Category: music

174 posts

12/29/2015 Accidentally discovering and performing some music by Brazilian composer Ernesto Nazareth: Coração que Sente
6/13/2015 How Ornette Coleman changed my life
6/11/2015 Revisiting Bach's Air on G String, from a singing and dancing viewpoint
6/1/2015 The many faces of "Stella by Starlight"
2/19/2015 Discovering the Eolina, a beautiful musical instrument
12/13/2014 Thoughts on Cuba while watching Cuban musicians performing the 1947 bolero "La gloria eres tú"
11/5/2014 The single greatest performance of Bach's Goldberg Variations: Pierre Hantaï with rhythmic drive and life
11/2/2014 Lessons to learn from pianist Dejan Lazić's attempt to remove a critic's bad review
8/29/2014 I just saw and heard the most amazing performance of Schumann's Fantasy for piano by Alexandre Moutouzkine
8/22/2014 Discovering the beautiful keyboard playing of Robert Hill by accident on YouTube changed my life
7/23/2014 The growth of loyalty after seventeen years
7/13/2014 The one thing I remember Lorin Maazel for
7/4/2014 Third year at July 3 music party and finally participated in jamming
6/11/2014 Celebrating the 150th birthday of my favorite second-rate composer: Richard Strauss
5/29/2014 Copland's Appalachian Spring danced by the orchestra musicians: confronting my memories of boredom four years ago
5/18/2014 Pittsburgh Recorder Society: discovering the beauty of Alonso Lobo
5/8/2014 Tchaikovsky's 174th birthday: I'm finally coming out as a lover of his music
4/27/2014 Pittsburgh Recorder Society: Palestrina, Gombert, and Dolly Parton cookies
4/18/2014 The perfect music for Good Friday: some favorite interpretations of Bach's "Erbarme dich" from the St. Matthew Passion
4/18/2014 RIP Cheo Feliciano: wonderful singer of salsa and bolero
4/17/2014 Charlie Chaplin, a daughter, a granddaughter: changing my perception of "Smile"
4/5/2014 Review of edX 8.01x: Jazz Appreciation
4/1/2014 My third year of celebrating Johann Sebastian Bach's birthday: who was this guy anyway?
3/30/2014 Life: cooking, eating with friends, music jamming, dancing
3/20/2014 Steel City Ukuleles: navigating a challenging playlist
3/16/2014 Pittsburgh Recorder Society: Something new recently: recording our practice sessions
3/8/2014 Thoughts on attending the Duquesne Young Artist Performance Awards Winners Showcase
3/8/2014 Happy 300th birthday, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: still underappreciated after all these years!
3/6/2014 Thoughts on returning to ukulele after almost two months off: returning to piano was the reason
2/16/2014 Pittsburgh Recorder Society: 7-part Gabrieli and coconut chocolate cookies
2/11/2014 Many faces of the bolero "Dos Gardenias"
12/28/2013 Are you familiar with the Nutcracker story? Check out ETA Hoffmann's other creepy tales!
12/20/2013 Appreciating the unique singer La Lupe
11/20/2013 Chamber music concert at CMU featured Bach's Goldberg Variations arranged for string trio
11/18/2013 Pittsburgh Recorder Society continues to add members
11/7/2013 Steel City Ukuleles: a nice session on playing by ear
10/22/2013 I never expected my first wooden recorders to be Renaissance recorders
10/20/2013 The biggest Pittsburgh Recorder Society meeting I have attended in two years!!
10/17/2013 Steel City Ukuleles: back to plain good fun, including the cups song
10/12/2013 Neil Newton on the harmonic structure of atonal music
10/11/2013 Finally learning about Carnatic music
10/6/2013 Was that a ukulele I heard in Frick Park? No, a cavaquinho
10/5/2013 Performing with the Steel City Ukuleles at the Wilkins School Community Center Ecofest 2013: with videos
10/5/2013 Final rehearsal for my first ukulele gig: and some hard decisions about music in my life
10/4/2013 9 things you could be doing in Pittsburgh on Saturday, October 5
10/3/2013 Rubber Duckie and Steel City Ukuleles rehearsal
9/29/2013 An erhu player and a tuba player at a party said "Let's jam"
9/27/2013 First rehearsal for my first ukulele gig: dealing with anxiety
9/24/2013 Finally got a nice new ukulele: Mainland Classic Mahogany Concert
9/19/2013 My third meeting of the Steel City Ukuleles: finally ordered a new instrument
9/16/2013 New goals for a new season of the Pittsburgh Recorder Society
9/15/2013 Back to French dance: potluck and party
9/14/2013 Finally playing Piazzolla's "Oblivion" on flute
9/13/2013 RIP Ray Dolby: yes, I still have cassette tapes!
9/5/2013 My second meeting of the Steel City Ukuleles: why I already signed up to perform before being ready
8/24/2013 Celebrating Claude Debussy's 151st birthday through unusual performances of Syrinx
8/24/2013 Another unexpected life change: one month of learning to play ukulele
8/11/2013 RIP, Eydie Gormé
8/9/2013 A haircut leading to my playing "I'll Always Love You" on flute
7/5/2013 More summer musical partying, and another ten-year-old dream fulfilled!
7/4/2013 Second year at July 3 music party: still only listening without playing
6/9/2013 Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival 2013: dancing salsa to Eddie Palmieri
5/30/2013 100th anniversary: remembering the first time I heard Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring"
5/26/2013 Learning the Congo de Captieux traditional French dance
5/22/2013 Reflections on Richard Wagner's 200th birthday: beautiful music without a future
5/21/2013 Attending a meeting of the Washington DC Recorder Society while visiting
5/13/2013 Chatham Baroque: The Pleasures of Purcell
5/8/2013 Happy birthday, Johannes Brahms! 3 takes on a musical favorite
5/4/2013 Playing violin music on flute
4/19/2013 Pittsburgh OvreArts concert "Art songs and interludes"
4/13/2013 Singing and playing tango and jazz at an unexpected music party
4/7/2013 Alia Musica concert including flutist Robert Dick
4/5/2013 Energetic Robert Dick solo flute recital in Pittsburgh with Alia Musica
4/5/2013 Attending a fascinating Robert Dick flute lecture and master class
3/26/2013 Flute master class: becoming a great ensemble player
3/23/2013 RIP Bebo Valdés, master pianist of Cuban music
3/22/2013 My second year of celebrating Johann Sebastian Bach's birthday: a tale of accidental love
3/18/2013 Finally doing some Latin music jamming on flute; also Irish and French
3/1/2013 Another exciting concert at Bar Marco: Chris Norman and the Chatham Baroque playing a tasty assortment of dynamic music
2/26/2013 Stepping it up at the French and blues jam
2/24/2013 Celebrating two years of playing recorder
2/11/2013 Attending J-Jam in Squirrel Hill but not playing music in it
1/29/2013 My first blues music jam happened after the regular French music jam
1/27/2013 Music I just played for the first time: recorder sonata, tangos
12/22/2012 Playing tango on melodica and singing Christmas carols
12/19/2012 Special treat: Dutch jazz trumpeter Eric Vloeimans performed in Pittsburgh!
12/15/2012 East End Food Co-op Winterfest 2012
12/14/2012 Pittsburgh Contras and Squares Holiday Ball 2012
12/10/2012 RIP Charles Rosen, pianist and scholar
12/9/2012 Playing music on recorders at a Phipps Conservatory "candlelight evening"
12/2/2012 Oblivion obsession: time to start playing melodica!
11/25/2012 Dan Possumato and friends playing Irish, Scottish, French music
11/24/2012 Preparing to play Irish flute in the Holiday Ball
11/19/2012 Preparing for December 9 recorder performance in Phipps Conservatory
11/18/2012 Report on CMU Baroque Ensemble concert, with Stephen Schultz on Baroque flute
11/17/2012 A childhood dream come true: I am now finally singing for real!
11/14/2012 Classical Revolution: Pittsburgh's AquiTango delivers passionate traditional tango
11/3/2012 Attending the annual Pitt Jazz Seminar for the first time: day 2
11/2/2012 Attending the annual Pitt Jazz Seminar for the first time: day 1
10/28/2012 Singing and playing bossa nova favorite "Chega de Saudade" at Dunkin' Donuts for J-Jam
10/21/2012 Playing recorder in a group
10/15/2012 French music jam with unexpected new musicians
10/10/2012 Musicians' workshop by the contra dance Great Bear Trio at the Pittsburgh Fall Dance Weekend
10/7/2012 My first contra dance workshop: unexpected fun!
10/4/2012 Chatham Baroque: thoughts on playing new non-Baroque music on Baroque instruments
9/28/2012 Another French music jam; also, announcing CATS Dance
9/25/2012 Thank you, Glenn Gould, for introducing me to Schönberg!
9/23/2012 Living Appalachian music of Southwestern Pennsylvania: Mark Tamsula and Richard Withers with Ellen Gozion
9/23/2012 Celebrating the birthday of John Coltrane, the Beethoven of jazz
9/21/2012 My first time singing bossa nova; also, a temporary farewell to Baroque flute
9/20/2012 My first bobblehead doll: guess who?
9/16/2012 Excited by the new season of the Pittsburgh Recorder Society
9/14/2012 The passion of Bach's Air on the G String: three very different interpretations
9/8/2012 Finally performing some sonatas for Baroque flute
8/27/2012 My second French music jam: playing my Irish flute in public for the first time
8/26/2012 Latin jazz in Pittsburgh: Puro Queso
8/12/2012 Playing Baroque flute at my friend's wedding reception
8/2/2012 The paradox of practice: it's harder to go slow than go fast
7/30/2012 Got my new Casey Burns Small-Handed Irish flute!
7/28/2012 My first appearance on a music recital program
7/21/2012 Mideast Early Music Workshop 2012: a life-changing experience!!
7/7/2012 Another terrifying music jam session but I played a little bit of blues and old time
7/3/2012 Petrified at a music jam session so I didn't play but watched and listened
7/2/2012 My first French music jam: anxious but excited
6/15/2012 Preparing for my first solo flute performance: notes on perfectionism and high standards
6/12/2012 Ordered the new Casey Burns Small-Handed Irish flute
6/8/2012 Heinz Hall Memories: at the Pittsburgh Symphony, being shocked out of my mind upon experiencing Prokofiev's second piano concerto for the first time; also, a note on human memory
5/28/2012 Visiting the House of Musical Traditions: looking at instruments including Irish flutes
5/18/2012 Got my new and more ergonomic flute
5/14/2012 Playing French music for the first time, and dancing blues for the first time
4/29/2012 Attending my first CMU Baroque Ensemble concert: enjoying Bach's Brandenburg 2
4/27/2012 Baroque jam session at CMU: first time my parents ever watched me perform music
4/21/2012 My first time in a public music jam: intense fun with Chris Norman and David Greenberg
3/30/2012 A delayed St. Patrick's Day party: playing tin whistle and alto recorder
3/21/2012 Flute update: celebrating Bach's birthday, using a Thumbport, improvising to bossa nova
3/18/2012 The joy and challenge of making beautiful sounds together
3/17/2012 St. Patrick's Day party: playing tin whistle and flute
3/12/2012 Quitting the CMU All-University Orchestra: one of the hardest decisions in my life
3/10/2012 Flute: loving it again, remembering why I dance, and how I met my wife!
3/7/2012 Flute: taking a break while clarifying my goals
2/27/2012 Flute practice: dealing with burnout and injury
2/23/2012 Saying No in order to say Yes
2/22/2012 Flute progress after one month in orchestra: still hanging in there
2/14/2012 Flute progress report: day of reckoning approaches
2/1/2012 Joining an orchestra: learning in the face of terror
1/27/2012 A new friend's very musical birthday party changed my life
1/8/2012 Finding and using my childhood flute books
1/3/2012 Ignoring branding: the double-blind test
12/20/2011 Much progress playing flute
12/17/2011 Playing recorder and flute at the Holiday Ball!
12/12/2011 Why go to concerts by amateur music groups?
12/11/2011 Learning another instrument: the tin whistle
12/5/2011 Busy evening: performing at Phipps followed by rehearsal for another gig!
12/1/2011 I'm going to perform music much sooner than I expected: Monday
11/30/2011 Bought a Baroque flute
11/22/2011 James Galway made me hate flute, but Emmanuel Pahud made me love it
11/20/2011 The beautiful, melancholy Indian Summer of Chet Baker
11/18/2011 I want to sing
11/17/2011 Flute versus recorder: why do I play both?
11/15/2011 On duets with dead musicians
11/13/2011 Back to piano too
11/11/2011 On not reading concert program notes
11/9/2011 Taking up flute again after decades?!
10/30/2011 Harder to play music in a group than alone
10/22/2011 Happy 200th birthday, Franz Liszt!
10/18/2011 Disagreement on the use of time?
10/7/2011 Staying Excited About Learning By Being Flexible
10/6/2011 Singing Through Traffic
10/3/2011 My New Bass and Sopranino Recorders and Having Fun
10/2/2011 I Love Music but Rarely Listen to It Now
10/1/2011 Run Shadyside 5K: Outrunning Mickey Mouse and Lending a Trumpet
9/29/2011 A Musician's Best Friend
9/26/2011 I Don't Feel Like Practicing; but I'm Gonna Do It Anyway
9/22/2011 Byron Janis on Overcoming Adversity