Music Corner

Ta Ka Di Mi Duo Concert

2010-07-10T06:59:00.006+07:00

Ta Ka Di Mi Duo is percussion legend Glen Velez joining rhythm voice master Lori Cotler in thrilling compositions derived from music of the Mid-East, Central Asia and the Mediterranean. A multifarious array of frame drums, bird calls and exotic noisemakers blend with South Indian Konnakol drum language, soulful melodies and jazz inflected scat, to deliver an evening of pure rhythm and pulse.

The TA KA DI MI DUO will perform in The Silk Road Project performance series. Frame Drum and vocal compositions derived from music of the Mid-East, Central Asia and India; mystical overtone singing and lightning-fast South Indian drum language.

Musicians: Glen Velez, Lori Cotler
Jazz Style: World Music
Phone: 212-769-5100
Concert Dates: 07/11/10 - 07/25/10
Ticket Cost: $14-$24
Show Time(s): 1:30, 2:30 & 3:30 PM
Museum of Natural History Address: 79th St. and Central Park W. New York NY 10135 U.S.

Son De Madre - Jazz Concert

2010-07-10T06:40:00.003+07:00

Son de Madre is the international (Latin) Jazz band that based in New York with members from Cuba, Argentina, Israel and United State. Son de Madre and its member are on top of Latin music scene and have performed with artists such as Celia Cruz, Paquito D'Rivera, Victor Manuelle, and La India, and on the most prestigious stages in New York's jazz scene. So then, it's the great opportunity for you to listening the great Son de Madre performance. Don't Miss it!

Concert Date: 15 July 2010
Ticket Cost: FREE
Show Time: 07:00 pm to 09:00
O' Day Park Address: 85 West Newton St. Boston MA 02118 U.S.

Ananda Sukarlan's Piano Recital in Jakarta

2010-04-11T02:29:00.002+07:00

The world renowned composer & pianist Ananda Sukarlan will be back in Indonesia to perform in Jakarta and Surabaya both his own music and the music of Amir Pasaribu, Indonesian composer who died at the age of 94 earlier this year.

This concert in Jakarta will include the world premiere of his own virtuosic piano piece Rapsodia Nusantara no. 4, which will be the obligatory work during the Ananda Sukarlan Award National Piano Competition to be held in July 20-25 this year.

There will be also 2 guest stars in this concert : Victoria Audrey Sarasvathi (now 13 years) who were the youngest finalist at the Ananda Sukarlan Award 2008 and Dani Wisnu Dumadi, the Indonesian tenor who just got back from Washington D.C. who will sing several songs of Ananda Sukarlan.

The concert takes place on Sunday, April 25th 2010 at 7 p.m at the World Theatre, British International School (Bintaro sektor IX, Jakarta) Please contact Chendra Panatan at ycep@yahoo.com or 0818 891038 for further info .

The concert in Surabaya takes place on May 2nd at Cak Durasim. We will inform more to you in our next newsletter, but those who would like to know more can contact Tabitha at 081.7513.7070

VPS hosting to Make Your Own Web Site

2010-03-19T22:56:00.002+07:00

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Your virtual private server brings to you the technology environment several isolate servers to one physic server. VPS server allows you to share the hardware cost and network connection without sacrifice your privation. VPS Hosting give the flexibility to add and change the module and installing the software with the features and functionality from this Dedicated Server for free and without the maintenance.

Convenience for Your Stay

2010-03-01T23:39:00.000+07:00

There are a lot of site offering cars for hire while staying in a certain country, but are you sure enough that they are offering you a great car at a very reasonable price? Now you can find cars which are for rent at Cheap car hire Ireland . This is the site that will surely help you find the right car for you to give you all the convenience you need while staying in their country. They are offering car hire kerry Airport, Cheap Car Hire Sligo Airport, and a lot more. These will all depends on which part of Ireland’s country you are going to stay with, but no matter what part of Ireland’s country you will be you can always be sure that this site will help you find a car to be rented, just for you. this only shows that they are valuing every visitor that their country will have, they wants to give you all the convenience for you to enjoy your stay with them.

Are You Looking For Web Hosting Company

2010-02-15T18:09:00.000+07:00

What are you looking for in a web hosting company? Not Sure? Here's a site that you can browse through to look for some features that you might want to have in a web hosting company. The site gives you the list of the companies and with the features and the prices that you can compare each company. website hosting has the information that you might want in a web hosting company. You can even check the best companies from drupal hosting and vbulletin hosting .

A Pre Concert by ISO

2010-01-12T22:01:00.001+07:00

a Pre Concert by ITB Student Orchestra
Conductor     : M. Ghifary

on 23th of January 2010, 19.00-22.00 WIB

Invitation Prizes,
Regular     : IDR 50.000
VIP     : IDR 100.000
VVIP     : IDR 150.000

Buy invitation at :
Area Parkir ATM Centre ITB ( boulevard )
Jl.Ganeca No.10 Bandung

or click this link bellow to buy online :
http://cinemaoflifesymphony.wordpress.com/informasi-pemesanan-undangan/

for further informaton:
Juda Djatmiko (0857 200 51432)

or click this link :
http://cinemaoflifesymphony.wordpress.com

CD -- Jesus Rueda : Piano Works

2009-12-11T14:33:00.003+07:00

CD "Jesus Rueda : Piano Works" (Ananda Sukarlan, piano, released by NAXOS) now available in Indonesia. Jesus Rueda's piano works, recorded by Ananda Sukarlan and recently released by NAXOS has been a huge success.

Ananda perceptively states in the liner notes that Rueda has "successfully produced a mesmeric blending of `classical' and contemporary elements: his compositions might ask the instrument to whisper in utmost secrecy or, in Walt Whitman's words, to sound its `barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world." It has received flattering reviews, and in United States there are statements such as :

"The Spanish composer Jesus Rueda (b.1961) has found an impressive interpreter in the Indonesian pianist (and composer in his own right) Ananda Sukarlan. Rueda's piano music seems to be about poetry and power in equal measure, and Sukarlan provides both subtlety and muscle in his playing. It's the second Sonata 'Ketjak,' I think, which is the stand-out here. The piece was dedicated to Sukarlan in 2005, and Rueda provides a eastern flavour in Sukarlan's honour (based on Balinese Kecak dance rhythms, according to Sukarlan's excellent liner notes). Both sonatas call for significant piano technique, as does the 1999 'Mephisto', a tour-de-force which Sukarlan calls "terrifying for pianists", though he gets through the piece with aplomb. " (Dean Frey)
" Sukarlan, a composer in his own right, proves to be an ideal interpreter of this music... He brings a virtuosic touch to Rueda's more angular and daunting pieces, and mines the emotional possibilities of the more transparent, accessible ones. " (Dean R. Brierly)

The CD is now available in Indonesia through Chendra Panatan, at 0818 891038 or ycep@yahoo.com. :P

Jakarta New Year Concert 2010

2009-11-15T15:18:00.002+07:00

Jakarta New Year Concert 2010 presents
Ananda Sukarlan's "LIBERTAS" (2009)

Cantata no. 2 based on poems on freedom and human rights by Ilham Malayu, Chairil Anwar, Hasan Aspahani, Archibald MacLeish, Luis Cernuda, Walt Whitman, Sapardi Djoko Damono & WS Rendra

commissioned by Bimasena
performed by the joined forces of
ITB Choir cond. by Indra Listiyanto &
PARAGITA Choir of Universitas Indonesia cond. by Aning Katamsi
Joseph Kristanto, baritone solo
Harianto, english horn
Jakarta String Ensemble, Prima Muchlisin - concertmaster
Ananda Sukarlan, piano / keyboard

First half of the concert will feature Ananda Sukarlan himself performing
Rapsodia Nusantara no. 1 and World Premiere of Rapsodia Nusantara no. 5

as well as

"Bibirku Bersujud di Bibirmu"
a dance-work, based on a poem by Hasan Aspahani
Inez Raharjo, violin
Elizabeth Ashford, flute
Aning Katamsi, soprano
Ananda Sukarlan, piano
choreography by Chendra E. Panatan

Sunday, January 3, 2010
two performances : at 3 p.m and 8 p.m
Tickets : VIP - Rp. 250.000, 1st class - Rp. 100.000 , Balcony - Rp. 50.000

booked through Chendra at ycep@yahoo.com or (+62)818 89 10 38

“Seriosa Night – East meets West”

2009-10-26T15:10:00.001+07:00

A concert of songs written by Indonesian, American,
Italian and English composers
incl. works for soprano, tenor & piano by Ananda Sukarlan

performed by:
Jennifer Weingartner, Soprano
Dani Dumadi, Tenor
Barbara Schelstrate, accompanist

with Guest of honor:
H.E. Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat
Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to United States

Thursday, October 29, 2009
Light buffet dinner - 6.30pm
Performance – 7.00pm

Embassy of Indonesia
2020 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, D.C, 20036

Free of Admission, RSVP required, limited to 90 seats only
(Please RSVP by email on or before 26th of October 2009 at 5.00pm)

RSVP to events@embassyofindonesia.org

"Pocket Opera" is going to vsit to Jogja

2009-08-13T12:59:00.002+07:00

Opera "IBU--yang anaknya diculik itu" will visit Jogja , Monday, August 17th, 4 p.m .

After the great success of its world premiere produced by its commissioner, Jakarta Opera last June, this opera is now highly demanded by other cities in Indonesia. It is already called " ... a work of genius" by the magazine "NOW! Jakarta" and also received high acclaim from other media and the public who gave a standing applause at the first performance. Jogja will be the first city that could witness the greatness of this masterpiece by Ananda Sukarlan.

This "pocket opera" is written for one soprano only, based on the monologue by Seno Gumira Ajidarma. The monologue was originally performed by actress Niniek L. Karim last year. For Ananda Sukarlan's opera, this tour-de-force role will be sung by Aning Katamsi, one of the best Indonesian soprano. She will sing AND act for 40 minutes, a spectacular, poignant, touching and mesmerizing show you surely don't wanna miss !

The first part of this unique concert will feature some of the most beautiful music of Ananda Sukarlan with the composer himself playing piano pieces never performed before in Jogja, such as Rapsodia Nusantara no.3 and several pieces from his book "Alicia's first piano book".

Place : Concert Hall ISI Yogyakarta
Date & time : 17 Agustus 2009, 16.00 hrs
Ticket price : VVIP Rp. 100.000,- VIP Rp. 60.000,0 Student Rp. 40.000,-

More info : Chendra Panatan, ycep@yahoo.com or 0818 891038

World Premiere of "LIBERTAS"

2009-08-01T19:25:00.004+07:00

Cantata no. 2 "LIBERTAS" is a new masterpiece by the renowned composer Ananda Sukarlan. "LIBERTAS" is commissioned by Bimasena, and patron of this concert is Dr. Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia and Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Bimasena.

The first part of the concert will feature in the first part the maestro Ananda Sukarlan himself playing the piano compositions such as Prelude, op.3 no.2 by Sergei Rachmaninov, Andante from Sonata Pathetique, op. 13 by Ludwig van Beethoven, and Rapsodia Nusantara no .3 by Ananda Sukarlan himself .

The second part will feature Ananda Sukarlan's Cantata no. 2 "LIBERTAS", based on poems on universal freedom and human rights, and its numbers are the following :

Bentangkan sayapmu, Indonesia!, Poem by Ilham Malayu;
Palestina, Poem by Hasan Aspahani;
The young dead soldiers do not speak, Poem by Archibald MacLeish;
I understand the great hearts of heroes, Poem by Walt Whitman;
A un poeta muerto, Poem by Luis Cernuda;
Requiescat, to those who died fighting for freedom (for english horn and strings);
Ia telah pergi, Poem by WS Rendra;
Kita Ciptakan Kemerdekaan, Poem by Sapardi Djoko Damono;
Krawang – Bekasi, Poem by Chairil Anwar

He will colaborate with Joseph Kristianto (Baritone Soloist), Institut Teknologi Bandung Choir cond. by Indra Listiyanto, and Adelaide Simbolon-Organ, Harianto-English Horn, Neo String Quartet.

This concert will be held on: Thursday, 13 August 2009, 19.00 – 22.00 hrs, with Preceded by a light buffet at The Grand Ballroom of The Dharmawangsa, Jalan Brawijaya Raya 26, Jakarta Selatan.

This concert is also aimed to support the YAYASAN MUSIK SASTRA INDONESIA (Indonesian Classical Music Foundation), a foundation with aims to help young people from low income families, to have access to classical music and learn to play musical instrument.

As aditional info, admission fee for this concert as like below:

Member of BIMASENA Rp. 1.000.000,-
(as donation) Public Rp. 1.500.000,-
(Including a light buffet dinner)

For more information call the contact below:
BIMASENA, The Mines and Energy Society
Attn. Ms. Hastin / Ms. Eva
Tel: (6221) 725 8668 Fax: (6221) 723 6193
E-mail: bimasena@cbn. net.id

Pic is taken from here, and the info above is from my inbox.

The 12th ITB Angklung Chorus Festival in Brief

2009-07-30T23:57:00.009+07:00

Festival Paduan Angklung XII ITB (The 12th ITB Angklung Chorus Festival or FPA XII ITB) is a routine working program of Keluarga Paduan Angklung Institut Teknologi Bandung (Family of ITB Angklung Chorus or KPA ITB) in the form of a week of angklung music creativity conducted for the public both domestic and overseas in order to maintain a mutual social realationship, to raise various issues about the world of angklung, and to become a competition place of angklung music.

FPA XII ITB will be conducted for 6 days, starting from 16 – 21 November 2009, taking place in the area of ITB campus, and it will be made lively by various teams of both domestic and overseas angklung figures. It will be a real action of preserving the existence of angklung music nationally and internationally.

There are many program will be held. So, prepare for attending and participating this event! For more information visit their official site at http://www.fpa-itb.com/

Pic and some of information are taken here.

CONCERT DENISE JANNAH AND BAND

2009-07-25T23:36:00.007+07:00

Denise Jannah was born in Suriname, South America. With her family she moved to Holland in the mid seventies. She is a person of many interests. She is a vocalist actress, educator, theatre vocal coach, composer and lyricist, who has made her mark in the world of jazz but who does not at all shy away from other styles like Latin, Fusion or World music. She claims her artistic freedom and loves to blend styles, of course also including her rich Surinamese cultural background.

She is multilingual, from which she also benefits in her music. Jannah has been teaching Jazz at the World Music department of the Conservatory in Rotterdam, Holland for several years. Early 2002 Jannah started to set poetry to music, and has been singing poetry in literary festivals in Holland, Suriname, South Africa, Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles, and Indonesia.

And this month, Erasmus Huis is proud to present again the famous Denise Jannah after her successful tour in Indonesia 2003 and 2005. The Concert will be held at AMFITEATER ERASMUS HUIS, Jl.H.R.Rasuna Said kav. S-3 on Sunday, 26 July 2009. Her performance will be started at 4 p.m. - 5.30 p.m.. So be there on time, and let's enjoy her perform!

Picture and some of informations are taken from here.

"Storioni Trio" In Brief

2009-04-08T19:39:00.003+07:00

As the picture beside [sorry the pic is not good enough], i saw the concert several months ago at Erasmus Huis. Let's me write here about the "Trio Storioni" for you. For people who like very much about the classic music. Here the resume that i made from the brocure i read. [Sorry if not enough complete. LOL!]

The Storioni Trio was founded in 1995 by Bart van de Roer [piano], Wouter Vossen [violin] and Marc Vossen [cello]. The trio derives its name from the Laurentius Storioni violin from Cremona, which dates from 1794 and is played by Wouter Vossen. Marc Vossen plays a Giovanni Grancino cello from Milan, dating from 1700. In order to develop its ensamble-playing, the trio has worked over the years with great musicians such as Isaac Stern, Mstislav Rostropovich, Menahem Pressler, and Ralph Kirshbaum, as well as members of the Emerson Quartet and the Vermeer Quartet.

The Storioni Trio regularly performs at all major venues in the Netherland, such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Doelen concert hall in Rotterdam, and the Muziekcentrum Vredenburg in Utrecht. The trio is Artistic director of the "Storioni Festifal" at the Muziekcentrum Frits Philips in Eindhoven of which the 2nd edition taken place in January 2009. Guest musicians from all over the world joined the trio festival during which unique chamber music programmes with top international musicians as well as upcoming talented musicians of the highest calibre are presented.

May be its enough i write down here about the Storioni Trio. If you want to know more about Storioni Trio, visit the official site here: www [dot] storionitrio [dot] com.

For additional pic, here i posting the pic when Storioni Trio Performed at Erasmus Huis at 4th February 2009. [sorry for my lately]

Top 7 Do's And Don'ts For Successfull Improvisation (2)

2009-04-05T15:46:00.001+07:00

Top Seven Don'ts for Successful Improvisation

Don't try and make something happen. Trying blocks the creative flow and will result in blocks;
Don't expect to create something good. Expectations will always come with judgements and, consequently, you'll end up feeling let down;
Don't worry about what is "coming out." Improvisation is about play and freedom to explore. Abandon unrealistic expectations and experience the joy of improvisation;
Don't try and please others. The first person you must please is yourself. This may seem obvious but don't underestimate the strong need to please - ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE ARTS!;
Don't try and accumulate a "lot of knowledge." All it takes to improvise is a few chords and the proper attitude;
Don't think. Improvisation is about FEELING. It's about being in the moment and experiencing the moment through the music. Thinking will take you away from your intuition, which will guide you if you listen to it. Intuition will lead you places thinking never could!;
Don't quit. Practice is what makes intuition stronger. The more you practice or play, the stronger your intuition will grow and the more you will trust it. Your unique voice will emerge and will grow stronger each time you sit down to play.

Author By: Edward Weiss

Top 7 Do's And Don'ts For Successfull Improvisation (1)

2009-04-03T15:40:00.002+07:00

Top Seven Dos for Successful Improvisation

Do listen to what's going on inside yourself before and while you sit down to play - your inner state will determine the emotional quality of your playing;
Do let go of the need to be perfect. Trying to "be correct" will defeat the playful attitude necessary for improvisation;
Do believe that you are good enough to begin. No one person knows it all so you might as well jump in and experience the joy of improvisation;
Do realize that you don't need a lot of theory or technique before you're ready to play piano in the new age style. If you don't begin now, when will you?;
Do understand that improvisation is not some mysterious skill, but a game that can be learned and played just like any other game;
Do enjoy the process and let go of the outcome. Trying to control what comes out of you is a sure way to stop the creative flow;
Do stop playing when you become bored or indifferent. There is a natural starting and stopping point to playing. Just like anything, when you feel yourself growing disinterested, stop playing.

Author By: Edward Weiss

Perfectionism - Killer of Creatifity

2009-03-31T15:34:00.001+07:00

Are you a perfectionist? Does every note have to sound right before it comes out of your piano? If so, you might be cheating yourself out of the joy of music making. Most of us learned how to be perfectionists as children, trying to please Mommy or Daddy. We wanted their approval so we tried to get it right.

In the process, we learned that getting it right meant giving up happiness. It wasn't enough that we could express ourselves musically. We had to do a good job of it as well. As good as we could make it. Getting all the notes right. Trying to please music teachers who could care less if we were enjoying ourselves. All for what? To get a grade or a "that's good?" It's a shame but this happens all the time in music schools. It's not until we become adults that we realize the damage that has been done. By then, it's usually too late and most never pick up an instrument again. What a pity that is. What a shame that we all must create to someone's standard of what good is. And worst of all, when you finally achieve that high standard, you are told that it is never good enough anyway.

The way out of this perfectionist's rut is to let go of the need to please others and refocus on pleasing ourselves. Now there is room to make mistakes and explore what art really is - namely EXPLORATION OF THE UNKNOWN! Here is where the real adventure begins my friends. Here is where excitement truly is! Not knowing what is going to happen next. Not judging what comes out of us but being beholders of it all.

Improvisation is the key that unlocks this door. It is the one art form that is invention from one moment to the next. Experience the joy of improvisation and all need to get things right disappears. Just for a moment you feel like the music is playing you. Isn't that enough?

Author By: Edward Weiss

Form - Giving Shape To Your Music

2009-03-27T15:34:00.001+07:00

Do you ramble on endlessly with your improvisations? If so, good. This has its place in music making and in new age piano playing in particularly. Just listen to Michael Jones's music to hear an example of this kind of free-form improvisation.

Now, some of you want to create something that will give the listener a slightly more cohesive experience. How is this accomplished? By forming the music into a shape - an ABA shape for our purposes here. To give form to music does not require as much theory and technique as most people think. In fact, it is as simple as applying the principles of repetition and contrast.

Now in most new age piano music there is some kind of form that the composer uses whether it's extended "A" form ala Michael Jones, or extended "A" extended "B" and back to "A" again as in some of George Winston's music. Think in sections people. A section of music can last for as long as the person who created it is involved with it- that is, as long as the inspiration is fresh.

As soon as the music sounds dull it's time for a change - the next section of music. This is the point where a composer will add something-new (contrast) or, if she is smart, end the piece. If the music does not have that freshness, that touch of inspired in the moment fantasy, you'll be able to detect and hear it. Some composers are so in touch with their feeling that they can take you on a 20 or 30 minute journey using very little means - but by using the elements of repetition and contrast maintain listener interest.

First, get your "A" section. The first few bars (8 usually) is more than enough to propel you forward. You must adopt a listening attitude to hear what is coming next. You don't force nor will it into being. This will not give you what you want, which is, I'm assuming, inspired content. Listen, listen, listen and the music will come. If it doesn't just do what Beethoven did.

He worked on 3 or 4 pieces at a time. When the inspiration dried up on a particular piece he was working on, he just moved on to another and picked up on the others later on. You can do the same. Be bold and go forward. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. Be afraid of not trying.

Author By: Edward Weiss

How To Begin And End A Piece of Music

2009-03-23T15:25:00.002+07:00

How do you begin a piece of music? That's a question I'm often asked. The answer I usually give is that you begin as soon as you start playing - that is, if you're trying to "compose" something, the piece begins the moment it has energy and is something you want to capture. If it's an improvisation, the piece begins the moment you set your fingers on the keys and hit the first note. It's like free flow writing and writing a chapter to a novel.

The writer can both improvise and enjoy the process or can structure the ideas more - or, as I like to do, combine both procedures into one. I start out by improvising - always. Then, if I want to memorialize a musical idea, I write down the first two bars of melody along with the chord(s) I'm playing. I throw this on a chart and voila - the idea remains fresh until I want to either expand on it, or ignore it completely.

If the idea is a rhythm pattern I write down (Left hand = whatever the pattern is) so I can remember it later. I never stop improvising though because that would stop the flow and who knows what could come out of it. Don't forget that an improvisation is a piece of music in and of itself. There is really no need to impose structure on something as beautiful and organic as spontaneous expression. In fact, these spur of the moment fantasies are often more inspiring than any contrived composition. There is something more alive to them because there IS more life to them.

Endings pose another problem, namely the problem of when to stop playing. For improvisation, the answer is when energy (inspiration) starts to wane down. That's a good time to bring your music to an end. You'll know when this is happening when you become bored. That's the sign it's time to stop.

Composition is a different story. The form of the piece already dictates when you should stop. For example, an ABA form tells you to play the A section once or twice, go to B, back to A then bring the piece to an end. Of course the amount of repetition and contrast is a personal decision but the form establishes both beginning and ending. It's a nice safe way to say that yes, I have a piece of music here. Now, improvisations can have form as well. The big difference is that you don't consciously think about putting the music into a predefined shape.

But for some unknown reason, most improvisations do have symmetry - that is they take on a form of their own. I don't know if this is because of human beings innate rhythm (heartbeat) or what.

Even Zen flute music, which may be the most freely inspired improvisation style around has some structure. You can hear it in the phrases. Beginnings and endings. Don't worry too much about them. What's important is where you are emotionally while you play. Become aware of that and all your problems are solved.

Author By: Edward Weiss

New Age Improvisation - What Is It Good For?

2009-03-19T15:24:00.002+07:00

Let's face it. The world will not end if there isn't another new age piano CD on the market. So why bother? Why play when most people don't care or want to hear the kind of music you like? The answer lies in the nature of art itself, for the world really does not need art. It can survive without painting, sculpture or music. It can survive, but it would be a pretty dreary place.

But the main reason we play is not for the world but for ourselves. We must play for ourselves first and if people hear and like it fine. If not, that' s fine too. As long as we don't deprive ourselves of the enriching experience improvisation can bring.

When I first started playing I wanted to create something others could admire. Something that people could say, wow, listen to that. That guy is really good. But I was miserable and miles away from the true purpose of playing music. It wasn't until a year or so later that I realized that if I don't please myself first, no one would be pleased. Nor did it matter if others were pleased or not.

So, what is new age piano improvisation good for? Absolutely nothing - except the joy it can bring to you and to me when we enter the flow and the music pours out of us. It is so precious to be able to do this. So fleeting it may be too. A second or a minute of forgetting yourself at the piano is a sacred act. One that grows and develops. It matures of itself. Much like meditation. If one practices the art, one grows in proportion to that practice.

But this kind of growth is spiral in nature. There are times that the music seems lifeless and dull. At these times we feel the same inside. But a day or two later, we are in a new place and the music flows like water. This is a mystery, this process. One can only go with it and not fight it. You are creating art second by second when you improvise. This kind of beauty is fleeting - but is the most precious. Guard it. Cherish it. And if you feel inclined share it with the rest of the world.

Author By: Edward Weiss

New Age Piano and The Art of Flower Arranging

2009-03-16T15:12:00.000+07:00

If you've ever looked at a flower arrangement, not only its beauty may have captivated you, but also its overall arrangement. There may have been some tulips or roses combined with other flowers or plants.

You may also have stood there looking it over. Maybe you started on one side and your eye moved down or vice-versa. Now, music making is a lot like flower arranging. You combine different elements to make a pleasing whole.

It is a natural tendency of the human mind to create order out of chaos and art from nothing. What is pleasing to the listening ear is symmetry. The flower arrangement captivates, not only because of its great beauty, but because it has been composed and arranged to a pleasing whole - something the eye and the mind can grasp hold of and ponder.

We walk away with a sense of completion because someone took the time to bring order into chaos. Someone arranged varying elements to create art. Now this is what musicians do whether they realize it or not. But instead of flowers, we use notes and chords. Instead of a vase, we use musical form to hold the notes and chords.

Music is a more difficult art because the elements are not as easily put together. Music is slippery and ephemeral but when we learn to use the tools of repetition and contrast, we begin to put some order into chaos. Chaos is good and has its place in improvisation, however, for those who wish to compose their own music, it's a good idea to learn the tools of the trade.

The flower arranger must know how to create a balance between color and form - the overall look and feel of the arrangement. The composer must also create balance but uses musical materials - chords, notes, phrases, etc.

Then he puts it together into a framework. A flower arrangement can be big or small depending on the size of the vase. Similarly, a new age piano work can be long or short depending on the amount of contrast and repetition used.

Author By: Edward Weiss

How To Find Musical Ideas

2009-03-11T15:12:00.000+07:00

The Russian Composer Igor Stravinsky once said: " A good composer does not imitate; he steals." I think what he meant by this is that it's OK to use a technique developed by another and make it your own. To imitate is to steal a technique or style and, somehow, not incorporate your own voice and energy into it.

We all get our ideas from somewhere, whether by accidentally listening to a piece of music and subconsciously storing it away, or by a conscious act where we say to ourselves: "This sounds great and I want to use it in my own music."

Some people have the idea that everything created must be original and by that they mean that there must be no outside influences - but this is unrealistic. Haydn taught Beethoven. Italian composers influenced Bach and so on. All past and present composers on this planet have their influences whether they admit them or not.

Now, most of you know that I have two major influences: George Winston and John Herberman. You may or may not know of these people. The point is I admit that they shaped my own style. How? Because I liked listening to them. It's that simple.

When I sit down to play, I inevitably gravitate towards one style or the other. I'm fine with that. It doesn't mean that I'm unoriginal. It just means that I acknowledge reality and don't try to come up with "something original." What sounds new is 99.9 times out of 100, a modification of what came before.

The whole point I'm trying to make is this: Don't try to be original. Instead, focus on what you like and love and your own voice will come through in the end. The music may be modified to an extreme (innovation) or just a little (homage). Just don't imitate.

Author By: Edward Weiss

Chords or Melody First - Which is Best?

2009-03-01T15:08:00.000+07:00

There are basically two ways you can compose a piece of music. The first and most traditional way is to write out the melody and then harmonize it. Some call this working from the top (as opposed to the chords on the bottom.) The second approach is where you create some kind of rhythmic harmonic pattern and improvise (or compose) the melody on top. Now, which one is best for New Age music?

The answer is neither approach. Each has its own merits and own special benefits. For example, if you start with a pattern in your left hand and improvise a melody with your right, you are doing what most new age composers/improvisers do. This is what George Winston does most of the time. He has chords he sets to a certain rhythm and does his thing with that amazing right hand of his.

This is the style that I have been playing, but I've recently lost interest in it. Not because it isn't good but because I don't feel like playing that way anymore. Currently I'm leaning towards a softer sound that comes from leading with the melody first. What I do is get the first 2-bars down and then improvise the rest till I fill up 8 measures. This way I can vary the chords and patterns without it sounding very repetitive (minimalism). It's actually another style. You can call it melodic while the other one (Harmony approach) is more textural. IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR MOOD!

Don't let one style freeze you into something where you can't maneuver artistically! Remember that your feeling must come first. Everything else is secondary. Let your feeling lead you and your creation will be truly inspired, however, if you try to mold what you have to say into a specific style, the result may be less than satisfactory.

Author By: Edward Weiss

Compising For New Age Piano

2009-02-26T15:01:00.000+07:00

The first time I heard George Winston play back in the early 1980's I was blown away. I didn't know why I liked this music. All I knew was that it made me feel good and that was enough. I didn't even play piano back then but something about this music seeped into me almost haunting me. The way he let the notes ring out and wasn't concerned with pop flavorings. A new sound for the time.

When I began to play piano, I wanted to know how he did it. How did he create this music? I read somewhere that his method was to create the chords first, then improvise a melody over them. Great, but what chords and how do you know where and when to play them?

I then realized that George wasn't really doing anything radically different than most classical composers who think in sections. Composing is all about using the techniques of repetition and contrast. Now in most of Winston's music, there is a lot of repetition going on with the contrast coming from the melody. The chords are repeated in certain patterns, the melody played on top, but there still is a framework operating here.

For example, if we take 8 measures of music and call it a (A) section, we have composed. We have taken chords, put them into some kind of order (no matter how tightly or loosely) and have composed. It takes a certain skill to keep the music fresh after a certain number of repetitions. This skill has to be practiced. It can not be taught. This is a doing operation. You can listen to music, but to learn improvisation and composition, you must do it.

Now the secret is this: You may repeat a section as many times as your interest remains with the music. As soon as you become bored in your improvising, so will the listener. For most, having one section isn't enough therefore we bring in the (B) section. This could be anything from 4 to 8 bars of new material. This new material is also repeated and eventually we return to the (A) section. When you start to think in sections, you can unlock the mystery of most music.

Author By: Edward Weiss