CD -- Jesus Rueda : Piano Works

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 :

1. "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)
2. " 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

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”

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

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"

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 :

1. Bentangkan sayapmu, Indonesia!, Poem by Ilham Malayu;
2. Palestina, Poem by Hasan Aspahani;
3. The young dead soldiers do not speak, Poem by Archibald MacLeish;
4. I understand the great hearts of heroes, Poem by Walt Whitman;
5. A un poeta muerto, Poem by Luis Cernuda;
6. Requiescat, to those who died fighting for freedom (for english horn and strings);
7. Ia telah pergi, Poem by WS Rendra;
8. Kita Ciptakan Kemerdekaan, Poem by Sapardi Djoko Damono;
9. 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

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

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

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)

Top Seven Don'ts for Successful Improvisation

1. Don't try and make something happen. Trying blocks the creative flow and will result in blocks;
2. Don't expect to create something good. Expectations will always come with judgements and, consequently, you'll end up feeling let down;
3. 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;
4. 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!;
5. Don't try and accumulate a "lot of knowledge." All it takes to improvise is a few chords and the proper attitude;
6. 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!;
7. 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)

Top Seven Dos for Successful Improvisation

1. 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;
2. Do let go of the need to be perfect. Trying to "be correct" will defeat the playful attitude necessary for improvisation;
3. 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;
4. 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?;
5. Do understand that improvisation is not some mysterious skill, but a game that can be learned and played just like any other game;
6. 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;
7. 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

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

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

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?

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

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

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?

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

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

Good News For The Hopelessly Untalented

Have you ever been told that you were good at something but not good enough to make it a career or life ambition? Especially with music, if you're passion is music you are hopelessly outnumbered right from the beginning. "You better have a back-up job" or "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" are common refrains heard from well meaning adults who inadvertently had their dreams crushed out of them.

The world has more then enough computer programmers and engineers and these professions are well paying ones. What are we musicians to do? Well, for one thing we can forget about needing "talent" to make it. What is talent anyway but a person's ability to connect with his or her audience. You might think that talent means technical proficiency. You couldn't be more wrong.

Here's the good news. Connect with yourself and your art and you automatically become talented. This means you don't have to wait years and years before you begin to share what comes out of you with others. In fact, most so called "really talented people" last in the limelight for a few years or so and then burn out to non-remembrance. If you consider yourself hopelessly untalented you are focusing on the wrong problem.

The question isn't do you know enough. The real question is, are you confident enough to believe in your own abilities. If you do, you will go far. If not, there's not much hope. Those who are able to let go and connect with the music inside of them are already truly talented.

Author By: Edward Weiss

How To Sound Like You Know What You Are Doing

Is your heart in the music? If so, it won't matter what you play so much as what is received through your playing. Do you still think you need to learn 43 chords to sound good or are you concerned with the joy of expressing yourself through this wonderful instrument called the piano? People who sound like they know what they are doing may indeed know what they are doing but does that mean you want to listen to the music?

Let's look at pop music for example. Here is a music that is produced so tightly and carefully that nothing is left to chance. Not a crackle or hiss, not one static spot on the entire 3 to 4 minutes of the track. Yet after a few listens or even after a single listen, the mind may grow disinterested.

It's like a sporting event - exciting and enthralling while you are there but once over let down and perhaps even a little depressed. Now most (but not all) pop music is like that. It gets you hooked up for a few minutes, gives you a feeling, usually of excitement, then its gone. New age music on the other hand is a more sincere and heartfelt expression, and as such, mistakes are allowed.

Id like to share something with you. When I recorded both "La Jolla Suite" and "Anza-Borrego Desert Suite" I made mistakes. "La Jolla Suite" was recorded live so I couldn't help that, but the Desert Suite was done in one take. I wasn't so concerned with the production value as the emotion I felt at the time I was playing. I could have gone back and redone the tracks I didn't like so much but then I could have gotten stuck in a perfectionist's rut.

No, I decided that a "wrong" note here and there wouldn't kill what was heard and might even make it sound more authentic. So if you hear a mistake it may sound like I don't know what I'm doing. Perhaps not. But that doesn't concern me. What concerns me is one thing and one thing only - am I present at the piano. Am I there in spirit as well as body? If so, I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

Author By: Edward Weiss

How To Handle Creative Frustration

Forcing never works. Period. If you try to make something happen, you are guaranteed to be frustrated. This is the root of all creative blocks. My answer - walk away and come back later. It is my belief that trying hard is counterproductive to the creative process. Believe it or not, music should come easily. If it doesn't something is wrong and do you know what that something is? It's your ego telling you that you have to make something happen.

Art only happens when you're not trying. When you're in flow. When everything comes together of its own accord. I haven't felt like playing piano for a while now - a few weeks. So what! When I sit down to play, it feels horrible so what do I do? I don't try to come up with something, I understand that there is a time for everything and those who tell you that you should sit down every day and practice and play till your fingers hurt are sadistic and really don't know too much about the creative process.

Michelle Cassou, author of Paint, Power and Passion says that there are no creative blocks. That the problem is that we are trying to control the creative force. And of course, this cannot be controlled. So my answer on how to handle creative frustration or blocks - walk away and come back later.

Author By: Edward Weiss

The Secret To Successful Practicing

I never practice. Why? Because I don't believe in it. I don't believe in it because it's boring and because it's self-defeating. Why spend hours playing scales when you could be improvising your heart out. The improvising itself will give you all the practice, all the skill you need to master technical difficulties. Your intuition will come up with unique fingering solutions that a teacher could never give you. This happens in the moment when you are not thinking but letting intuition lead you.

Here's a true story. A violin player complained to Beethoven that he couldn't play the notes he had written down for him. Beethoven replied "Bah. Do you think I care about the notes and your puny fiddle when the spirit moves me." I think he meant that the notes were secondary to the creative inspiration.

The secret to successful practicing is to play what you like when you like it. If you are motivated, it is because of your love for the music and what better motivating force is there than that. This will lead you to becoming technically proficient. And technical proficiency is secondary to emotional content anyway. If you feel like you must practice scales go ahead, but it won't make you a better piano player. It may make you a better technician, but it won't help you where creative expression is concerned.

Author By: Edward Weiss

Playing The Piano And Timing

When you play the piano or any instrument for that matter, you usually have to follow a set time, for example, you can play in 3/4 time or 4/4 time. This means 3 beats per measure or 4 beats per measure. I call this strict time. You hear it everywhere and is especially adhered to in the West.

When you first start making music don't worry so much about strict time. Instead, think about internal time, or the timing we all have naturally. For example, if you start improvising using two chords you, as the beginner, have to consider certain things such as when to change chords, what melody notes to play and so on. What I'd like you to learn is to trust your internal time first so when it comes time to learn and play in strict time you won't be bound by it.

Most of the music I play is played Rubato (robbed time). This means the music has an elastic feel to it. You can hear this in Sunrise on the Cove from La Jolla Suite. I'm not concerned too much with playing in time because it can become (and usually is) mechanical. The "new age" style of piano playing is usually a rubato style of playing. You can also hear this in the works of Chopin and most of the great composers. They too, weren't too concerned with strict time.

What all this means for you is learning to trust your intuition first. So again, the question arises, "How do I know what to play and when to play it?" The answer is that I will give you exercises to help you know what to play. As to how to play it you must stay in the present and let your fingers do the walking. Thinking is no good here. It won't help you. You must rely solely on feeling. While I can teach you technique, I can't help you when it comes to your own special approach to when to press a certain key. Nor would I be doing you any service by telling you which notes to play. How would you find your own voice?

Author By: Edward Weiss

Tips For Performing Your Music For Others

Have you ever dreamed of performing a piece you created for others. Imagining that they are captivated and held spellbound by the music? If you have, you know that it can be a long road from actually coming up with something, practicing it, and then giving it to an audience. In my own case, I had a good opportunity to perform. It was in a coffeehouse that already had a decent piano.

The problem was that I was playing for people who had come to listen mostly to guitarists on open mike night. Young guitarists that sang and played mostly Rock music or a derivative of it. I didn't care so much about that because I had the chance to go in front of people and share the gift of music.

In public speaking it's said that the fear of standing in front of a group of people and talking is caused by the anticipation of losing face - of looking or appearing like a fool. Now, some may be able to get up in front of a group and actually feel better than they felt before getting in front of people, but the reality is that 99% of us are going to feel some kind of anxiety.

There are two schools about stage fright. One school believes that you can completely rid yourself of it (extremely hard to do and a somewhat unrealistic). The other says that you can never fully conquer the fear but you can manage it and reduce it to a level where you can function and perform.

So far, I'm in the second group and I've learned a few techniques that allow me to perform well. One is that I practice enough to where I feel confident that I can perform above the normal level. The second technique is to accept the feelings of fear and reframe it into the emotion of excitement. In other words, I may be scared, but I'm also feeling excited. I focus on that part.

Most of the performance anxiety will dissipate soon after your performance begins anyway. It's usually the first 10 minutes or so when you're the most anxious. My goal when I get on stage is to focus on and enjoy the process of sharing the music with others. My focus is not on the audience.

Author By: Edward Weiss

Finding The Style That Is Uniquely You

Certain people have influenced my own piano playing. One of them is George Winston - probably one of the best out there. What I really like about his playing is his ability to create atmospheres from very little means.

I mean, the man can take a D minor 7 chord and generate interesting music from it for over 5 minutes straight! A pretty impressive thing! I listened to his stuff for quite a long time. Not because I wanted to learn it, but because I liked it. Big difference there.

Then, when I began to create my own stuff, his influence was there. Again, not because I consciously wanted it to be but because his sound seeped into me over time. This is the way it is for all music. No musician is an island unto him or herself. Everyone is influenced by others.

Another pianist/composer that has influenced my own playing is John Herberman. He plays for the Solitude's label. His music is very quiet and gentle yet profoundly moving. So, again, because of my love for this music, I incorporated into my own sound. Not because of conscious choice, but because it became a part of me.

The point, is this: Listen to whom you like and when it comes time for you to make your own music, your own unique voice will come through. I promise you. You really can't steal someone else's sound, unless of course you wanted to sound like a copycat. If that is your goal, by all means.

However, if your goal is to find a style that is uniquely yours, I suggest this one thing - improviseand keep playing. A good place to start doing this is by playing the chord changes in my book "New Age Piano Made Easy." It's got chord progressions designed to give you a "new age" sound when you play them. Plus you'll be learning to play the Open Position Chord in all 12 keys.

Author By: Edward Weiss

Common Thoughts that Kill Inspiration

Do you sit down at the piano and feel anxiety or peace? Are you anxious to begin creating or does the thought of being at your instrument bring you a sense of well being? It all begins with what you're telling yourself. If you think that what you are doing is not good enough, it's sure to kill off that quiet little motor of inspiration.

The thought of not good enough can put you into a deep freeze. It can stifle creativity and keep you stuck in doubt - a very nasty place to be in. Let's examine this thought of not good enough.

The first question that comes to mind is 'not good enough for whom?' Who are you comparing yourself to? If you hold yourself up to someone think about why that is. For example, I admire the playing of George Winston, but I'm not him and don't expect to be. His right hand technique is amazing and as much as I want to be able to play that succinctly, I just can't do it.

I accept that and really don't care so much about it. What's important to me is to be able to connect with my own creative source. This is the thought that keeps me grounded. If I begin to compare myself to another than I'm hopelessly lost and not focusing on what is truly important.

Another thought that kills inspiration is 'I'm not ready.' When will you be ready? Ten years from now? Next week? The fact is you don't need years of technical expertise to begin creating. If you wait another week or month or year to start, you will never begin and the world will miss out on your own unique voice. You are ready the moment you sit down to play. It all depends on what your goals are.

If your goal is to create a piece of music to perform for others, it will be ready after a certain amount of time. You, however, must be ready now. This means sitting down at the piano and being present in the moment. It all adds up bit by bit.

And last but not least is the thought that you don't know enough. Here's some news. You will never know everything and you will always be learning more. It never ends. I don't know everything there is to know about theory, chords, and harmony. Nobody does. But it doesn't stop me from experiencing the joy that comes from creating. This is your birthright and every creator's birthright.

Don't let the idea that you don't know enough stop you from your music. Even if you just learn what is in the free piano course you know enough to begin composing, improvising and creating. Fortunately, in the new age style, you don't need to know sophisticated chord voicing or how to read music. You can jump right in and taste how sweet the act of creation is right away.

Author By: Edward Weiss

Chords, Chords, and More Chords

How many chords do you need to create a piece of music? Would you believe that it doesn't really matter and that whole pieces of music have been created using just one chord? For example, if you play a D minor 7 chord, you could use the bass note D to create a drone effect and anchor the whole improvisation. It could last for a few seconds or many minutes.

The important thing is were you in the moment when you created it? If you were, then it will be a good piece of music. If you weren't it will be notes in the air without communication. What communicates is your feeling. It's your feeling that gets across through the notes. The notes themselves are meaningless if you are not present behind them.

I usually do not use more chords than 4 or 5 when creating. I use the chords of a certain Key, for example A major and stay within that key until the piece is done. I may change to a different key, but I will always begin with the intention of staying within one, always keeping the possibility open for change. Remember the power of limits, especially in music.

When you have too many choices it can be overwhelming and will stop you from being able to go forward. That's why learning to play in 4 and 8-bar phrases is important. It gives you the limit of chord changes. New age music is mostly a static music meaning that the chords do not change too much. In fact, you can have the same chord going on for 8, 16 and even 24 bars or more. The amount of change is dictated by personal taste and that you will acquire after you freely experiment with the music.

Remember that attitude is the number one thing. You must allow the music to tell you where it wants to go or you will most likely freeze up and stop the forward momentum. That's why I always tell students the principles for creativity must come first. Without that you are really starting on shaky ground. So, don't worry about how many chords to insert in your music. For a good example of chord changes, look at my book "New Age Piano Made Easy." It's filled with 84 exercises completely comprised of different chord changes in all 12 keys.

Author By: Edward Weiss