Picking Up the Pieces

Hello, piano friends! I’m back with more updates on my journey to tame Jonny’s arrangement of "America the Beautiful," and it's starting to feel more like a friend than a challenge. In this post, I'll share where I’m at (again, LOL), with a video from three weeks ago and one from early this week. See below! Jazzy Intro: Finding My Flow (and My Voice) Three weeks ago, I shared a video of me working through the jazzy intro —definitely a bit rough. Now, I’ve got it memorized and I’m playing it with more confidence and emotion. Check out this video from two nights ago to hear how it’s coming along: Last night, I started adding some slides to the melody and a few harmony notes. And I loved it! I'd like to add just enough to give it a bluesy feel without losing the smooth jazz vibe. So that's another thing I'll be working on! Ragtime Section: Building Speed This ragtime section is tough, but I'm making progress. Yesterday I focused on fast-twitch exercises...

I had such big dreams of nailing Jonny May's arrangement of "America the Beautiful" (with an improvised finale) by July 4. Alas, I didn't even come close. This piece is a sneaky little devil. Jonny makes it look deceptively simple , but it's anything but easy. This beast has four wildly different sections, each with its own personality--and its own way of humbling me. I'll break it down for you and will include a new video of my ragtime section with links to videos from late June to show how far I’ve come. Section 1: Jonny’s Jazzy Intro This intro (in G major) is smooth and melancholy, a cocktail-jazz sound replete with quartals , extensions, and chord alterations I don't understand. It’s slow, moody, and a bear to memorize. I posted about it a few weeks ago , and looking back, I’ve made some serious strides. But full disclosure? I’m still not 100% solid playing it from memory, so there's still work to do. Section 2: Jonny’s “Fun” Ragtime Section “Fun”...

OK, y’all, here is a new work-in-progress. I'm so excited about it ... but also a little nervous to share. I’ve been playing with a stride/ragtime spin on the LSU Fight Song as part of a bigger medley project. I’ve had the lead sheet forever, but this weekend I finally sat down to mess around with it, kind of a few minutes of “what if I do this?” at the piano. Here’s the result so far. It’s rough, and definitely not pure ragtime since it swings, but I like it this way! It’s far from polished, and I imagine the final version will sound totally different. But that's the fun of it, right? I just love the creative process. I love starting things. Finishing? Hm. Like my ragtime fight song, I'm definitely a work in progress!

This morning, I left Elite Hearing Centers with two new devices: a high-end hearing aid for my left ear, and a CROS transmitter for my right. As I pulled out of the parking lot, Ray Charles's "America the Beautiful" started up on Spotify and, as if on cue, I started sobbing like a kid hearing music for the first time. The harmonies, which are normally a single blur, were clear and distinct. I noticed instruments I hadn't realized were there before. And most important, the music had a warmth to it that it had never had before. Do normal people hear music like this? I sure hope so. It is heavenly. For someone who’s been mostly deaf since childhood, these new devices aren’t just technology — they’re a door opening up to a rich musical world (and I thought my musical world was already pretty rich)! How do you describe the moment you hear a favorite song as if it’s brand new? Here is a bit about my hearing-aid journey. From One Ear to Two I’ve worn a hearing aid since 1999...

(Apologies for the cheesy clip art. I needed to come up with something, or the Blogger template would show a fuzzy, overly-enlarged snippet of the first chart below.) When I showed my husband my piano practice tracker, he said I should market and sell it. Ha. It’s not for sale, but I’m excited to share how this tool has transformed my practice—and why it might inspire all three of my readers. Since my last post about the Amazing Practice Tracker, I’ve made it even better. Here’s a peek at how it works, using my June data. All The Pretty Colors, All the Pretty Winners My tracker now sparkles with color: darker shades for active pieces, lighter ones for maintenance, technique, and sight-reading. Each day, the piece I practice most gets a bright yellow highlight—a little “gold medal,” if you will. (Click image for a slightly larger view.) A leaderboard automatically shows the day’s top piece and time. And if that isn't enough, I keep track of the month's leaders--specifically, ho...