Ron's blog on piano improv and the role of music in our lives
Hey Improvisers, When I was a teenager, living in Stamford, Connecticut, the local jazz celebrity was a bassist named Phil Bowler. In addition to playing local gigs, he also played with major jazz stars such as Horace Silver and Wynton Marsalis. I vividly remember riding my bicycle to downtown Stamford one sunny afternoon in the … Read More
Hey Improvisers, After teaching and performing in Alaska at The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, I’m writing this on the flight back to New York City. Wow – the two weeks flew by! Here are a few reflections upon the experience. 1 The most difficult aspect of learning is to just get started. Once we do … Read More
Hey Improvisers, I arrived in Fairbanks. Alaska last evening to begin my annual 2-week stint performing and teaching at The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. I’ve been coming up here each July since 1999 and have even taught here three times in January. Even through I don’t start teaching classes until tomorrow, I feel refreshed by … Read More
Hey Improvisers, Although the marketing machine that is the recording industry likes to pigeonhole both musicians and listeners into narrow genres, the truth is that we all generally enjoy a wide spectrum of music. Case in point: Taylor Swift The general narrative regarding Swift is that she started out as “Country” and then suddenly switched … Read More
Hey Improvisers, If you’re in New York City on Wednesday, June 19th, swing on by Don’t Tell Mama on West 46th St. where I’ll be performing my arrangements of George Gershwin songs with the wonderful vocalist Juliet Ewing. The show begins at 7pm and you can make reservations at the link below. (I’ve heard there … Read More
Hey Improvisers, Over the years, I’ve noticed that many adult piano students tend to think about piano lessons a little bit backwards; they think that their goal is to practice throughout the week in preparation for the piano lesson itself. At first glance, this seems like a good way to approach lessons. You practice diligently … Read More
Hey Improvisers, I recently came across a headline in an online newspaper that promised to help the reader build good habits. Basically, it was about how to keep New Year’s resolutions. While I did expect the article to speak about healthy eating, exercise, and such, I was shocked to see “practicing piano” listed as the … Read More
Hey Improvisers, Thanks to everyone who has asked me about my Journey Through The Real Book video series, which I’ve now resumed. Here’s the backstory: When you live in a New York City apartment, it can be tricky to move a piece of furniture across your living room, especially a grand piano. I found this … Read More
Hey Improvisers, Do you ever play with other musicians? If you do, you know the joys of shared music-making. One player inspires another, and everyone benefits. But if you haven’t yet made that leap, it may feel terrifying. We receive many benefits from jamming with our musical peers, and they go way beyond what I’ve … Read More
Hey Improvisers, Perhaps my favorite line from my book, The Inner World of Piano Improvisation, is: “Everybody wants to sound like Miles Davis, but no one wants to play fewer notes.” I love that line, because it’s so true. Whether we play rock, jazz, pop, blues, or classical improv styles, we’ll sound much better if … Read More