Month: September 2021
Even J. S. Bach Celebrated International Coffee Day!
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was also apparently a coffee enthusiast. So much so that he wrote a composition about the beverage. Although known mostly for his liturgical music, his Coffee Cantata (AKA Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211) is a rare example of a secular work by the composer. The short comic opera was written (circa […]
Sing or Play Happy Birthday Whenever You Want
You’re legal now! None of the companies that have collected royalties on the “Happy Birthday” song for the past 80 years held a valid copyright claim to one of the most popular songs in history, a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled on Tuesday. In a stunning reversal of decades of copyright claims, the […]
Think You Can Play Chopsticks?
In 1953, following in the footlights of musical greats like Ignace Jan Paderewski and Victor Borge, a piano player named Liberace made his debut at Carnegie Hall. Liberace performed before a sellout audience. His candelabra and concert grand piano were instant trademarks that lasted throughout his career.
Happy Birthday to George Gershwin!
George Gershwin lived between September 26, 1898 and July 11, 1937. He is considered to be a twentieth century composer. If you hate homework but like roller skating, you have something in common with American composer George Gershwin. Born in Brooklyn, New York to Russian immigrant parents, George loved to play street hockey, ‘cat’, and […]
Sunday
I don’t have a cat like the above picture, but today is still Sunday so no posts! Enjoy the day off 🙂
Day Seven ~ Parents! How to Help Your Students Practice
We have established that regular practice routines will not happen without proactive piano parents. So, how can parents be proactive practice assistants even if they have never touched a piano? Day 7. The Concert Promoter: As a parent myself, I know that showing off our kids comes naturally. For this reason, proactive parents […]
Happy Birthday, Ray Charles!
Ray Charles (Robinson) was a singer, pianist, composer who was born in Albany, Ga in 1930. He lost his sight (from glaucoma) when he was six and attended a school for the blind where he learned to read and write music in braille and play piano and organ. Orphaned at age 15, he left school […]
Day Six ~ Parents! How to Help Your Students Practice
We have established that regular practice routines will not happen without proactive piano parents. So, how can parents be proactive practice assistants even if they have never touched a piano? Day 6. The Piano Studio Janitor: Parents are the ultimate, and original, janitors. While it is important that students learn to organize their own […]
You Think Playing the Piano is Hard?
Try to find an American Fotoplayer! The American Fotoplayer is a type of photoplayer developed by the American Fotoplayer Company between the years of 1912 and 1925. The Fotoplayer is a type of player piano specifically developed to provide music and sound effects for silent movies. … The appeal of the Fotoplayer to theatre owners was […]