King Kalākaua Archives - O'Connor Piano Studio

National Ukulele Day

February 2, 2023

Not only is it Groundhog Day but it is also National Ukulele Day! The ukulele is a four-stringed instrument that has its origins in Portugal, but was adapted by Hawaiians in the 19th Century. Its size can vary, with the larger instruments producing deeper tones. The ukulele became particularly popular in Hawaii during the […]

🛐 Lenten Hymn and Devotion, Week 1
Brian Stevenson, Pender UMC Director of Music, presents a series of hymn-based devotions on Wednesdays during Lent. The first is Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross by Fanny Crosby
🥁 The Music Man
Remembering all the words is no small feat. I first started collecting records (yes, records!) of musicals when I was in high school in Springfield, MA. Our library had an outstanding record collection, but I could only check out one (or 2?) at a time. I would bring my record(s) home, and listen to them […]
🖤 Today is the Anniversary of Van Cliburn’s Death!
Cliburn, who died Wednesday February 27, 2013 at age 78 at his Fort Worth home due to complications from bone cancer, was 23 when he strode into Moscow for the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition, created to showcase Soviet cultural superiority. Playing with unerring precision and sublime emotion, he took the top prize and was given […]
🎹 A Parent’s Guide to Piano Maestro
It will be fun watching your child improve their piano skills all while having fun using Piano Maestro in lessons each week! As your child’s teacher (or YOUR teacher!), I’m looking forward to seeing the progress they will make when they start using it at home each day. This guide will help you understand how […]
🎂 Happy Birthday, Carl Czerny!
1791 ~ Carl Czerny, Austrian pianist and composer whose vast musical production amounted to over a thousand works. His books of studies for the piano are still widely used in piano teaching.
🇺🇸 Musical Presidents
Wondering how many U.S. Presidents played musical instruments?
🇺🇸 Musical Quotes by Presidents
“The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music.” – Gerald Ford
🎹 About Steinway Grand Pianos
Founded in Manhattan in 1853, Steinway & Sons is widely considered to be one of the greatest piano makers in the world. Its grand pianos grace the world’s grandest stages and are played by the best pianists.
🎹 Technic Series: Scales and Arpeggios
An arpeggio (it. /arˈpeddʒo/) is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than being played together like a chord. This word comes from the Italian word “arpeggiare”, which means “to play on a harp”. An alternative translation of this term is “broken chord”.
❤️ Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️
Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an influential American jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer, whose innovations to the Harlem stride style laid the groundwork for modern jazz piano. He wrote the Valentine Stomp above in 1929.
‼️ A Favorite of mine – Cab Calloway
Since I’ve done the Nicholas Brothers and Busby Berkeley, it’s time for Cab Calloway, another old movie favorite of mine. I think the first time I ever came across anything related to Calloway was in the late 1960s when I was watching That Girl on TV – Ann’s father (Lew Parker) sang Minnie the Moocher […]
🎸 It’s National Ukule Day! Who Knew?
National Polka Dot Day celebrates polka dots, and since 2016 has also been used to celebrate Minnie Mouse, who is known for often wearing the dots. She usually is seen wearing a red dress with white polka dots, and often has a matching bow. Celebrants of the holiday don polka dots to celebrate the dot […]
🎂 Happy Birthday, Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Theophilus Mozart lived between 1756 and 1791. He is considered to be a classical composer. Mozart, born in Salzburg, Austria, began composing before most children go to kindergarten. By the time he was six he had played the piano and violin in public. A Wunderkind, a prodigy of the first rank before the […]
😜 If Mozart had Facebook
Statistically, people who’ve ‘liked’ Mozart on Facebook have a higher IQ. It got us thinking… what would Mozart ‘like’ on Facebook? And what would his profile look like?! On the tenth anniversary of the social network’s launch, we’ve imagined what the composer might have posted online throughout his life.
🖤 In Memory of My Piano Teacher, Howard Lebow
Time Magazine Milestones: Jan. 26, 1968 Died. Howard Lebow, 32, U.S. concert pianist; of injuries suffered in an automobile accident; in Amherst, Mass. One of the youngest and most promising of U.S. pianists, Lebow toured 15 countries after his 1963 Manhattan solo debut, played the works of such modern composers as Edward Levy and Erich […]

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