a few words about my blog

About two months ago, someone I know began a blog. Soon after that, as I was taking a morning walk, I got an idea for making my own blog about something that interested me very much -- music. Since then, I have noticed that I get ideas for the blog every day -- either through my thoughts about music or because of particular musical experiences that I have on that day, whether listening or playing. It's been an amazing experience!! I have had a number of positive comments from my friends and relatives -- thanks!

The Mighty Pipe Organ

This evening I went to an organ recital with two friends. Ah, the mighty organ! The first piece was the famous "Toccata and Fugue in d minor" by J. S. Bach.



I have loved listening to the organ since I was in high school. My boy friend was an organist and he took me to all kinds of wonderful organ concerts at the university. The organ at the university was an immense Baroque organ whose pipes were all exposed. It was often so loud that it rumbled your seat, rumbled your chest! This was in the days before rock and roll and really loud music, so it was very exciting and thrilling! We heard many world famous organists of the day, including E. Power Biggs, Virgil Fox, and Marcel Dupré. One of the highlights of those concerts happened when a sealed envelope was given to the artist. Inside was a theme. The artist was supposed to look at the theme briefly, then perform an improvisation on that theme. It was always amazing to see what happened!

One summer, while I was in high school, I took organ lessons at the urging of my mother, who thought I could probably earn money in the future by playing the organ in churches. It was fun learning to play the bass notes of the chords with my feet! I practiced simple hymns. I had to learn the particular legato touch which is required for playing the organ. It's quite different from playing the piano keyboard.



The organ we heard this evening had 4 keyboards, plus the pedals. It's amazing to watch an organist play with their hands and feet flying around the notes.

Another wonderful thing about organs, beyond their loudness, is the incredible variety of sounds they can produce. Each "stop" has pipes which are shaped differently, made of different materials and produce sounds with or without reeds.

One of the first records I ever bought contained the Grosse Sonata from the 94th Psalm by Reubke. Here is the grand fugue.

A Great Climax!

While working in the garden just now, my iPod switched to playing "April 5, 1242", music by Prokofiev, which he composed for the movie, "Alexander Nevsky". I remember listening to this on my walk on a very hot summer morning -- I got goose pimples!! It happened again today as I listened!

This music is also known as "The Battle on the Ice". The Teutonic Knights and the Russians, led by Nevsky, have a fantastic battle on the ice.

The Teutonic Knights, being German, sing "Peregrinus expecativi" (We are pilgrims, searching . . .) Their helmets are strange and scary! They are singing in Latin, being Catholic, which makes them appear ominous to the Russians, who are Orthodox.

The scene begins with a calm morning, the mists are flowing over the ice as each side prepares for the battle.
Gradually, gradually, the music becomes louder and louder and faster and faster as the two sides approach each other. At the end, the climax is reached as the two sides meet and begin fighting, on horseback with their swords.




Alexander Nevsky, as portrayed by an actor in the Eisenstein movie from 1938. This film can be seen as anti-German propaganda, reminding Russians of how Germany tried to take them over before and failed.

It's a great climax moment in music because it takes 5 minutes for the sound to build!

A Japanese Character - tanoshii

This beautiful Japanese character means: "enjoyment", "comfort", "ease." In combination with the character for "sound", it means "music" or "enjoyable sound". Since I enjoy music so much, this character is one of my favorites.

I cried a little

Today in the grocery store, a woman passed me in the aisle. She stopped and said, "Aren't you Mrs. R . . . .?" I said yes. She told me her name and reminded me that her three children had been in my music classes. She said, "I want to thank you for touching my children's lives. I want to thank you for giving them music." As I walked on, a tear rolled out of my eye. It's the best thing a teacher could hear.

Gutsy, Full of Rage

The Foo Fighters song, The Pretender. You might ask, "How can a person such as you like this kind of music?" My answer is this: "Is there a person alive who has never felt rage and passion? Is there a person alive who does not sometimes feel hemmed in by the rules of society? Is there a person alive who does not despair at the thought of their own mortality?" I heard this song for the first time today as I listened to my favorite radio station, WXRT, as I drank a little whiskey and fixed dinner. My socks were knocked off as I listened!!



Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend
Keep you in the dark
And so it all began

Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones go marching in... again
The need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are at the ready
Are you ready?
I'm finished making sense
Done pleading ignorance
That whole defense

Spinning infinity, boy
The wheel is spinning me
It's never-ending, never-ending
Same old story

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

In time or so i'm told
I'm just another soul for sale... oh, well
The page is out of print
We are not permanent
We're temporary, temporary
Same old story

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

I'm the voice inside your head
You refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face
Mirrored in your stare
I'm what's left, I'm what's right
I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that will take you down
Bring you to your knees

So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?

Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
(You know they all... pretend)
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?

Playing the Piano -- Early Years

My earliest memories are of listening to my mother play the piano as I drifted off to sleep. My mother had majored in piano and organ in college. She played Schumann, Chopin, Beethoven and others. I begged her to teach me to play. I wanted to play the piano so much! But, she wouldn't teach me until I was in third grade. My mother was my only piano teacher until I went to college.

My first lesson was such a disappointment. "Tommy Tunes" -- I played middle C for four beats and repeated that, etc. "No, mother!", I said. "I want to play like you -- with two hands!". Haha, I can't believe I was so naive.

I learned quickly. By sixth grade I could sight read a lot of music. I would come home from school and go straight to the piano. I could play for hours and hours . . .