What Time Is It?

When you think about it, the blues is a miracle. A musical Peter Pan. Millions of songs based on just 3 chords that never get old. I don’t want to try to “define” what it is exactly about blues music that makes it so rewarding to play, but rather marvel at the experience of walking … Read More

If you want a real musical treat, tune into WKCR-FM, the radio station from Columbia University in New York City. If you live in the NYC area, you can hear it at 88.9 FM. Worldwide, you can find it on the internet here. Simply put, WKCR is a musician’s treasure. I’ve been listening to it … Read More

Woody Allen famously said that 80% of success is showing up. While the meaning of this might be obvious to some, it’s actually taken me years to begin to understand the implications of this. (I’m still working on it.) Let’s show up on the piano bench today. And today. And today. And today… Here are … Read More

Well, if January 3rd can be “Fruitcake Toss Day,” and February 9th “Clean Out Your Computer Day,” then yes, March 29th can certainly lay claim to the honorific “Piano Day!” Believe it or not, I’m not making this up (someone else beat me to it – grrrr!). Earlier this year, a German pianist/composer named Nils … Read More

When you practice piano, let go of “I should,” as in “I should be able to play this piece well.” “I should be able to improvise better.” “I should be able to play in F# as well as I can play in C.” Here’s why: “I should” is too often self-destructive and self-defeating. So even … Read More

Yesterday I heard yet another account of how some piano teachers treat their students so apparently this still needs to be said. (Note: Most piano teachers are warm, caring, effective teachers. But if your piano teacher behaves like one of the ones below, maybe you should find one of the good ones.) Here’s my list of … Read More

Fact #1: Whenever I practice scales on a daily basis, my playing becomes extremely fluid and sometimes effortless. Fact #2: But when I don’t practice scales for a while, I forget all about Fact #1. Isn’t life weird? Here are some fun and creative ways you can work with scales: How to get the most … Read More

Do you practice piano with lots of enthusiasm but have times when the music’s not “coming together” like you want it to?  If this sounds familiar, here’s my advice:  Slow down, “chillax”, and GROOVE! Slow down: Your hands (and brain) need time to get used to new patterns, rhythmic combinations and chord patterns. Even if you’ve gradually built … Read More

I was just out on an early morning walk when a neighbor of mine asked me if I knew anything about Jazz At Lincoln Center’s Jazz Academy program for middle school students. (His son plays trombone and is thinking of auditioning.) I told him to “go for it” and suggested his son practice a lot, since I’m … Read More

Given the unclear nature of music copyright issues, it’s ironic that latest and perhaps greatest copyright infringement verdict revolves around a song called “Blurred Lines”! A jury has recently said that 2013’s hit song “Blurred Lines” by Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke copied Marvin Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up” from 1977. Rather than giving my … Read More