Piano Meditations Podcast
Welcome to Piano Meditations Podcast by Blake Rowe. For the past six years (with occasional breaks), Wednesday nights have been devoted to creating freely improvised music for about 45 minutes. Known melodies may come to mind and may be explored, but the pieces are primarily “spontaneously composed”. The music tends to follow an arc from introspective to energetic and back again. The first few notes become a motif to be explored; sometimes a piece is more structured and and other times more free form.
Episodes
Episodes
Thursday Aug 17, 2017
Thursday Aug 24, 2017
Piano Meditations - Episode 3 - 8-23-17
Thursday Aug 24, 2017
Thursday Aug 24, 2017
Thank you for listening. This week I was exploring the dynamic between structure and spontaneity, with the intention to be more towards the spontaneous and not worry about coming back to a theme or feeling the need to provide contrasting sections, etc.
Wednesday Aug 30, 2017
Episode 4, 8-30-17
Wednesday Aug 30, 2017
Wednesday Aug 30, 2017
Tonight the energy was a little more subdued and tended toward the romantic; longer melodic lines and more traditional harmonies. Enjoy!
Thursday Sep 07, 2017
Episode 5, 9-6-17
Thursday Sep 07, 2017
Thursday Sep 07, 2017
Tonight's music is dedicated to the memory of my dad who just passed away. The music had some intended feelings and/or memories, but also unconcious connections or associations.
Thursday Sep 21, 2017
Episode 6, 9-13-17
Thursday Sep 21, 2017
Thursday Sep 21, 2017
This episode was recorded in CA at the community center on September 13th, where we had the memorial service for my father two days later. You can hear the pedal squeaking a bit, but I think it still came out very nicely. It was impossible to upload it to the podcast until we came home. You just can't move 45 minutes of audio through the free wifi at Super 8...
Thursday Sep 21, 2017
Episode 7, 9-21-17
Thursday Sep 21, 2017
Thursday Sep 21, 2017
It's nice to be playing at home again on the Steinway Model B. Tonight we had hints of Debussy, Pachelbel, a touch of Spain and maybe Dr. John! Enjoy.
Wednesday Oct 04, 2017
Episode 8, 10-4-17
Wednesday Oct 04, 2017
Wednesday Oct 04, 2017
I had heard some groovin' Keith Jarett earlier today and had to start with a nod to my hero. Tried some atonal dancey stuff and definitely went for the shmaltz at one point. Enjoy.
Wednesday Oct 11, 2017
Episode 9, 10-11-17
Wednesday Oct 11, 2017
Wednesday Oct 11, 2017
The humidity is making several of the piano keys "lazy". so tonight I was more focused on watery, dreamy sounds. It's fun to get going with a certain feel, then just literally go with the flow. The last piece is cut short because the batteries ran out on the digital audio recorder! Most of it came through.
Wednesday Oct 18, 2017
Episode 10, 10-18-17
Wednesday Oct 18, 2017
Wednesday Oct 18, 2017
Went out on a limb a bit tonight with the first piece; I wanted to try a more contempory sonata-type structure, and then contrast it with two more movements. I was challenged technically in trying to reach for what I was hearing, but it was definitely fun to go for it! The rest of the evening was "wildly melodic" as our friend Lee put it. Enjoy.
Wednesday Oct 25, 2017
Episode 11, 10-25-17
Wednesday Oct 25, 2017
Wednesday Oct 25, 2017
Tonight was a wide mix of modal ruminations, frenetic chromatic turbulence and introspective ballads. Feel free to fast-forward if a particular piece is not what you're in the mood for! All I can say is, it comes with the territory!
Wednesday Nov 22, 2017
Episode 12, 11-25-2017
Wednesday Nov 22, 2017
Wednesday Nov 22, 2017
Glad to be back to Wednesday night Piano Meditations! I took a break for three weeks to act in a show, "The Secret Garden" at Bedford Community Theater.
I used my phone to stream tonight's music live on Facebook, but forgot to record the piano using my high-quality digital recorder, so I had to download the video from Facebook, extract the audio and upload to the podcast, so tonight's episode may not sound quite as good. In any case, here it is!
Wednesday Nov 29, 2017
Episode 13, 11-29-2017
Wednesday Nov 29, 2017
Wednesday Nov 29, 2017
Tonight's episode begins with the sound of rain, says my friend Phil. Another piece is a free frolic over just a few chords, and another is a chorale that goes every which direction. There's a sort of Samuel Barber sounding piece, and I ended with a minor key honky-tonk thing reminiscent of "Turn Back, Oh Man" from Godspell. Enjoy!
Wednesday Dec 06, 2017
Episode 14, 12-6-17
Wednesday Dec 06, 2017
Wednesday Dec 06, 2017
Tonight's music went to familiar and unfamiliar places; I fell into a rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and played a Blues, but in other pieces there were some harmonies I found tonight that were surprising. I enjoy exploring melodic lines that are spread between the hands and each have their own direction; you never know what sounds will happen. In another piece I took the shape of Bach's Prelude #1 and made new harmonies. Enjoy.
Tuesday Dec 12, 2017
Episode 15, 12-12-17
Tuesday Dec 12, 2017
Tuesday Dec 12, 2017
Went a little "out there" tonight, had fun. Enjoy!
Wednesday Dec 20, 2017
Episode 16, 12-19-17
Wednesday Dec 20, 2017
Wednesday Dec 20, 2017
Had some new guests tonight; I felt the impulse to give them something satisfying, and as a consequence it felt like I was covering familiar territory so it didn't feel quite as spontaneous. I didn't make the mistake of stopping midway through a piece however, and tried to stay with what seemed to be happening with the music.
Wednesday Jan 03, 2018
Episode 17, 1-3-18
Wednesday Jan 03, 2018
Wednesday Jan 03, 2018
We had a completely different evening for this week's episode! We hosted the Vera Quartet, a wonderful string ensemble that began at Indiana University and is poised for success. They shared more music with the audience, but it was not recorded due to copyright by the composer. It was an amazing experience to be so close to the musicians and be able to catch the tiniest nuances in the music. A big Thank You to the musicians! Please learn more about them at www.veraquartet.com. Look them up on Facebook and follow their progress!
Friday Jan 12, 2018
Episode 18, 1-10-18
Friday Jan 12, 2018
Friday Jan 12, 2018
I had the great pleasure of making music tonight with my friend Jennie Fong, flutist. We kept to the "no plan" approach and explored several different tonalities and feelings. I edited out the dialogue in between pieces, so you may hear the applause stop abruptly. Enjoy!
Monday Jan 15, 2018
Episode 19, 1-14-18
Monday Jan 15, 2018
Monday Jan 15, 2018
This is my kind of a Sunday afternoon; relaxing with friends and playing music. Meggan Berley and chef/cookbook author Peter Berley came up for the weekend and Peter and I went through a few tunes. The first piece was a free improv and the rest were standards and a scottish reel. Enjoy!
Wednesday Jan 17, 2018
Episode 20, 1-17-18
Wednesday Jan 17, 2018
Wednesday Jan 17, 2018
The Steinway was just tuned by master tuner Victor LaGamma. I knew it had been out but didn't realize by how much until I played it after his tuning. So tonight I found myself focusing on the pitch and tonality of the harmonies, and at one point did a "cocktail pianist goes crazy" kind of thing. Enjoy!
Wednesday Jan 24, 2018
Episode 21, 1-24-18
Wednesday Jan 24, 2018
Wednesday Jan 24, 2018
Still enjoying the fresh tuning; it's just a treat to play notes on this beautiful instrument and listen to them vibrate together. Except for one up-tempo-groove-oriented piece, the music tonight leaned towards gentler, introspective moods. Enjoy.
Wednesday Jan 31, 2018
Episode 22, 1-31-18
Wednesday Jan 31, 2018
Wednesday Jan 31, 2018
I had in mind some of my friends from dance camp tonight, so the direction was towards more movement. Enjoy!
Wednesday Feb 07, 2018
Episode 23, 2-7-18
Wednesday Feb 07, 2018
Wednesday Feb 07, 2018
Once again I forgot to turn on the high quality digital recorder, so all I have is the audio from my phone. My mother-in-law requested some Dixieland music, so I began with a couple old-timey sounding things, then segued into some gentle ruminations, followed by some pretty far-out stuff. Not that I felt so avant-garde, but I kind of needed to almost sound bad on purpose so I could get into something that felt new for me. Enjoy!
Tuesday Feb 13, 2018
Episode 24, 2-13-18
Tuesday Feb 13, 2018
Tuesday Feb 13, 2018
Tonight's music was geared towards Valentine's Day; just went with a few themes and put an intention on the most wonderful feeling; Love! Interesting to try and not fall immediately into "sappy", but then again, why not? Hmm, it's easier to play music about it than write about it, at least for me. Enjoy!
Some quotes or songs; Cinema Paradiso, As Long As He Needs Me, Bewitched, My Funny Valentine, Thomas Pond (quoting my own piece I wrote for Sharon when we first met).
Wednesday Feb 21, 2018
Episode 25, 2-21-18
Wednesday Feb 21, 2018
Wednesday Feb 21, 2018
We had a big group tonight! I edited out some of the conversation between pieces. Enjoy!
Wednesday Feb 28, 2018
Episode 26, 2-28-2018
Wednesday Feb 28, 2018
Wednesday Feb 28, 2018
Felt like just moving my fingers more, or faster, or differently, or something. I was in a little unfamiliar territory, but I guess that makes it exciting! Enjoy.
Wednesday Mar 07, 2018
Episode 27, 3-7-18
Wednesday Mar 07, 2018
Wednesday Mar 07, 2018
Tonight's music was inspired by the big snowstorm; I was shoveling till moments before beginning to play, and our neighbor April was my one stalwart audience member! The first piece was inspired by the snow; then it went in different directions.
Wednesday Mar 21, 2018
Episode 28, 3-21-18
Wednesday Mar 21, 2018
Wednesday Mar 21, 2018
Had some new friends come tonight! it's an open invitation if you live nearby; just check with me if you've never come. It's always every Wednesday, except when it isn't! Next week it will be on Tuesday, March 27th, then we'll be back to the usual Wednesday schedule.
Tuesday Mar 27, 2018
Episode 29, 3-27-18
Tuesday Mar 27, 2018
Tuesday Mar 27, 2018
Sometimes I'm playing and I feel that it's just not 'clicking', but I've learned to just keep going and follow the music as much as possible anyway. That happened with a couple of the pieces tonight, but I know it's part of the process; I'm getting better at not judging it and letting it be. See if you can tell which ones I'm referring to!
Wednesday Apr 04, 2018
Episode 30, 4-4-18
Wednesday Apr 04, 2018
Wednesday Apr 04, 2018
Had a good sized group tonight! My friend and pianist Ruth Spencer came up from NY. We worked together teaching music and movement to little kids many years ago. Happy to have her ears tonight!
Wednesday Apr 11, 2018
Episode 31, 4-10-18
Wednesday Apr 11, 2018
Wednesday Apr 11, 2018
Once again it was a small but appreciative audience (of one), but I feel very lucky to have an audience of any size show up at my door!
Feeling "contrapuntal" tonight, mostly focused on different melody lines sliding around each other and seeing how they could fit together. Enjoy!
Wednesday Apr 18, 2018
Episode 32, 4-18-18
Wednesday Apr 18, 2018
Wednesday Apr 18, 2018
Big audience tonight! My wife Sharon is part of a conference nearby and invited people for dinner and a concert. It was great to meet some new people, and a bunch are already subscribed to this podcast. Enjoy!
Wednesday Apr 25, 2018
Episode 33, 4-25-18
Wednesday Apr 25, 2018
Wednesday Apr 25, 2018
*Sigh*
I forgot to turn on the digital audio recorder again tonight, so what you're hearing is the audio straight from my phone as I recorded to FB Live. Hope it's not to low-def. Enjoy!
Wednesday May 02, 2018
Episode 34, 5-2-18
Wednesday May 02, 2018
Wednesday May 02, 2018
After a long day of work, physical therapy for my shoulder (which is basically back to normal, hooray) and a quick meal of leftovers, I wasn't feeling particularly inspired or imagining I'd be doing anything very "good" tonight. But friends came, we poured some wine, suddenly it was time to make music, and it happened! I'm getting better at keeping my mouth shut about those feelings. They aren't useful or valid anyway.
Thursday May 10, 2018
Episode 35, 5-10-18
Thursday May 10, 2018
Thursday May 10, 2018
The rain was looming as the evening began, and became an element (wink wink) in the music. The pieces tended to be shorter tonight, so there's more of them. Enjoy!
Wednesday May 16, 2018
Episode 36, 5-16-18
Wednesday May 16, 2018
Wednesday May 16, 2018
Small but appreciative audience tonight. Really leaning into "instant composing" and following the thread of a melody. Went into some Halloween territory tonight; enjoy!
Wednesday May 23, 2018
Episode 37, 5-23-18
Wednesday May 23, 2018
Wednesday May 23, 2018
Had some new listeners tonight! What I had hoped for when I began this project is finally happening; there are enough people who know about it and have shared with friends that we're getting some new faces regularly! Nothing like having an audience come to you! I'm grateful for everyone who comes; it makes me play better and helps me really get into the music, knowing people are actively listening.
Wednesday May 30, 2018
Episode 38, 5-30-18
Wednesday May 30, 2018
Wednesday May 30, 2018
Went for several styles tonight, kind of all over the map. Had new guests, new-ish guests and friends who've been coming almost every week since I started! It was hot so we kept the windows open; sometimes it was an enhancement with the birds chirping, other times a different vibe as children played, yelled or took the garbage out. It's all sound, and it's all part of the music!
Tuesday Jun 05, 2018
Episode 39, 6-5-18
Tuesday Jun 05, 2018
Tuesday Jun 05, 2018
Tonight's music went from very traditional tonality to a piece that was in major and minor at the same time, switching between hands. On another piece I fell into some fast alternating notes which began to have a Spanish flavor, so I dug into it. Enjoy!
Wednesday Jun 13, 2018
Episode 40, 6-13-18
Wednesday Jun 13, 2018
Wednesday Jun 13, 2018
Tonight felt a little more like work; on a couple pieces I was pushing myself to break out of familiar patterns so of course it didn't feel comfortable. I kept going, but I'm curious to listen back myself and see how it came out. The audience seemed fine with it! Also, the high-quality digital audio file came up 'damaged', so we're stuck with the audio from my phone again.
Wednesday Jun 20, 2018
Episode 41, 6-20-18
Wednesday Jun 20, 2018
Wednesday Jun 20, 2018
So frustrated at myself; I forgot again to turn on the high-quality digital audio recorder, so once again the sound tonight comes from my phone. Still, the evening felt great and the audience was very appreciative, and there's always more music to come! Can't be too attached to an improv, after all...
Wednesday Aug 15, 2018
Episode 42, 8-15-18
Wednesday Aug 15, 2018
Wednesday Aug 15, 2018
So this is the last week I'm using the digital audio recorder. Everything was looking fine but when I was done, I had no recording. From now on I'm pulling out the studio mics from the other room and recording straight to Final Cut Pro. In the meanwhile, please do your best to enjoy this iphone-quality recording via FB Live.
Wednesday Aug 15, 2018
Episode 43, 7-18-18
Wednesday Aug 15, 2018
Wednesday Aug 15, 2018
I figured out how to download FB video and extract the audio again, after they changed the format. This episode is recorded prior to the last, but it didn't seem worth the effort to keep them in order. Again, the audio is only from the iphone, as I've been having difficulties with the digital audio setup.
Wednesday Aug 22, 2018
Episode 44, 8-22-18
Wednesday Aug 22, 2018
Wednesday Aug 22, 2018
Big group tonight! A few new folks and lots of dedicated regulars. Because of the heat, we keep the windows open, so I was hearing the evening crickets and gentle rain and, except for a couple of pieces, went with the impulse to stay quite mellow.
Wednesday Aug 29, 2018
Episode 45, 8-29-18
Wednesday Aug 29, 2018
Wednesday Aug 29, 2018
Core group tonight; having a good time exploring tension and release with the musical phrases. It seems to help with a sense of structure and anticipation. One piece was in a more jazz standard style; it's actually harder to do a free improv using standard chord progressions, because there's a conflict between playing what the ear expects and trying to avoid generic predictability. Let me know what you think! Please feel free to share.
Wednesday Sep 12, 2018
Episode 46, 9-12-18
Wednesday Sep 12, 2018
Wednesday Sep 12, 2018
Steamy, muggy night, music emerged accordingly. Lots of minor keys and open spaces. Enjoy.
Wednesday Sep 19, 2018
Episode 47, 9-19-18
Wednesday Sep 19, 2018
Wednesday Sep 19, 2018
iPhone audio only this time; set up all the mics and software and didn't turn it on. Whaddyagonnado...
It's actually not that bad, just not CD quality. Best to hear with good speakers...
Wednesday Sep 26, 2018
Episode 48, 9-26-18
Wednesday Sep 26, 2018
Wednesday Sep 26, 2018
Tonight I was exploring certain tonalities I'm drawn to anyway, so I figured why not go deeper into my own favorite sonorities and see what happens. We finished right before a massive thunderstarm hit. Ah well, could have been a dramatic accompaniment!
Wednesday Oct 10, 2018
Episode 49, 10-10-18
Wednesday Oct 10, 2018
Wednesday Oct 10, 2018
Interesting evening; felt very distracted with everything else going on in life and I didn't feel particularly inspired with what I was improvising. So, I mixed it up and went with some very different approaches, and ultimately was able to get into a flow with the music. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes a struggle, but that's what makes it interesting for me, and hopefully anyone listening!
Wednesday Oct 17, 2018
Episode 50, 10-17-18
Wednesday Oct 17, 2018
Wednesday Oct 17, 2018
50th episode! We had some new folks tonight. It's an interesting process just allowing the music to unfold the way it wants to without worrying whether I'm keeping listeners engaged. At some point it could become too self-indulgent, I guess, but so far people seem to stay with it. The last piece was very slow, then went into an atonal contrapuntal frenzy before returning to slow, simple chords. While it was happening I began to wonder if it was maybe becoming a little boring, but after it was over the consensus was that it still held their attention.
Wednesday Oct 24, 2018
Episode 51, 10-24-18
Wednesday Oct 24, 2018
Wednesday Oct 24, 2018
I wanted to focus on "groove" tonight; to try and get into the rhythmic pulse of the music and follow it from there. It felt a little strange not "developing" a theme, and just improvising over a couple of chords or a steady beat, but it also felt free, which I guess is the point!
Wednesday Nov 14, 2018
Episode 52, 11-14-18
Wednesday Nov 14, 2018
Wednesday Nov 14, 2018
Okay, tonight marks a full year of episodes! I started in August 2017, but with vacation and other stuff it took more than a year to get to this point. My phone was on low power and didn't make it through the night recording to Facebook, but you podcasters get the whole thing. Enjoy!
Wednesday Nov 21, 2018
Episode 53, 11-21-18
Wednesday Nov 21, 2018
Wednesday Nov 21, 2018
Starting the second year of Piano Meditations with the Steinway just tuned and voiced by master tuner and pianist Victor LaGamma. On some pieces I just felt like listening to the sound of chords ringing in perfect tune! We had a new guest which is always fun. The first piece is a rendition of Simple Gifts in honor of Thanksgiving. Enjoy!
Wednesday Nov 28, 2018
Episode 54, 11-28-18
Wednesday Nov 28, 2018
Wednesday Nov 28, 2018
Big audience tonight! We had new guests and others that had said they would come someday, and voilá! The piano is still purring with new tuning and voicing; really went for the impressionist sonorities tonight, as well as a crazy waltz. Enjoy.
Wednesday Dec 05, 2018
Wednesday Dec 12, 2018
Thursday Dec 20, 2018
Episode 57, 12-19-18
Thursday Dec 20, 2018
Thursday Dec 20, 2018
Nice crowd again tonight! We're going with a "hold applause till the end" format, so the recording includes whatever time is between the pieces. Tonight's music tended towards one particular feel; I didn't try to mix it up for variety's sake.
Wednesday Jan 09, 2019
Episode 58, 1-9-19
Wednesday Jan 09, 2019
Wednesday Jan 09, 2019
Had a new visitor tonight; this is starting to happen more frequently!
I am editing out conversation and applause so the podcast is just the music. Also, tonight I tried a cool idea; i took an app on my iPad and mirrored it to Apple TV which sent sound through our stereo speakers, and then played a cello sample on the iPad while using the other hand to play piano. Fun! Then I gave the iPad to a friend in the audience and we did a duet. On other pieces I tried playing in 5/8 and 7/8. That's always challenging for me to stick with the meter and not shift it to something more "regular".
Thursday Jan 31, 2019
Episode 59, 1-30-19
Thursday Jan 31, 2019
Thursday Jan 31, 2019
Update: yesterdays' post of this episode only included 18 minutes; here is the full evening.
It's funny; after a two week hiatus because the house was being painted, it felt like I was going to have no clue how to dive in and improvise. But there is something about having an audience that changes the whole equation; knowing people are listening changes my own listening, and once again music appears out of nowhere.
Wednesday Feb 06, 2019
Episode 60, 2-6-19
Wednesday Feb 06, 2019
Wednesday Feb 06, 2019
Quiet night tonight with two new guests. I felt like I was playing it safe, staying in comfortable zones, playing phrases and chord progressions I've done before. And yet, even so, whenever I feel this way, it's always just "new enough" that I didn't feel like I was plagiarizing myself, which is a good thing. The one "cocktail piano" style piece I did really didn't feel like it went anywhere, but you be the judge. Enjoy.
Wednesday Feb 13, 2019
Episode 61, 2-13-19
Wednesday Feb 13, 2019
Wednesday Feb 13, 2019
I'm finding a kind of sound and way of playing that is yielding new territory but is still comfortable to play; namely, giving my left hand less to do so I have more mental space to explore with the right hand. It's amazing how just a simple repeated note in the left hand can be enough of a foundation to give the melody plenty of support.
Monday Mar 04, 2019
Episode 62, 2-26-19
Monday Mar 04, 2019
Monday Mar 04, 2019
Most of the evening was devoted to standards. I'm teaching piano and music theory to someone who has been coming fairly regularly to Piano Meditations, and she was saying she planned to make requests, so I pre-empted her by playing the few standards I actually know! I finished with a few free improvs. Enjoy!
Wednesday Mar 06, 2019
Episode 63, 3-6-19
Wednesday Mar 06, 2019
Wednesday Mar 06, 2019
Interesting note to self; whenever we have newcomers I seem to go towards more bombastic playing. Not necessarily all louder or faster, but more insistent and driving. Maybe I don't want to put them to sleep. In any case, most of the music tonight felt very "traditional"; just going with chord changes and harmonies that supported simple melodies. Enjoy.
Wednesday Mar 13, 2019
Episode 64, 3-13-19
Wednesday Mar 13, 2019
Wednesday Mar 13, 2019
I seemed to tend towards "romantic" sounds tonight; it could just as accurately be described as schmaltz, sappy, sentimental, etc, but I think I'll stick with "romantic". At a few points I was imagining the melody being sung by an operatic tenor, so, there you go. Enjoy.
Wednesday Apr 03, 2019
Episode 65, 4-3-19
Wednesday Apr 03, 2019
Wednesday Apr 03, 2019
Still in a "romantic" phase; channeling my inner Puccini or Verdi! :)
It just feels so good to play these rich chords and linger on them; I can't help it! One piece I tried to have some percussive hand switching with repeated notes, but I could really feel my limitations rhythmically. Still kept going even though it felt awkward. I've learned that most of the time when I listen back it doesn't sound nearly as terrible as I think it does when it's happening!
Wednesday Apr 10, 2019
Episode 66, 4-10-19
Wednesday Apr 10, 2019
Wednesday Apr 10, 2019
For the first time tonight I wasn't feeling a desire to play; I knew people would be watching on FB Live, so I didn't just blow it off. But then two people from the neighborhood came! Sure enough, it was great to just focus on making music for 45 minutes. Enjoy.
Thursday May 23, 2019
Episode 67, 5-23-19
Thursday May 23, 2019
Thursday May 23, 2019
Apologies if you tried to listen with a previous upload; something happened where it was shortened and/or was playing part of another night's music. This should be the whole evening. I'm going to listen all the way through to make sure!
Wednesday May 29, 2019
Episode 68, 5-29-19
Wednesday May 29, 2019
Wednesday May 29, 2019
Audience of one! But that's who's actually in my living room; seeing some nice statistics of the podcast! 677 listeners yesterday, 4577 just this week. Keeps me motivated. Tonight I made more "mistakes" but I was also more "into it"; following the energy and really feeling involved in the music. Enjoy.
Wednesday Jun 05, 2019
Episode 69, 6-5-19
Wednesday Jun 05, 2019
Wednesday Jun 05, 2019
Still really digging into the romantic; I'm having a good time exploring counterpoint with double melodies and inner voicings. Some kind of musical theater thing showed up, too. Enjoy.
Wednesday Jun 12, 2019
Episode 70, 6-12-19
Wednesday Jun 12, 2019
Wednesday Jun 12, 2019
Just hanging with chord progressions. Enjoy!
Wednesday Jun 19, 2019
Episode 71, 6-19-19
Wednesday Jun 19, 2019
Wednesday Jun 19, 2019
New guests tonight! Kind of went all over the place; tonal, twisted, waltzy. Sometimes I just felt like being a little random...
Thursday Jul 04, 2019
Episode 72, 7-3-19
Thursday Jul 04, 2019
Thursday Jul 04, 2019
Just family in the audience tonight; my mother-in-law asked for some Scott Joplin and I happened to have a rag in the repertoire. I sort of kept with the "oompah" bass for a while, which turned into a version of the jazz tune "Black Orpheus", and in honor of Independence Day did a medley of "America" mixed with John Lennon's "Yesterday". Enjoy.
Wednesday Jul 10, 2019
Episode 73, 7-10-19
Wednesday Jul 10, 2019
Wednesday Jul 10, 2019
Once again enjoying the fresh tuning by master tuner and pianist Victor La Gamma. Whenever it's so perfect I automatically fall into playing lots of basic triads and simple harmonies because it just sounds so sweet. Enjoy.
No Piano Meditations next two weeks.
Wednesday Jul 31, 2019
Episode 74, 7-31-19
Wednesday Jul 31, 2019
Wednesday Jul 31, 2019
Glad to squeeze an episode in tonight! Had some new listeners too. Just came off a week playing for dancers at Noyes School of Rhythm (www.noyesrhythm.org) so the music may be a little more "elemental". You be the judge; enjoy!
Wednesday Aug 07, 2019
Episode 75, 8-7-19
Wednesday Aug 07, 2019
Wednesday Aug 07, 2019
Kept hearing a little buzz tonight; stopped and started a few times but ultimately had to just embrace it and keep going! Maybe I played a little louder tonight to compensate. Had some fun with bluesy and Broadway sounds.
Wednesday Aug 28, 2019
Episode 76, 8-28-19
Wednesday Aug 28, 2019
Wednesday Aug 28, 2019
Sometimes you have to break something to break through to something. I was feeling like I was plagiarizing myself, so I took the playing to a kind of crazy place, and then, true enough, came to a place that felt authentic, where I could just let the music evolve as it needed to.
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
Episode 77, 9-4-19
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
Had some fun tonight with folk-type melodies. We all have these archetypical tunes in our heads, so how to play with them without being stereotypical of the archetypes? You decide if it worked!
Thursday Sep 12, 2019
Episode 78, 9-12-19
Thursday Sep 12, 2019
Thursday Sep 12, 2019
This was the first time I played for an entirely virtual audience! The debates are on (and I'm about to tune in) so I wasn't surprised. Interestingly, I definitely had a bit harder time getting past my go-to default sounds, but I think there were some good moments in there. Enjoy.
Thursday Sep 19, 2019
Episode 79, 9-19-19
Thursday Sep 19, 2019
Thursday Sep 19, 2019
Just me in the living room again tonight, but I know I have online listeners and it still feels like there's an audience! Felt a little subdued tonight; just kept leaning towards melodies curling around each other. One piece was intentionally "bad" or at least intentionally off-key. I felt I needed to shake myself out of a gauzy tonality! Enjoy.
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
Episode 80, 9-25-19
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
Had a small audience tonight after two weeks solo! It does make a difference knowing people are hearing the sound of the Steinway live. It makes me listen more intently to the sound of the notes ringing in the room.
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
Episode 81, 9-15-19
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
Bonus episode! This is audio from a concert at our local library, recorded with the phone. Audio quality is not so good, but it captures the afternoon. I deleted the applause after most pieces, in keeping with the usual sound of the podcast, but at the end the music was still going when the crowd jumped in, so... how could I resist? ;)
Wednesday Oct 02, 2019
Episode 82, 10-2-19
Wednesday Oct 02, 2019
Wednesday Oct 02, 2019
It's getting harder to really challenge myself to explore new territory. I've got a nice sound going that's tonal, relatively mellow, and highlights the resonance of the piano. When I go for more high-energy technique I can feel my limitations, and then I pull back so as not to totally crash. Maybe that's just the right spot; I'd be taking that approach if I was racing a car!
Tuesday Oct 08, 2019
Episode 83, 10-8-19
Tuesday Oct 08, 2019
Tuesday Oct 08, 2019
Except for one quasi-pop piece which never felt like it got started, the music tonight seemed to have a nice flow and an organic development.
Wednesday Oct 16, 2019
Episode 84, 10-16-19
Wednesday Oct 16, 2019
Wednesday Oct 16, 2019
A couple new listeners tonight! The weather was stormy, we got a fire going, settled in after a delicious dinner, and then the music! That's what I call a nice night.
Wednesday Oct 30, 2019
Episode 85, 10-30-19
Wednesday Oct 30, 2019
Wednesday Oct 30, 2019
OK, so the night before Halloween you gotta do some minor keys! I explored some unusual minor chord changes which create a kind of cinematic excitement and tonal ambiguity.
Wednesday Nov 06, 2019
Episode 86, 11-6-19
Wednesday Nov 06, 2019
Wednesday Nov 06, 2019
Pushing through a cold, but once the music started I forgot all about it. Having an interesting inner dialogue about the balance between interest, variety and boredom. Tonight I stayed with some sonorities longer than I usually would, and I was wondering if the audience might be losing interest because there wasn't enough variety, but I also realize that sometimes I may not give my audience enough credit to stay with the music and I mix things up before it needs to be. What do you think?
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
Episode 87, 11-13-19
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
Three friends in the audience tonight; I'm glad they came because the previous two hours I was trying to figure out a way to do Livestreaming through my podcast host, to no avail. I was frustrated and hadn't had dinner or warmed up my fingers, much less gotten into a good musical headspace. Having people here who were ready to just listen to some nice music was very centering and appreciated!
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
Episode 88, 11-20-19
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
Small but appreciative audience tonight. However, this podcast is getting some real action, I'm excited to say! Over 400 listens yesterday, and more than 5000 this week. I'm continuing to focus on listening to where melodies and harmonies want to go, and doing my best to "follow the music".
Wednesday Nov 27, 2019
Episode 89, 11-27-19
Wednesday Nov 27, 2019
Wednesday Nov 27, 2019
A new listener tonight, always a treat! It's a lot of fun to share the sound of this beautiful piano, and be able to play any notes I want in whatever order I choose, to hear the music I want to hear, and have people actively listening and enjoying it. In eleven more evenings it will be the 100th episode!
Wednesday Dec 04, 2019
Episode 90, 12-4-19
Wednesday Dec 04, 2019
Wednesday Dec 04, 2019
Tending towards minor and sort of Slavic/Spanish?? I'm drawn to the tension with some of these modes, which creates momentum to continue and build. Finding inner lines also helps to get into deeper listening. A couple pieces had a slow time getting started, but eventually I found a path to explore.
Wednesday Dec 11, 2019
Episode 91, 12-11-19
Wednesday Dec 11, 2019
Wednesday Dec 11, 2019
Felt the pull to go simple tonight, and try a little more long-form playing. I stuck to a smaller palate of harmonies on each piece and took the time to explore them deeper and longer than I tend to, and it really felt good.
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
Episode 92, 12-20-19
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
We had our neighborhood latke party tonight, so, naturally since it was Wednesday it came with a concert! When we only have a few guests I ask that there be no applause, 'cause it just sounds pitiful, but we had about twenty people so applause was not a problem! Hopefully it won't be jarring for podcast subscribers. Feel free to comment with your feedback.
Wednesday Dec 25, 2019
Episode 93, 12-25-19
Wednesday Dec 25, 2019
Wednesday Dec 25, 2019
Stuck to tried and true harmonic moves tonight; there's something incredibly free when using the pentatonic scale and scale-tone chords. Everything just sounds good. Also, taking a few notes and repeating them while changing the chords underneath makes for interesting movement.
Wednesday Jan 01, 2020
Episode 94, 1-1-20
Wednesday Jan 01, 2020
Wednesday Jan 01, 2020
First episode of the new decade! Five more till the 100th episode. In a few weeks I'm going to be trying out some new equipment; stay tuned.
Wednesday Jan 08, 2020
Episode 95, 1-8-20
Wednesday Jan 08, 2020
Wednesday Jan 08, 2020
I had some (what felt like) spectacular bloopers tonight; sometimes I'm digging into the keys and fingers just slip off and clunk onto the next key. I couldn't help but groan. Hey, it's all part of the journey, right? I was solo in the living room tonight, so thanks to those who tune in virtually each week!
Wednesday Jan 15, 2020
Episode 96, 1-15-20
Wednesday Jan 15, 2020
Wednesday Jan 15, 2020
I thought I'd be solo in my living room tonight, but by 8:00 there were five people here!
I've been exploring simple pentatonic scales but tried layering patterns with rhythmic complexity; seems to make a nice combo. Also did a fractured waltz, and a take-off of the first few notes of "Where or When". Enjoy.
Wednesday Jan 22, 2020
Episode 97, 1-22-20
Wednesday Jan 22, 2020
Wednesday Jan 22, 2020
Ok it's starting to feel a little tough to keep a fresh approach. After almost 100 episodes, it's safe to say I've got some sounds and pathways that I go to again and again. Tonight began with the sense that I was mimicking myself. I wasn't feeling like the music had any sense of direction or coherence. However, eventually an energy came into the piece and I was able to get into the groove. Once there, it was a fun night as usual, and I feel satisfied with the overall episode. I wonder how long this project will continue!
Wednesday Jan 29, 2020
Episode 98, 1-29-20
Wednesday Jan 29, 2020
Wednesday Jan 29, 2020
New audience member tonight. Seems like the way to go deeper is to go more into the very sounds I like to hear anyway. It's probably a fool's errand to try and "stretch'; I only end up feeling artificial. Finding one's "voice" may be more about playing what's comfortable than trying to do something new or unusual. At least, that's how it felt tonight!
Wednesday Feb 05, 2020
Episode 99, 2-5-20
Wednesday Feb 05, 2020
Wednesday Feb 05, 2020
Penultimate episode to 100! Piano was just tuned by the incomparable Victor La Gamma. I'm always drawn to open harmonies with a fresh tuning. Except for a crazy atonal blues, most of the music tonight was centered on rich harmonies.
Wednesday Feb 12, 2020
Episode 100, 2-12-20
Wednesday Feb 12, 2020
Wednesday Feb 12, 2020
Episode 100! Definitely calls for a party. I invited anyone and everyone who came at least once since I began this project over two years ago. So many came! We had about 50 people. I usually ask people not to applaud at the end of a piece because it sounds kind of pitiful with two or three in the audience, but tonight it was game on! I'm actually a little stunned at the enthusiastic response! In any case, the evening felt great, and I hope you enjoy the music.
Wednesday Feb 19, 2020
Episode 101, 2-19-20
Wednesday Feb 19, 2020
Wednesday Feb 19, 2020
Back to the core group tonight. Even just one person (besides myself!) actively listening to the music makes a difference in the performance. I can't say exactly how, but their focus helps my focus, and it becomes a conversation, not a monologue! Tonight I was exploring contrapuntal harmony and multiple melodies. Had a little Joplin-esque jaunt at the end. Enjoy!