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Piano, finally

David Reidy
Piano, finally
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  • Episode 48 - Dancing about Architecture
    🎹 Episode 48 – Dancing about architectureWelcome to Episode 48. This week, I reflect on remixing, musical distractions, and the sneaky ways we convince ourselves we’re making progress.🎧 Remixing in the ClassroomYear 9 music students had a workshop on remixing, led by two presenters, including musician Nyxen. I got to sit in on parts of the day and was surprised by how much I enjoyed her music and her breakdown of the production process.Check out Nyxen’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NYXENMUSICHere’s the track they worked on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4136AwqMjiA🎹 Denis Zhdanov’s Competition StoryA fun video from Denis Zhdanov about his first piano competition—light, entertaining, and with a nice piece at the end: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOAuDBWLzXI📺 YouTube Pick – David Bennett PianoDavid Bennett’s videos dissect music theory through popular songs. I’ve learned a lot from his breakdowns of chord progressions and modes.Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidBennettPianoThis week’s pick is especially useful:“Film and TV Themes that will help you identify intervals” – a great resource for recognising intervals by ear, from Jaws to The Flintstones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JftZNTUJTJc🧠 Essay – Dancing about architectureThere’s a quote—often misattributed—about how writing about music is like dancing about architecture. I use it this week to reflect on the trap of watching music content instead of doing music.I’ve set myself a rule: no YouTube videos or piano reading during the week until I’ve done at least 30 minutes of practice. No more illusions of progress without real playing.📘 Review – Bill Hilton’s “Exercises, Inventions & Ideas”As a Patreon supporter, I’ve been working through Bill Hilton’s teaching pack. The first PDF includes a clever dexterity exercise with deliberately tricky fingering, a pedal-focused invention using finger cycling, and a segment on legato/staccato control.The first video and download in the series is free to all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8kQ2qn7qCk🎼 Progress UpdateTürk’s Bagatelle in F is now on maintenance rotation.Afternoon Snooze and Blackout Blues are getting close—though I’ve slowed down Afternoon Snooze, because a nap should sound lazy, not brisk.Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja is coming together with both hands, very slowly.MSend 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 are 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.
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  • Episode 47 - Making it up
    Welcome back! In this episode of Piano, finally, I talk about a week of not-much-practice, school restarting, and musical surprises—including a band at a diocesan staff day that, while technically solid, wasn’t quite my style.🎭 On StageIf you're in Sydney or the Blue Mountains, tickets are now on sale for the Blue Mountains Musical Society’s production of Come From Away, on at Springwood later this month.Tickets: https://www.bluemountainstheatre.com.au/what-s-on/season-2025/come-from-away/🎼 Streaming SpotlightI caught Yunchan Lim’s phenomenal performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variations at Carnegie Hall via Stage+. As the youngest winner of the Van Cliburn competition, he delivered 80 uninterrupted minutes of brilliance—and possibly some sneaky B-roll camera work.Watch on Stage+: https://www.stage-plus.com/video/live_concert_9HKNCPA3DTN66PBIEHFJGE9I🎧 Podcast of the WeekThis week’s recommendation is Musicianship Mastery by David Lane—formerly The Musician’s Toolkit. Now back to a weekly schedule, the show focuses on practical musicianship skills. Highlights include why memorisation matters and an inspiring interview with Michael Hall on blending Western classical and Indonesian music.Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/musicianship-mastery-with-david-lane/id1661500413🎹 New Gear – Nord Stage 4Yes, I bought a Nord Stage 4—a top-tier stage piano blending organ, piano, and synth engines. I’m halfway through a great course by Marc Larochelle at MyKeysToMusic. The Nord’s 384 built-in programs have nudged me toward improvisation—something I hadn’t seriously explored before. Turns out, just playing around with sounds can be surprisingly useful.More on the Nord Stage 4: https://www.nordkeyboards.com/products/nord-stage-4🥁 Review – Roland TR-6S Drum MachineNever clicked with metronomes, so I turned to the Roland Aira TR-6S drum machine instead. It’s musical, easy to use, and blends well with piano practice. I picked mine up from Turramurra Music—though they’re currently out of stock.Roland product page: https://www.roland.com/GLOBAL/products/tr-6sWhere I bought it: https://www.turramusic.com.au/products/roland-tr-6s🎶 Progress UpdateThis week includes Spindler’s Canon again—now with a drum machine hand clap—plus two Andrew Craggs pieces. The Mozart is comSend 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 are 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.
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  • Episode 46 - Get Out
    G’day everyone, and welcome to Episode 46 of Piano, Finally!This week, I’ve been thinking about all the unexpected doors learning the piano opens — doors that aren’t always about the piano itself.On ANZAC Day, I joined the Hawkesbury District Concert Band as a bus driver for the Sydney march. It was a real privilege to be part of an important community event alongside students and local musicians.If you’ve been following the Chopin competitions this year, good news — the preliminary rounds are now streaming live from Warsaw! Introductions are in Polish and English, but of course, the music transcends language. If you’d like to catch some incredible performances, here’s the link to the first session:👉 Watch the Warsaw preliminary roundsAlso, if you're curious about music theory (with a twist of science and art), I recommend The Meta in Music lecture series by Professor Milton Mermikides. It’s based loosely on Gödel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter and brings Bach's puzzles and musical secrets to life. It's well worth a look — here’s the link to the first lecture:👉 Watch The Meta in MusicIn this episode, I also talk about why it’s worth making the effort to attend smaller, local concerts. From feeling the vibrations of cellos and pianos at arm’s length, to having the chance to chat with performers, small venue performances really reconnect you with what music is meant to be — human, shared, and vibrant.Finally, I share my experience at the Megalong Music Festival. Set in the beautiful Megalong Valley in the Blue Mountains, it was a spectacular celebration of chamber music, community, and brilliant young musicians.If you’d like to learn more about the festival or get involved next year, you’ll find more information here:👉 Megalong Music FestivalThanks for joining me again. If you’re learning an instrument yourself, I’d love to hear from you!Until next week, I hope your piano stays in tune and you enjoy your time at the keys.🎹 www.pianofinally.show📧 [email protected] 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 are 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.
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  • Episode 45 - Playing
    Welcome to Episode 45 of Piano, FinallyThis week, David reflects on what it really means to “play” the piano—not just as a technical activity but as a source of joy, creativity, and fun.🚗 Road Trip & Piano ConcertThe episode begins with a musical journey—literally—to Armidale for the Piano Plus Showcase Concert, part of the Autumn Piano School. The highlight? Watching Coady Green blaze through two of Anton Rubenstein’s études with jaw-dropping precision.🎶 Listen to the études: YouTube Link🥁 Practising with RhythmDavid shares his experiment with using a drum machine instead of a metronome. Inspired by the idea that bands keep time with drummers, he’s testing this approach to add energy to his practice sessions. More updates coming in the next episode!🎧 Podcast Pick: Start Here (Season 2)A glowing recommendation for the Start Here podcast from ABRSM, hosted by Alexis Ffrench. It dives into musical genres beyond classical, including Drum & Bass, Drill, Gaming Music, and Opera—with expert guests each week.🎹 Essay: What Does It Mean to "Play" the Piano?In a thoughtful essay, David considers how different languages express playing music—and why in English we use the word “play.” Whether it’s for pleasure, growth, or expression, choosing to play is a powerful act. He reflects on the tension between delayed gratification and having fun now, and how tools like the Nord Stage 4 bring extra joy to learning.🎵 Practice ProgressDavid continues work on preparatory pieces Afternoon Snooze and Blackout Blues, and starts a new piece from Grade 1: Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, arranged by Barrie Carson Turner.🏞️ Bonus Music OutingA surprise chamber music concert at the Megalong Music Festival offered a magical Sunday and will be featured in more detail in the next episode.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 are 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.
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  • Episode 44 - Choosing for the Year
    🎹 Episode 44 – Choosing for the YearWelcome back to Piano, Finally, the podcast by an old bloke finally getting around to learning the piano. In this episode, I share a bit of everything – from an odd experience learning the school song to choosing my piano pieces for the year ahead, and even a book review for those exploring pop piano.🎵 The School Song SagaI kicked off the holidays with a curious challenge: trying to play the school song. Despite knowing it well, my first attempt sounded way off – but, oddly enough, it fixed itself the next day. Still working on the fingerings, though.📺 Stage+ – A Treasure Trove of Classical DocumentariesI talk about the value of Stage+, a high-quality classical music streaming platform from Deutsche Grammophon. It offers not just performances but excellent documentaries, including “Magic Moments in Music” and stories about greats like Bernstein, Karajan, Tsujii, Lang Lang, and Trifonov.🎼 Choosing My Pieces for the YearDevi and I selected four main pieces for the coming months – all aimed at expanding my technique and musical range.🎶 Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja (Mozart / arr. Barrie Carson Turner)A bright, fast piece introducing Alberti bass and runs in G major.🎧 Listen here🎹 A Wild Chase (Wynn-Anne Rossi)Tricky fingering, dual bass clefs, and a fast tempo – definitely a challenge.🎧 Listen here🕰️ Going Baroque (Glenda Austin)My first foray into baroque-style music, complete with counterpoint and complexity.🎧 Listen here🎤 Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley)From the Rockschool Contemporary Piano book – a modern piece with a strong rhythmic focus.🎧 Listen here📘 Book Review – The Pop Piano Book by Mark HarrisonA Discord recommendation, this 500-page book is a full course on pop piano playing. It starts with theory and moves into genre-specific chapters like R&B, gospel, and rock. The book’s practical but bulky – maybe the PDF version is the way to go.📖 Find it at Harrison Music🎧 Progress ReportTwo pieces are now performance-ready: Spindler’s Canon and Türk’s Bagatelle in F. I’m still working on Afternoon Snooze and Blackout Blues – both tricky in their own ways. Recorded on the Kawai NV10 with Pianoteq 8’s U4 upright model.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 are 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.
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About Piano, finally

Piano Finally is a podcast by an old bloke who is learning the piano, finally. I cover the process of learning the piano and music theory as an adult learner. I also review piano books, hardware and other materials from an adult learner's perspective.
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