Category Archives: General

Oliver Sacks and Music

Posted by MaryO on

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Writer and neurologist Oliver Sacks, who died on Sunday, August 30, 2015 at age 82, spent his life wondering on the myriad connections among biology, thought, emotion and perception.

For those of us who obsess over the how and why of music, Sacks’ work on sound and its effects on the brain – and vice versa – was particularly illuminating. His book on the subject, “Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain,” remains essential reading for those who want to understand the mechanics of music.

Through bountiful research and mesmerizing case studies, Sacks addressed topics including music and amnesia, music therapy, musical prodigies and those who suffer from debilitating aural hallucinations.

Read more at Oliver Sacks & music: On brainworms, hallucinations and sonic overload – LA Times

The O’Connor Music Studio has a copy of Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain if anyone would like to borrow it.

Horror Themes Re-Recorded In a Major Key Will Make You Feel All Warm And Fuzzy

Posted by MaryO on

Classic horror themes are ominous and generally dread-inspiring for a reason: They are written in minor keys. Find a nifty melody, go minor, and watch the goosebumps pile up. For composers, sometimes it’s almost too easy.

To prove that it’s the minor key and not the melody that is eerily accenting the work of cinema’s most murderous villains, musician/writer/filmmaker Ian Gordon re-recorded five iconic themes in major keys. What comes next will definitely not frighten you.

A quick rundown:

The X-Files theme sounds like the beginning of an inspirational journey across side-scrolling Nintendo worlds. (One where you’re searching for a magic flute.)

Halloween sounds like the side A, track one of an indie-pop outfit’s meadow-frolicking breakout record.

Saw recalls the music that scores when the football game is getting out of hand and only the underdog protagonist can bring you back.

The Exorcist sounds like a Styx breakdown.

Nightmare on Elm Street sounds like you’re at Sea World, and Shamu is doing a night show. (The ones with lasers.)

via Horror themes re-recorded in a major key will make you feel all warm and fuzzy.

What I’m Working on Now

Posted by MaryO on

People, especially students, are often surprised that I still take piano lessons.  There seems to be a consensus that adults, especially piano teachers, know everything already.  Well, no.  There is always more to learn.

Each pianist and teacher has different ideas and techniques to share.  Anyone who has seen my music library knows that I couldn’t possibly have played, let alone mastered, each piece of music I own.  One year, I had claimed so much music on my income taxes, that an IRS agent was dispatched to my studio to disclaim my claims in an audit.  I won!

 

I am reviving an older piece that I played sometime in the past.  I know that because of all the color coding!

Here,  Murray Perahia plays Mendelssohn’s Trois Fantaisies ou Caprices, Op. 16. Nr. 1: Andante con moto.

This piece can be downloaded from http://imslp.org/wiki/3_Fantaisies,_Op.16_%28Mendelssohn,_Felix%29

 

My son and I are working on Capriol by Peter Warlock, to be played June 7, 2015 at Steinway Hall.

I don’t know who is performing in this video but I hope to have a video of our performance to post later:

 

I’m also sightreading a variety of ragtime pieces and will choose one to work on in the next few days.  In the running are Zez Confrey and William Bolcom.  We’ll see!

 

maryOpianoplayer

Handmade instrument donated to Black Hills State

Posted by MaryO on

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A Steinway Model-B is the new addition to Black Hills State’s Meier Recital Hall.

The nearly $100,000 piano was fully funded by donations, including Rachel Headley, the Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics liaison to Academic Affairs at BHSU.

The university donors purchased the 7-foot handmade instrument from Black Hills Piano Gallery in Rapid City.

Gallery owner Tony Thomas believes the Meier Recital Hall is the perfect home for a Steinway.

“That hall cries for the best possible sound,” he said. “The Meier Hall is just a wonderful hall and they have a great faculty to provide good instruction to the students there.”

Thomas, a musician himself, understands the decision of purchasing a top-of-the-line instrument.

“Anytime you have a good hall that provides that kind of acoustics, Steinway is the choice of 98 percent of concert artists on stage. That’s the sound that they want to hear. You can head all of the textures of tunes, it’s beautiful.”

Black hills state received the handcrafted piano Monday afternoon, with an unveiling ceremony planned for that evening.

via Handmade instrument donated to Black Hills State | KOTATV.com Rapid City, Black Hills, So Dak. Gillette Sheridan KOTA Territory News.

Happy Pi Day!

Posted by MaryO on

pi-day

Pi Symphony: The Ruse Performance Movement I.

Pi Symphony orchestral performance in Ruse, Bulgaria, Nov. 19th, 2010

The melodies and rhythms are based on the numbers of π (3.14159…etc), which describes the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.

To read more about how this came to be written, see http://www.pisymphony.com/gpage.html

There is also another work based on π called What pi sounds like

Today is pi day, and to celebrate, we bring you a musical representation of π, to 31 decimal places, at 157 beats per minute (which, incidentally, is 314 divided by two).

For more information about this work, please see A musical interpretation of pi

Finally, 18 Wheels on a Big Rig, includes a  verse in which they divide the wheels by π.

 

Enjoy your Pi Day! pi-day-pie

 

A Guide to Music Performance Royalties, Part 1

Posted by MaryO on

Good to know when performing!

Chris Castle's avatarMusic Technology Policy

Let’s start at the beginning.  Broadly speaking, each recording of a song contains two copyrights: the copyright in the “musical work” or what is commonly called the “song” and the copyright in the recording of the song, commonly called the “track” or the “master”.

90% of all mistakes made by anyone in discussions of the online music business (and really the music business in general) starts right there. If you made this mistake, don’t feel self-conscious.  You are not alone, believe me.  Sometimes shockingly not alone.

Ownership and the Inception of Creation.  A song is not a recording and a recording is not a song. Each can be, and usually is, created by different people.  Songs are created by a “songwriter” (usually teams of songwriters coming together to write a single songs or many songs).  Recordings are created by “artists,” usually teams of artists known as a group or…

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The Sing for Hope Pianos by Sing for Hope — Kickstarter

Posted by MaryO on

sing-hope

I just became a backer of this project on Kickstarter.  How about you?

The Sing for Hope Pianos is a beloved public art installation that brings brightly colored pianos to the parks and public spaces of NYC’s five boroughs for anyone and everyone to play. For two weeks in the summer, the pianos — each a unique art piece created by a different artist or designer — serve as gathering places in their communities, hosting impromptu concerts by professionals and amateurs alike in an open festival of music for all of New York City.

After the two-week public exhibition, Sing for Hope — a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the arts to the people who need them most — donates the instruments to the NYC organizations we serve year round, allowing the pianos to enrich lives for years to come. While their time on the streets is a joyful event for our city, the Sing for Hope Pianos’ true impact lies in their service as ongoing cornerstones of arts access for communities and individuals in need. As NYC’s largest public art project, the Sing for Hope Pianos impacts an estimated 2 million New Yorkers and visitors each year.

 

via The Sing for Hope Pianos by Sing for Hope — Kickstarter.

Steinway Hall, Temporary Location.

Posted by MaryO on

 

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Steinway Hall on November 30, 2014

 

Cassidy Turley and The Durst Organization announced that they secured a 15-year, 40,000 s/f lease for renowned piano manufacturer and retailer, Steinway & Son, at 1133 Avenue of the Americas.

…

Given Steinway’s time pressure to move out of its existing location by the end of 2014, the team secured a temporary location at 1155 Avenue of the Americas, also with The Durst Organization.

This short-term “pop-up store” will allow Steinway to remain open as the new headquarters is being constructed, allowing for continuous service to its customers.

Steinway, well-known for handcrafting the world’s finest pianos, will now have a gallery space that encompasses approximately 18,000 s/for both retail and showroom, and a small concert hall that caters to the world’s most prominent pianists.

The space will be designed by architect Annabelle Selldorf. There will also be a private space that can be used by concert pianists looking to sample Steinway’s collection of instruments.

Read the entire article at Real Estate Weekly » Blog Archive » Steinway signs 40,000 s/f deal with Durst at 1133 6th.