3½ Time-Outs Tuesday (Vol. 9)

Just like Conversion Diary’s 7 Quick-takes, except it’s half as long and twice as good.

Hosted by Acts of the Apostasy

(Sorry for the lateness – stupid Internet issues since last night…)

1

I was raised in a household full of music. My parents strongly encouraged all us 10 kids to learn an instrument, or belong to a choral group, and with little exception, we all did just that. Several of my siblings learned multiple instruments, and for years, the strains of flute, violin, baritone, saxophone, clarinet and piano were part of normal everyday life.  I focused solely on the piano, and I’ve been teaching on the side for the past seven or eight years (I’ve reduced my current workload down to two students).

The two people who’ve influenced me the most – beyond composers such as Mozart, Beethoven and Gershwin, for instance – were my mom and my teacher, Mrs Coughlin. My mom played piano and cello – in fact, she was enrolled in the Oberlin College & Conservatory for cello when she met my dad. I remember as a tyke being fascinated by the way my mom could coax the most beautiful music from our Steinway studio piano. Of course, having a talented mother came with its own drawback – mainly, I couldn’t bs my way out of practicing. She knew too much for me to get away with anything.

Mrs. Coughlin was “old-school”, impressing upon me the tried and true methods of memorization, sight-reading, theory, scales, arpeggios, and even the hated Hanon exercises. But her dictates of discipline have stayed with me to this very day, and have remained influential in my playing and composing style, even though my last lesson was back in 1980 or so. On occasion, when I visit my family back east, I try to stop and see her – she still teaches! – and we catch up on each other.  It takes very little cajoling on her part to have me seated at her gorgeous grand piano, regaling her with my newest composition.

2

If I had to choose two pieces of classical music that have influenced me the most as a kid, they would have to be Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Mozart’s Sonata in C (K.545) (audio at the link). I’m pretty sure I wore out the grooves of the Gershwin album while growing up, and the Mozart piece is my favorite one to play to this very day.

Here’s a portion of Rhapsody in Blue, played by Leonard Bernstein.

Leonard’s quite a bit better than me, I have to admit.  Actually, quite more than merely a bit.  And I really dislike the editing in this video – why so much footage of his face?  Let’s see what the hands are doing!!

3

 I recently bought myself a new toy – the Casio CDP-120, 88 weighted-key digital piano.  Here’s a picture of it.

I’ve only had it a couple weeks now, but I like it.  This replaces my older keyboard that lacked weighted keys – what a difference.  It doesn’t come with a lot of bells and whistles – two grand piano settings, an electric keyboard setting and a strings setting – but I’m using it mainly for composing.

My pride and joy remains our Sojin baby grand piano, though.

Mrs LarryD and I purchased this nearly 20 years ago.  Isn’t she beautiful?  Any musician will tell you they form a relationship with their instrument over time – which is the case between me and this piano.  It’s hard to describe – a familiarity develops, which enables me to evoke moods and strains that I can’t get from any other piano.

Here’s the view from the bench (pic taken this morning) -

3½

packaging materials. Industrial, commercial, retail – pretty much anything that needs to be packed and shipped. Actually, it’s not dull and boring at all.  I enjoy the challenges and the customers (most of the time, at least!) and the day-to-day differences that come with the job. No two days are alike.

Now it’s your turn – write your own 3½ Time-outs Tuesday post, steal the pic at the top, and link back to this post by clicking on the Blue Frog, and follow the instructions. It’s easy, painless and free. A record *SEVEN* – joined the Posse last week (I’m no longer calling it “the Resistance” – there’s a history at AoftheA with the Posse). So enlist today – especially you guys. This is the testosterone version of 7 Quick Takes. Your Man Card gets punched when you participate!

Because of a formatting quirk with WordPress, the links don’t show up on this page. You have to click the Blue Frog to see who’s participated. But that’s not so hard, is it? So write up a post – I’m interested in what you have to say!

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