This week I posted the video for my arrangement of What Child is This? up on YouTube! For the history behind this beautiful Christmas carol, read my post here. And if you’re interested in the sheet music: I wrote this arrangement in the spirit of a contemporary waltz. Notice the waltz accompaniment in the left hand beginning […]
Read MoreAway in a Manger is one of the most loved Christmas carols of our time. And it’s easy to understand why! The beautiful lullaby describes that special night over 2000 years ago, using text and melody to create an emotional response in the listener. While Still, Still, Still is not as popular as Away in a Manger, it’s just […]
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To celebrate the start of the holiday season, I am thrilled to announce the release of my own Christmas album: Christmas Piano. Listen to Christmas Piano The album consists of 8 tracks; 7 are arrangements I wrote of known Christmas carols, and 1 is an original composition. Over the next few weeks, I will be writing posts […]
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If you are an avid movie watcher, you probably know the names Hans Zimmer or John Williams. They are two of the most important film composers of our time, and with good reason; they have helped define film music as its own genre, one that tells the story of the movie (even outside of the […]
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In October 1814, 17-year-old Franz Schubert (1797-1828) wrote a lied (an art song with text from a German poem). It might not seem remarkable at first glance, but this composition – called Gretchen am spinnrade – helped change the course of music. History One of the first pieces of Romantic-era program music (a piece of music that tells a story […]
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It’s hard to believe that October is almost over! So this week I thought it would be fun to listen to some classical music directly inspired by this final autumn month. Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847) In the summer of 1831, Mendelssohn Hensel began composing a piano cycle named Das Jahr (which means “The Year”). This 13-piece work […]
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As a musician, it is important to practice your instrument on a regular basis in order to see improvements. But sometimes our practicing is inefficient – we think that mindless playing through the music helps us learn it quickly. However, like most things in life, quality is better than quantity. (In other words, longer practice does […]
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As part of our discussion on string quartets, let’s take a look at some by women composers ranging from the Romantic era to contemporary music. Amy Beach (1867-1944) Not only was Beach an extremely talented composer and pianist, but she was also one of the first female composers to successfully compose large-scale forms. Her Gaelic Symphony was, […]
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It’s October – which means it’s time for Halloween! What better way to do celebrate than by listening to some spooky music? Check out part 1 here, and get ready to hear some more super creepy classical music. Der Vampyr by Heinrich Marschner (1795-1861) If you think today’s depiction of vampires is scary, let’s go […]
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It’s October, which means the seasons are changing! To celebrate, let’s listen to some classical music inspired by autumn. (Click here for part 1.) Comes Autumn Time by Leo Sowerby (1895-1968) Sowerby wrote this shimmering piece for organ in 1916 before orchestrating it a year later. The work was inspired by a poem called Autumn by Bliss Carman: […]
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