Why Hello Again (…or maybe it’s cosmic)
Do you have a piece that has crossed your path repeatedly over the years? I'm thinking of a piece that you unexpectedly wind up playing multiple times rather than one…
Playing With Wolfgang: Becoming Vulnerable
“But what does it mean?,” I asked. I used to ask that a lot when I was little. I remember that time clearly though. My Dad and I were in…
Playing With Wolfgang: Gershwin, Lecuona, & Messiaen Meet Artistic Process
"I don’t see why you chose that artwork," she said. "There is plenty of 20th Century art that would match these pieces and the time they were written much better."…
Playing With Wolfgang: Do Or Do Not
I stomped in the house, blew past my Mom and slammed my bedroom door behind me. Actually it might have been the first time I had ever done such a…
Playing With Wolfgang: Exotic & Forbidden?
On the first day of my freshman year at San Jose State, I entered the music building and immediately found myself at an open classroom door. The sounds coming from…
Playing With Wolfgang: How Messiaen Taught Me The Law of Opposites
I was immersed in 5 pieces from Messiaen’s Contemplations of the Infant Jesus. It’s hard not to be once you step through the rabbit hole and begin working on them.…
Playing With Wolfgang: A Romantic Accusation 2
“You’re a romantic!” said my teacher in a surprised voice, as though this explained everything he found perplexing about me. I had never been accused of being anything but a…
Playing With Wolfgang: Stories, Images, Colors, & Characters
"What is going on in this passage?", asked my new teacher. I responded by giving him what I thought was a crackerjack harmonic analysis. "Yes, he said but why?" I…