As part of running this here blog, I try to keep up with the world of piano and pianists. One way I do this is via, you guessed it, Google searches. I have 5 or 6 searches I use. Over the last year or so, those searches have been turning up quite different results. In the past, my searches would typically yield a couple of pages of stories from major news outlets on top tier classical and jazz pianists. Buried way down in the results would be stories from smaller areas about local pianists and events.

Today’s search pages listed events from towns and cities all over the country and abroad including, Ithaca, Sedona, New York City, Vancouver, Mississippi, London, and Los Alamos. Content included: Sedona’s Piano on the Rocks, performing Joplin’s complete works, a piano concert of Southern Gospel and military tunes, a local church pianist playing Carnegie Hall, a 24 hour piano marathon, the Hilton Head Piano Competition, and more.

In the beginning, I thought the changes in my search results were the result of a combination of new search algorithms, the posting of much content directly to Facebook, an increase of local papers adding searchable online content, and an increasing number of major papers going behind print paywalls.

But, today I had this thought… What if there is a real increase in the love of all things musical and piano happening—a kind grassroots piano addiction? Oh man, I hope it is so.

Share