How to Create Strong, Independent Fingers at the Piano

SPOILER: It has nothing to do with muscle strength.  In fact, the fingers do not have muscles. In this video I discuss the importance of mindful practice as I navigate Philipp’s “Exercises for the Independence of the Fingers”.  Often, students of  the piano ask how they can develop stronger fingers.  Finger strength is not really […]

Innovative notation to develop complexity in rhythm, meter, form and repetition

Within a barren soundscape of quietude, the beauty of its stillness is what captivated me the most. This stillness was compounded by the unpredictable unfolding of its rhythm. Upon first hearing, Beat Furrer’s exquisite Voicelessness, The Snow Has No Voice for solo piano seemed somewhat improvisatory, at least rhythmically.  As I explored the limited recordings of […]

MusiCircus

Look Ma, I joined the circus! This weekend, Saturday, November 19th, at Town Hall is the John Cage MusiCircus.  The preconcert lecture starts at 6:30pm and the multidisciplinary ‘happening’ starts at 7pm.  I am kicking off the performance on the main stage promptly at 7pm.  Moments later, several other performances—electronic, dance, poetry, visual art, readings, […]

John Cage – Sonatas and Interludes LIVE recording

It’s safe to say that I’m no longer the same musician I was when I began working on the Sonatas and Interludes.  In fact, it was safe to say, at the time, that when I first learned about Cage I was no longer the same musician.  His ideas change people.  His ideas changed art.  This […]

Second Inversion Interview

KingFM’s modern classical music service, Second Inversion, just published a really nice interview with me about my upcoming Cage recitals.  Thank you Maggie Molloy and Second Inversion. Check it out and help me get the word out by sharing it: The avant-garde and always-iconoclastic composer John Cage threw a wrench in the Western music tradition […]