MusicBasics4Keyboard

Bacon! Wright's Thick Cut Real Wood Hickory Smoked bacon!! It just became apparent there's a link to monetize these podcasts using product names. Next episode will be about Boar's Head pepperoni and my first homemade pizza. This should be interesting. Visit my YouTube channel with the same name to see the results. From cabbage to cupcakes, there are books on Amazon by me with short stories about food and wine and hundreds of pictures. Today, there are red tomatoes on my tomato plants. There are jalapeno peppers on the pepper plants. There may even be homemade pizza for tonight's dinner under the kiwi fruit tree. Thanks for listening.

In an Britannica article refuting Bach's belief that music can be taught, there is little to no justification for these critical skills: memory, repetition, practice and fingering. Where and how are these skills activated? My theory is that they come from listening followed by action taken and then stored somewhere in the brain. This is about brain fitness if you will. Next, practice.

Everyday requires motivation, warmups, determination and a set time for practice. Practice makes permanent. Mastery may seem to take forever but should happen based on these components: memory, psychological disposition, judgment, skill, and time set aside to practice. Practice time, like many things in life means there is a willingness to commit and determination to succeed. Thanks for listening.

“Ode to Joy” was written by German poet/playwright Friedrich Schiller in the summer of 1785. The ideal he described, of hope and brotherhood triumphing, was exactly what Beethoven wanted to convey in his Ninth Symphony.

By the time Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, with its huge 'Ode to Joy' climax, was premiered on 7 May 1824, the composer was profoundly deaf. Ludwig van Beethoven's revolutionary Ninth Symphony is, without question, one of the greatest works in classical repertoire. “He uses solo voices in a symphony for the first time, setting the words of Schiller’s poem An die Freude.

It is the longest and most complex of all his symphonies, which we may regard it as the pinnacle of his achievement, because it is his last symphony – but he was working on his tenth when he died. 

For almost 200 years, the famous hymnal theme to this symphony’s finale – the ‘Ode to Joy’ – has symbolized hope, unity and fellowship – across borders and through conflicts.

Here is is, performed by the ‘Global Insta Orchestra’, made up of musicians around the world, playing across the Internet.

Source: ClassicFM digital radio 100-102FM

Beethoven’s ‘Choral’ is arguably the greatest symphony ever composed: the summit of his achievements, a masterful musical celebration of the human race and a massive work that makes all who hear it feel better about life. And yet, Beethoven himself never actually heard it.

The man who had done more than anyone before him to change the way we hear music had become one for whom sounds could no longer exist – and the bitter irony of this was not lost on him.

Despite his deteriorating hearing, though, Beethoven persevered with writing this mammoth symphony. Encouraged, no doubt, by his status as the composer of the moment, he penned a colossal work.

But, when Beethoven conducted its premiere, he was famously unaware of the rapturous response his ninth symphony received. It took one of the musicians to alert him to the cheering audience – and that was only at the end of the second movement.

Here is the poem which translates from German into English as:

Joy, bright spark of divinity,

Triumphant words that perfectly match the power and scale of Beethoven’s immortal music.

After extensive studies, doctors have reached this conclusion. People who have the most birthdays live the longest. Here's to many more! Source: Hallmark greeting cards because "Hallmark cares". Says so on the back of the card. How about that? This is Irene's favorite question whenever we talk and get together. She's 90 years old and still plays a mean game of pool. Thank you for listening.

Someone somewhere once said a picture is worth a thousand words. Maybe more, maybe less. But the smell of apple pie with cinnamon coming from the oven evokes an even greater response without uttering a single word. Like chess, this is checkmate for bakers and anyone else willing to learn how to make apple pies. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Thank you for listening.

"Another day older and deeper in debt. St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go! I owe my soul to the company store." If you recognize these lyrics [edited] and melody, you probably grew up watching black and white TV with Ernest Jennings “Tennessee Ernie” Ford, a resonant-voiced baritone and master of good-natured corn during the 1950s and 1960s. Ford's first spiritual album, Hymns, was certified gold in 1959; by 1963 it was the biggest-selling album in Capitol's catalogue. What was Ford's biggest hit? “Sixteen Tons," originally written by Merle Travis. Capitol Records encouraged Travis to write a series of songs that "sounded folky". He nailed it. My father loved this TV show. Read biographies on the Internet. Hear him sing songs on Spotify. Go to YouTube for album covers and more of his greatest hits. Thank you for listening.

How would you define your taste in music? Rules-based or beautifully chaotic? Mathematics, chemistry, languages and culinary education are rules-based. When it comes to music, there are probably more musicians who are self-taught than there are stars in the sky. Without knowing the fundamentals of music notation, writing down your own songs (to remember) poses many challenges. One option is to make a recording. Your compositions need to be nurtured by a witness. With great music in his head during the last moments of his life, Wolfgang Mozart depended on another musician to write down the notes for him. Suddenly, a jealous and competitive relationship became sweet. Consider your favorite artists, styles, and musical instruments. Do you and your musical friends speak the same language? Thank you for listening.

My father grew up on a farm in SE Ohio during the great Depression. He was one of seven siblings who learned about growing things at a very early age. During one visit to the farmhouse where they lived, I fed the chickens. Within minutes there was a blister on my right thumb from the corn cob I was given to feed them. What I remember is that it was yellow corn, not white. Seemed wonderful at the time. Knowing about chicken feed in farm supply stores across the land makes it seem primitive unless your knowledge of the 1930's kicks in. I was eight years old during this visit. Many years later that I told my father I wanted to be a farmer. He cringed. It never happened. There has always been a deep appreciation of farm life, farm animals and growing things. See pictures from this podcast on my YouTube channel with the same name Music4Dad. Thank you for listening.

Johannes S. Bach believed music is learnable and teachable. However, an author for Encyclopedia Britannica refuted this notion. Northeastern Bible College is where I was trained in theory, advanced conducting and classical piano. It was formerly located in the small community of Essex Fells, New Jersey. Click on the YouTube video title Warming up with Cat Paws where I attempt to play harmony to a pre-recorded demo on my Yamaha portable electronic grand piano DGX-640. Thanks for listening.

When you need help growing things, who do you call? Ghostbusters! Nope. When it's about trees, contact other people who grow things, garden centers, certified arborists and friends who are masters of encouragement. See pictures from this episode on my YouTube channel with the same name Music4Dad. Click on the video with the episode title: Masters of Encouragement. Please leave comments there. People is Barbra Streisand's signature song from the film Funny Girl released in 1965. Thank you for listening to today's podcast.

Thank you for listening to this episode about birds, hawks, caring for trees and home ownership. Remember to visit my YouTube channel with the same name as this podcast Music4Dad. See the pictures behind the stories in each episode.