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Another one in the books!

I didn't catch the fact that my audio defaulted to a different microphone, which resulted in very poor audio, so tonight is a revisit to episode 4, August 30, 2017. This HAS been going for awhile!

We had a huge crowd tonight; six people! ;)
It's so wonderful beginning to play again for people in the room hearing the actual vibrations of the piano. Of course I'm very happy people enjoy the music on FB and the pro-audio podcast, too, but something unique does happen with the symbiosis of performer and audience. Tonight's music felt very good, hope you enjoy!

More live guests tonight! Feels so good to socialize again now that we're vaccinated. Nothing special to report about the music, but I hope you like it!

Wow, episode 150! There's one spot where you may hear something else going on; Sharon was streaming on another platform and someone wasn't muted. Hey, it's a momentary duet!
My hands were tired from chopping wood earlier today. Took a few minutes to loosen up. Anyway, enjoy! If you would, I'd appreciate a review of the podcast. 

Our friend Erik came over to listen! Sharon hosted a listening session on another platform, too; just having new ears added a sense of focus for me tonight. Hoping we can start to have more vaccinated people over soon.
The second to last piece was quoting something, maybe Ravel's Bolero, maybe something else. Erik was talking about Chick Corea's "My Spanish Heart" so I may have been influenced! Enjoy.

Some pieces felt great tonight; two in the middle less so. It seems I have the hardest time really listening and getting into a groove when I play 'genre-ish" music; either going for a jazz sound or using very functional harmony and chord changes. Curious to hear some feedback on this idea! Can you tell when I'm not feeling inspired?

Almost forgot it was St Patrick's Day! For the last piece I improvised a little 6/8 mixolydian mode thing to sound vaguely Irish... Somehow Moon River crept in on another piece. I started one piece with an idea towards fugue, but it ended up just being something in a minor key. In any case, hope you enjoy.

Happy birthday to my wonderful wife Sharon! Throughout this pandemic she has been usually my only in-person audience, but thankfully she enjoys what I do! Tonight's music felt like it had more movement in it; I posed the idea on the Facebook Piano Meditations Livestream that people may enjoy moving to the music, so I suppose that's why it felt that way... Anyway, on one piece I was kind of already falling into the chords for Gershwin's "Summertime", so at one point I tried actually playing it.  Interestingly, when you aren't quite sure of the harmonies and you have to depend on your ear, one can end up "re-harmonizing" by accident. Or is it? Hmmm...

Just going for pretty sounds tonight. I tried to listen for multiple melodic lines and keep track of them. The only known quote was the beginning of the Star Trek theme as I started a piece. I had to, couldn't help it...

Got the high quality audio back online! Calling this episode 144 instead of 143 because the podcast app is calling it that. Maybe it's still counting the intro episode, who knows. No conscious quotes tonight, just putting the focus on allowing the music to take its own path. 

iPhone audio only; sorry! I had trouble with my studio computer in the moments before the Facebook Livestream. This audio has been extracted from the livestream recording, so the quality is not great. I'm experimenting with an audio setup which may allow me to channel the pro-quality microphones into the FB livestream, so the quality will be as good as the podcast!

I've said this before but tonight was again one of those nights where I felt like I was in a "same-old", kind of uninspired place, but by now I know better than to start editing or judging myself harshly while it's happening. I just keep going, maybe coming to the same old chord progressions I use so often, but I keep listening and allowing whatever's happening to just happen. Then, sure enough, some little spark starts going and the music catches a groove and I can ride it out. The only melody that presented itself tonight was Tender Shepherd from the musical Peter Pan. Go figure. 

The only spontaneous melody quotes that popped up tonight were "As Long as He Needs Me" and "Desafinado". A friend asked for something Satie-like and my wife asked for deep, rich tones. I try to oblige. The piano was tuned today by the great Victor LaGamma, so naturally I was drawn to those deep, rich tones! Enjoy.

I asked Sharon (my beloved) if she wanted to hear anything in particular tonight and she suggested I take my time exploring the tones and not feel any need to "develop" or build the momentum or energy. So I did, and I didn't! It takes restraint to stay with a sound longer than usual, or even comfortable, but sure enough, it then opens up in a new way. Enjoy.