🎙 Episode 61 – When Are We Going to Use This?

Welcome back to Piano, Finally, where I share the ups, downs, and sideways detours of learning piano later in life. This week’s opening note: if you contact me via Buzzsprout’s FanMail, I can’t reply—so if you’d like a conversation, please send an email to [email protected].

It’s Science Week here in NSW schools, and between showing science demos to preschoolers and heading out to a Bach-meets-acrobatics performance, I’ve also been keeping an eye on September’s Sydney Fringe Festival.

YouTube Spotlight – Ben Maton, The Salisbury Organist
The algorithm got this one right. Ben Maton’s channel features visits to rural British churches, telling their stories and playing their organs—sometimes linking the repertoire directly to the church’s history. Expect Elgar in his birthplace, Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar, and even Elvis. Ben also composes, writes for Choir & Organ magazine, and shares his broader work at benmatonmusic.co.uk.

Essay – When Are We Going to Use This?
In teaching (and learning music), the question often isn’t about the piece itself, but the skills learned along the way. Just as science lessons might quietly teach students how to follow instructions, beginner pieces like Amazing Grace teach note-reading, even if they’ll never be performed. The best reason to choose a piece is to develop a skill you’ll use later—something I kept in mind when selecting my latest repertoire with Devi.

Review – ANZCA Modern Pianoforte Preliminary – Series 2
This companion to last week’s classical book includes pop, rock, blues, and boogie pieces. I’ve chosen Tick Tock Blues (C major, staccato/legato), Sneak (E♭ major), and Blue Sky Boogie (mezzo staccato). Slightly simpler than the classical volume, but great for building targeted skills.
Book link | ANZCA shop

Progress
This week: Study in G (Müller), Tick Tock Blues (Hunter), and the descending scale from Riders on the Storm. Classical pieces recorded on the Kawai NV10 with Pianoteq 8; Riders on the Nord Stage 4 with My Keys To Music presets.

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