Piano, finally

Episode 78 - A Series of Fortunate EventsG'day everyone! Welcome to show number seventy-eight. The holidays have finally started! School has finished for the year, and while I have some work to do on a new Physics program for 2027, there is plenty of time to get it done. Devi and I have chosen some new pieces to keep me busy over the break, and I'm looking forward to increasing my daily practice.YouTube - Guy Michelmore - Want to Write a Better Tune? This week I look at a video by Guy Michelmore. Guy is a composer of film and television music with a very relatable presentation style—mostly because he leaves his mistakes in! In this video, he writes a simple piece of music using Cubase, explaining his thought process on chord progressions and melody. It is a fascinating look at how a piece of music comes together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJJFlAEBwYIEssay - A Series of Fortunate Events I discuss why subscribing to a concert series, like the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's Sunday Afternoon series, is a wise investment for an adult learner. Beyond the financial discount, committing to a series helps you block out time for music in a busy calendar. It exposes you to new repertoire—this year I discovered Scriabin—and it's a great way to support live music and young performers.Review - AMEB Piano Series 19 Grade 2 Following last week's look at Grade One, I review the new AMEB Series 19 Grade 2 book. The jump in difficulty is noticeable; pieces are longer (often two pages) and much denser with notes. The selection is diverse, featuring works from Wilhelm Friedemann Bach to contemporary pieces like "Mala dyskoteka" by Krystyna Gowik and "La poursuite" by Louise Nguyen Van Ty. It looks like a challenging year ahead!https://www.ameb.edu.au/shop/music/keyboard/piano/series-19Progress I'm continuing with the "Moonlight" Sonata and my flute piece, though combining hands remains a challenge. Wynn-Anne Rossi's "A Wild Chase" is now memorised, and I'm working on evening it out with a drum machine. I've also started looking at "Titans" by Daniel McFarlane, "A Mingus Among Us" by Eric Baumgartner, and "Sea Song" by Christopher Healey.If you'd like to get in touch or share your own musical journey on the podcast, drop me a line at [email protected] contents of the podcast were entirely generated by me, David Reidy, but these show notes were created by Gemini.Send me a text message.You can contact me: via email at [email protected]; this is probably the best option the show website, www.pianofinally.show Instagram and Threads @pianofinally and on YouTube all the podcast directories - list here's the RSS feed Some of the links to books and other items mentioned in the podcast may affiliate links for Amazon or other providers. If you use one of these links, a commission may be paid to me at no additional cost to you. Thank you if you use a link. All reviews of products, websites and services are unpaid, and no sponsorship has been received for any content on this podcast.

Episode 78 - A Series of Fortunate EventsG'day everyone! Welcome to show number seventy-eight. The holidays have finally started! School has finished for the year, and while I have some work to do on a new Physics program for 2027, there is plenty of time to get it done. Devi and I have chosen some new pieces to keep me busy over the break, and I'm looking forward to increasing my daily practice.YouTube - Guy Michelmore - Want to Write a Better Tune? This week I look at a video by Guy Michelmore. Guy is a composer of film and television music with a very relatable presentation style—mostly because he leaves his mistakes in!In this video, he writes a simple piece of music using Cubase, explaining his thought process on chord progressions and melody. It is a fascinating look at how a piece of music comes together.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJJFlAEBwYIEssay - A Series of Fortunate Events I discuss why subscribing to a concert series, like the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's Sunday Afternoon series, is a wise investment for an adult learner. Beyond the financial discount, committing to a series helps you block out time for music in a busy calendar. It exposes you to new repertoire—this year I discovered Scriabin—and it's a great way to support live music and young performers.Review - AMEB Piano Series 19 Grade 2 Following last week's look at Grade One, I review the new AMEB Series 19 Grade 2 book. The jump in difficulty is noticeable; pieces are longer (often two pages) and much denser with notes. The selection is diverse, featuring works from Wilhelm Friedemann Bach to contemporary pieces like "Mala dyskoteka" by Krystyna Gowik and "La poursuite" by Louise Nguyen Van Ty. It looks like a challenging year ahead!https://www.ameb.edu.au/shop/music/keyboard/piano/series-19Progress I'm continuing with the "Moonlight" Sonata and my flute piece, though combining hands remains a challenge.Wynn-Anne Rossi's "A Wild Chase" is now memorised, and I'm working on evening it out with a drum machine. I've also started looking at "Titans" by Daniel McFarlane, "A Mingus Among Us" by Eric Baumgartner, and "Sea Song" by Christopher Healey.If you'd like to get in touch or share your own musical journey on the podcast, drop me a line at [email protected] contents of the podcast were entirely generated by me, David Reidy, but these show notes were created by Gemini.Send me a text message.You can contact me: via email at [email protected]; this is probably the best option the show website, www.pianofinally.show Instagram and Threads @pianofinally and on YouTube all the podcast directories - list here's the RSS feed Some of the links to books and other items mentioned in the podcast may affiliate links for Amazon or other providers. If you use one of these links, a commission may be paid to me at no additional cost to you. Thank you if you use a link. All reviews of products, websites and services are unpaid, and no sponsorship has been received for any content on this podcast.

Episode 77 - Christmas ShoppingG'day, everyone! Welcome to show number seventy-seven. Teaching has finally finished for the year, wrapping up with a wonderful awards ceremony and a staff performance that was definitely more enthusiastic than musical! I’m looking forward to my last piano lesson of the year this Monday, where Devi and I will pick out a few pieces to keep me busy over the break.YouTube Review: Merriam Pianos - Hybrids This week, I take a look at a video from Merriam Pianos featuring Stu Harrison. Stu discusses his switch from a Grotrian acoustic upright to a Kawai NV5 hybrid. It’s a fascinating watch,especially if you are weighing up the pros and cons of acoustic versus hybrid instruments. As Stu points out, an 8/10 experience you can have anytime is better than a 10/10 experience you can rarely access.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsTElPqKJjYEssay: Christmas Shopping Despite the title, this isn't a gift guide! Instead, I explore the value of giving musical gifts,especially to young people. After forty years of teaching, I’ve noticed that engagement is key to learning. Giving a child access to an instrument—without friction—can spark curiosity and build valuable life skills like self-discipline. If you have the means, a musical instrument might just change a life this Christmas.Review: AMEB Piano Series 19 Grade 1 I popped into Carlingford Music to pick up the newly released AMEB Series 19 books. I’m not planning to sit the exams, but these books are a great source of graded repertoire. The Grade 1 book features a diverse mix, from a sarabande by Gillock to a "swung blues" piece by Eric Baumgartner. I’ll be trying out a few of these over the holidays.https://www.ameb.edu.au/shop/music/keyboard/piano/series-19Progress Work continues on Beethoven’s "Moonlight" Sonata; it’s slow going, but enjoyable. My flute piece is coming along, though combining hands still slows me down. I’ve also added a new piece based on Rossini's Barber of Seville, and Wynn-Anne Rossi's "A Wild Chase" is nearing completion—I can finally play it from memory!If you'd like to get in touch or share your own musical journey, drop me a line at [email protected] contents of this podcast were entirely generated by a human, but these show notes were created by Gemini.Send me a text message.You can contact me: via email at [email protected]; this is probably the best option the show website, www.pianofinally.show Instagram and Threads @pianofinally and on YouTube all the podcast directories - list here's the RSS feed Some of the links to books and other items mentioned in the podcast may affiliate links for Amazon or other providers. If you use one of these links, a commission may be paid to me at no additional cost to you. Thank you if you use a link. All reviews of products, websites and services are unpaid, and no sponsorship has been received for any content on this podcast.

G’day everyone, I’m David Reidy. Welcome to Piano, Finally, a podcast by an old bloke who’s getting around to learning the piano, finally.In the lead-up to Christmas, practice opportunities appear and disappear in equal measure. A little more playing happened this week, though not as much as hoped. The 3D printer is busy producing small gifts for the staff party, and while it’s handy for personalised presents, it hasn’t yet found a role at the piano.🎧 YouTube – Piano Myth or Fact? Do Kids Learn Faster Than Adults?Ryan Abshear’s new video examines why children appear to learn piano faster than adults — not magic, but time, expectations, and practice hours. Adults often assume quick mastery because we’re used to learning other skills rapidly; a child playing difficult repertoire may already have six years of experience. Ryan’s thoughtful breakdown is well worth watching.Link: included in your episode📝 Essay – In PublicThis week’s reflections centre on doing things in public — choir rehearsals, student performances at assembly, coaching public speaking, and hearing that the podcast encouraged someone to try something new. Performing publicly isn’t harder than doing it privately; the difficulty comes from the standards we set for ourselves and the fear of judgment.But most people are kind. Anonymous criticism isn’t worth your attention; genuine listeners are overwhelmingly supportive. Being open about learning — especially when playing piano in front of students — removes pressure and invites encouragement rather than comparison.🎼 Progress• Moonlight Sonata continues slowly but steadily.• The flute piece is developing, though coordinating staccato and legato needs work.• Wynn-Anne Rossi’s A Wild Chase is nearly complete and improving with the drum machine.Recorded on the Kawai NV10, Cubase 15, and Pianoteq 9 with a Shigeru Kawai SK-EX model.The contents of this podcast were entirely generated by a human. These show notes, however, were created by ChatGPT.Send me a text message.You can contact me: via email at [email protected]; this is probably the best option the show website, www.pianofinally.show Instagram and Threads @pianofinally and on YouTube all the podcast directories - list here's the RSS feed Some of the links to books and other items mentioned in the podcast may affiliate links for Amazon or other providers. If you use one of these links, a commission may be paid to me at no additional cost to you. Thank you if you use a link. All reviews of products, websites and services are unpaid, and no sponsorship has been received for any content on this podcast.

G’day everyone, I’m David Reidy. Welcome to Piano, Finally — a podcast by an old bloke who’s getting around to learning the piano, finally.With the exams marked and reports written, the last weeks of the school year bring a welcome return to regular practice (and twice-daily swimming). This week’s episode is built around a story in two parts: a run of theatre outings, and an unexpected new musical adventure.🎭 Performances Around SydneyA free week meant several nights out:• The Rest Is History Returns at the Opera House, with Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook delivering a lively extended podcast episode and Q&A.• Bell Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet, a polished, contemporary staging with excellent pacing and standout comic moments. Video excerpts here:https://www.bellshakespeare.com.au/romeo-and-juliet• Devi Mamak & the Caravan Band, blending sitar, sax, drums and dancers in a Marrickville venue that doubles as a belly-dance school. More info:https://caravandancecompany.com.au/📝 Something New – Joining a Community ChoirAn email from Sydney Festival announced a community choir performing on 25 January at Barangaroo. Despite not being a singer, I signed up — partly out of curiosity, partly to step outside my comfort zone. The rehearsal, led by composer Nardi Simpson, was warm, energetic and enormous fun. Two of the four songs were introduced, including Four Directions, complete with harmonies and some accidental “clams” in the projected lyrics. With over 200 people in the room and only a handful of tenors, it’s going to be an adventure.🎼 Review – Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier (Schirmer)Another aspirational addition to the music shelf. This Carl Czerny-edited volume includes fingering, dynamics, a short biographical essay, and all 48 Preludes and Fugues. Clear engraving, perfect-bound, and solid value.https://www.musicjunction.com.au/products/complete-well%EF%BF%BDtempered-clavier🎹 Progress• Beethoven – Moonlight Sonata: Still uneven in places, but improving.• Wynn-Anne Rossi – A Wild Chase: Nearly complete and played from memory.• Trumpet Tune (Clarke/Purcell): Slow but steady.Recorded on the Kawai NV10 using Cubase 15 and Pianoteq 9 with a Shigeru Kawai SK-EX piano model.The contents of this podcast were entirely generated by a human. These show notes, however, were created by ChatGPT.Send me a text message.You can contact me: via email at [email protected]; this is probably the best option the show website, www.pianofinally.show Instagram and Threads @pianofinally and on YouTube all the podcast directories - list here's the RSS feed Some of the links to books and other items mentioned in the podcast may affiliate links for Amazon or other providers. If you use one of these links, a commission may be paid to me at no additional cost to you. Thank you if you use a link. All reviews of products, websites and services are unpaid, and no sponsorship has been received for any content on this podcast.