Phrasing in Color
I love answering questions! In a earlier post, One Musical Leaf Falling I talked about using color to depict phrasing. This post is a follow up to answer a super question…
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."…
The Enterprising Pianist: How Pedagogy Inspired A Screenplay
Four years ago, I wrote a screenplay. I called it Playing with Beethoven. It was around the time my piano teaching had taken a turn away from the traditional classical…
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.…
PA Shorts: Job Security
My college teacher told us over and over that his goal was to put himself out of a job! What??? Understanding was gradual for me. I needed his help and…
Vintage PA: How Charlie Brown Helped My Career
When I was in middle school I was asked to play a solo in the winter program. It was a big honor. My teacher and I worked hard on my…
Charging The Enemy
The fortune read: Keep on charging the enemy so long as there is life. I pinned the scrap of paper to the bulletin board beside my desk where, every so…
Stepping Off The Page: Nocturne in Eb Major
Deanna Witkowski is an active pianist and composer, has 5 albums to her credit, and currently holds the piano chair in the BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra. She won the Great American Jazz…