A review of George Walker’s “Poem for Soprano and Chamber Orchestra”
George Walker, who died in 2018 at the age of 96, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer – the first Black composer to have nabbed that...
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Malcolm Kogut has been tickling the ivories (and their distant cousin the plastics) since he was 14. He writes both popular and sacred music and won the National Association of Pastoral Musicians DMMD Musician of the Year award in 1999. He has two CDs of original works to his credit along with many published piano and choral books. Malcolm played in the pit for many Broadway touring shows and Albany, NY-area theater groups. When away from the keyboard, he loves exploring the nooks and crannies of the Adirondack Mountains, battling gravity on the ski slopes, and going with the flow of roller coaster-enhanced G-forces.
Photo by Doug Fortman
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Some Little Bug Is Going to Find You Someday
From 1915: The song hit introduced in Franz Lehar's operetta "Alone at Last." They say that food can kill you. Here's how. Performed in...
More fun with out of tune pianos
https://youtu.be/XL72jG-VFFM Malcolm Kogut attempting Fats.
Bad Piano Challenge
I love out of tune pianos and they are plenteous resting in church basements.
In piano playing, what does “to caress the keys” mean?
There is an old technique called carrezando which literally means to caress the keys. Carrezando playing can injure a musician, it is...
Q: Why is it difficult to play between the black piano keys?
Piano keys are a fulcrum and as we all know from being children, fulcrums are lightest on the edge. Sit on a see saw and notice if you...
Q: For guitarists, what type of practicing helps you get your playing skills back the fastest?
I am a pianist but I’m sure that my answer correlates. Technique is in your brain, not in your muscles. You brain hard wires movement...
Q: What is “trigger finger” in the thumb, and what is the best way to treat it if you are a musicia
A: You didn't mention your instrument. Trigger Finger or, stenosing tenosynovitis, is a condition where your finger gets stuck in a...
Playing With Fire #9: Part One - Bad Teachers
I am often told that I am harsh, unfair and judgmental toward piano teachers. It is true. While many teachers may have much to teach...
Playing With Fire #8
Look down at your fingers. If you haven't noticed they are all different in length. Many pianists and typists are taught to equalize...
Playing With Fire #7
In Playing With Fire #5 I mentioned that stretching is not all it is cracked up to be. Let me recap this. Many people are taught to warm...
Playing With Fire #6
The point of sound can be felt on an acoustic piano. Electronic pianos and organs have them but they are pretty much indiscernible....
The Nativity Story in Candy
This is a wonderful children's homily but can be expensive, especially if you purchase jumbo sizes for visibility purposes. As you...
Playing With Fire #5
In Playing With Fire #4 I mentioned dropping the hand or finger into the key. This is called playing with gravity or arm weight. Some...
Playing With Fire #4
Another problem with fabled "repetitive strain injuries" is not only what we are doing wrong but, what we are not doing right. Not only...
Playing With Fire #3
Median Nerve Entrapment, or carpal tunnel syndrome, is often the result of an inflamed long flexor tendon. When we move improperly or...
Playing With Fire #2
Many pianists and typists move incorrectly and improper movement creates tension and fatigue. If you've ever gotten cramps or had to...
Playing With Fire #1
Playing With Fire #1 There is a myth that repetitive movement creates repetitive strain injuries. That is false. Improper movement...
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