Struggles: Mid-June, my daily Liszt practice hit a wall. Between pouring my heart into ...