Can’t Help Falling in Love: A History

February 9, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

Learn the history of Elvis Presley’s hit song Can’t Help Falling in Love.

Classical Music Inspired by Love Part 1

February 6, 2018.Reading time 11 minutes.

Next week is Valentines Day, which means – of course – that there is no better way to celebrate love than by listening to classical music inspired by it. Please enjoy this playlist I have created of classical music inspired by love, and stay tuned for part 2! Kreisleriana (Op. 16) by Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Background […]

“Divenire” by Ludovico Einaudi

February 2, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

Divenire means “to become”. And that’s exactly the story that this piece tells. This orchestral/piano work is the title track of Ludovico Einaudi‘s album Divenire, which he released in 2006: Einaudi’s Inspiration Einaudi says of Divenire on his website: “Divenire developed over a long period, beginning in 2002 when I was invited by the organisers of the festival […]

A Program of Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin

January 30, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

I had the wonderful opportunity last Friday to watch local pianist Sunghee Kim perform a concert at Oregon State University’s free Friday lunch concert series. Kim presented three pieces: Bach’s Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major, Sonata No. 23 in F minor by Beethoven, and Ballade No. 1 in G minor by Chopin. While I […]

“Echoes” by Kathryn Louderback (An Original Composition)

January 26, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

Echoes was created out of an improvisation. I remember sitting at the piano, letting my fingers dance. Sounds old and new filled my ears as I shut my eyes and let the music wander as it chose. A lush chord here juxtaposed with a sharp rhythm there, painting waves and light gliding across an eager, […]

Film Music: The Imitation Game

January 23, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

Does anyone else love listening to film scores? Because I love listening to film scores. Film music is a wonderful way to escape reality because of the (literal) stories that go along with the music. Today I want to share one of my favorite film scores: The Imitation Game (2014). The movie is loosely based on […]

Music Favorites Part 4: Piano Edition

January 19, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

It’s been an interesting week, friends. However, while all of us have ups and downs, music is always there to offer love and support. So this week I’d like to share with you some of my favorite pieces written for the piano. Chopin Nocturne in E Major, Op. 62 No. 2 Published in 1846, the […]

Beethoven and Star Wars Part 2: The Funeral Imperial March

January 16, 2018.Reading time 9 minutes.

Darth Vader's Imperial March was influenced by Chopin and Beethoven! Click to read all about it.

As you may know, classical music of all kinds inspired composer John Williams as he wrote the Star Wars score. But what I’m really interested in is how master composer Beethoven exerted his influence on a galaxy far far away. Because there’s so much wonderful music to discuss in regards to the Star Wars score, […]

The Funeral March

January 12, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

A funeral march is a musical work with a slow, stately pulse – typically in a minor key and in 4/4 time – imitating a funeral procession. While the specific origins of the funeral march are unknown, books of military music suggest that the earliest funeral marches were slow, simple beats kept on a large […]

The Song of the Sun: “Solstice” by Amelia Chain

January 9, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Solstice by Amelia Chain uses sounds of the sun to create music.

How many pieces of music do you know that incorporate the actual sound of the sun into the work? Amelia Chain’s composition “Solstice” uses real recordings of our sun in the work (both as the inspiration and as a musical element). Chain was inspired to create the piece after talking to her daughter about the […]