All Episodes

Really focusing on enjoying rich tonality and melody tonight; not too worrying about structure or development, and letting "free" actually mean free! Tonight's music had a few quotes; I fell into Gershwin's "I Loves You, Porgy" after realizing after the fact I had already played a bit of the melody. Also, messing around with intervals of thirds, it naturally went into a touch of "Soon It's Gonna Rain" from The Fantasticks (looking at you, Janice!). Enjoy!

iPhone-only audio tonight, sorry! Once again I forgot to hit record with my wonderful studio mics. I have to always remember there's more music where I found it tonight. I felt good about the pieces, so I hope you can get past the lo-fi audio. Enjoy.

So many subscribers and listeners say they find Piano Meditations relaxing, calming, mellow, etc that I find I'm leaning into that vibe! I do try to mix it up in the course of the evening; both for my sake and to make sure it doesn't become too much like background music. However, it's nice to know people are finding it enjoyable, in any case. 

I lost an episode in there somewhere, so I called this one #121 so it lines up with the official podcast count. Just played live for my wonderful wife tonight, but it's encouraging knowing people are also listening from home! Tonight's music kept to relatively familiar territory; hopefully explored in a fresh way. Enjoy.

Had some new guests who enjoyed the music from the front yard. They brought dinner! Can't beat that. The rain began just as the last chord was fading away. Tonight the music was in a major mood. Some upbeat, some mellow, a conversation about Bruce Hornsby inspired a riff from "The Way it Is". There was another quote at the end, but I still don't know what what I was quoting. If you hear it, help me out! I think it was a song from the 50s. 

 Big night; three guests! Rather than have everyone in the living room they sat outside on the grass and I had the windows wide open. Side benefit; apparently they were dancing! I had a little Latin feel to one piece, and "Maria" from West Side Story crept in somehow. Enjoy.

Thank you for the amazing tuning, Victor LaGamma! It's funny, the last couple of weeks I felt I hadn't been really listening deeply as I played, and sure enough, with everything in such alignment tonight, it felt like the notes were just lining up in the order they should be played, and all I had to do was drop them in their spots. I leaned into more of a jazz feel at the beginning, then did a little contrapuntal ditty, then a drone/melody thing, and finished with a dainty waltz. Enjoy.

Had our first guests inside the house since the beginning of quarantine. Keeping it small, just two friends, kept our distance, opened windows, and it felt great to connect again! I was playing with major and minor for most of the evening, with a little nod to a Chopin Polonaise, and maybe "Where or When" towards the end. Enjoy!

I had some auditory enhancements tonight in the form of night birds and a gentle thunderstorm! I couldn't help but focus on quiet tones and high notes. Of course, while I'm playing our dog Bear is pacing around and panting with anxiety. You may hear some other knocking around in the mix. Enjoy!

Just working on getting into a groove and seeing where it goes. It helps to get a little repeating pattern going, then expand it a bit until it wants to bust out. Not spending much energy on creating a more classical structure of theme, second theme, development and recap. I think that's ok... Enjoy!

Had a little blues, a little broadway, a little folk, a little pop, tonight was just a romp. The piano is pretty out of tune, but it just had a new humidity control system put in and it needs a few more weeks before it can be brought back to its sonorous magnificence. In the meanwhile, we have a cool idea for local friends; while we are still staying safe from covid-19, feel free to come spread a blanket on our yard and hear the piano outside the living room! It's warming up now, and we tested it; it sounds really nice!

After all these episodes, it certainly doesn't feel "new", but it does still feel "fresh". I couldn't have hoped for more! It is truly fascinating how much comes out that that has a certain "style" (one could say "voice") but still isn't a complete rehash of old ideas. I guess it's like language; you can always find a different way to say the same thing; but then again, sometimes what you've said before is exactly what's called for in the moment. Go figure.

Once again making music tonight to benefit our local www.gullottahouse.org; the organization has done essential assistance for years helping those in need, but has stepped up like never before during this crisis. They help both people in need of food and restaurants in need of customers. Please consider donating if you have enjoyed the music tonight. I played a couple standards tonight; All the Things You Are and Black Orpheus. Otherwise just grooving on whatever tones were stopping by! 
 
 
 
 

Had some new listeners tonight because on the Facebook Live stream we asked for donations to www.gullottahouse.org. They are a local non-profit bringing food to people in need before and during this crisis. It's fun to be making up a melody and suddenly a composed melody emerges. Tonight the music fell into Send in the Clowns and the Game of Thrones theme. (Actually, full disclosure, my wife asked me to weave it in somewhere!) Thanks for listening!

Staying home, waiting out the pandemic, cooking great meals that my wife and I share (with no guests), cleaning up, and then it's time to play music. I have to admit enjoying a cocktail or two before setting up the microphones... But then, the music starts, I have no idea what's coming next, but the music takes its own direction, and, although my fingers may be somewhat compromised from those cocktails, still it takes me somewhere. wherever it goes, I hope you enjoy the direction it takes!