Category Archives: Music
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Piano Music on Demand
Blog Archives
During a 2-month period, I wrote an inspirational blog here. As often happens in the blogging world, priorities shifted and other projects came into more distinct focus.
Feel free to browse this modest archive of posts, and click the other links at the top of the page to access my piano music, organ music, church music, and web design business.
Rather than public writing, I am glad to be in touch directly – contact me here.
It’s hot, but…
I’ve often commented that New Englanders have one very strong thing in common – and it is not as simple as “the weather…” It is that we all complain about the weather, and take great pride in having the most relevant complaint on any given day. However, there are so many wonderful, needed things that come along with this summer heat; all I need to do is review some moments from yesterday:
- seeing multiple happy kayakers on the river during the daily bike ride with my youngest
- the cardinal family that has taken over our backyard
- laughing outside with the whole family as our older sons attempt to fill out job applications (“What’s my middle name?”)
- pizza, strawberry lemonade
- late evening time with friends to celebrate a birthday
This tropical atmosphere is something to treasure, because soon we’ll be on to some other weather mystery. Something to complain about? Probably. But the summer affords us so many beauties to behold and take in, why not enjoy and live in the gift of its warmth?
Get out!
Brook, Avon, CT
I took a break from bike riding last week, in favor of some backyard basketball. I didn’t realize how much I missed the trail riding until I got back to it. So many good things are immediately available on the trail: sunshine, breeze (even if there isn’t one), birds, trees, powerful colors and sounds. Time with my son in nature.
Inevitably, we all spend too much time indoors. I’m among the most guilty, having a job that requires large amounts of face time with the computer display.
I’m going to try to do it differently this week: that time outdoors will be higher on the priority list. I’m sure that being among things that are real and beautiful can only bring a good perspective to everything else.
Weekend miscellania
Saturday listing of ongoing events… My apologies for any repetition, but these are all dear to my heart:
- Public release of a new website this week, by my company, North Forty Road Web Design. Check out www.flodellexteriors.com. Feel free to contact me if you have any website questions – I’m always glad to help!
- Auditions for adults and children can be scheduled at any time for December Lessons and Carols and Spring 2011 Concert: www.musicatfirst.org
- Sunday Worship at First Congregational, Bristol, CT is our second Sunday in “summer mode,” featuring our Summer Singers. This was a great success last week, with several enthusiastic singers. Are you a frustrated choral singer and would like to join in? Join us in the choir loft at 9:00 to sing a simple anthem!
Reflection
Today I release for you my second composition for piano, Reflection.
I wrote Reflection a couple of days after Christmas in 2008. It was lightly snowing outside. A simple repeating bass line was all I started with – one step up, a half step more, then back. The melody came together and its development, and soon after that, the quiet middle section.
That time between the holidays is often one of personal reflection of the past year, and that is surely where my head was – hence the title. The middle section of the piece has a quiet yearning for comfort; the following recapitulation and ending are a soaring beauty, showing the joy and possibility that lie ahead. Of course, none of this was planned! The piece wrote itself, as all the others – I just helped.
Here it is for your enjoyment: Reflection Audio Mp3 – Reflection Sheet Music PDF (right-click, Save As will allow you to save the file to your computer)
It’s gotta start somewhere…
I found myself thinking this morning about early influences and inspirations and how they all come together over time to make us who we are. The visual that I have today is of an “archeological dig” within my being – where the the layers of ideas and experiences pile on top of each other and form a unique whole.
The video below is one of my earliest influences leading to the discovery of writing for piano – “Thanksgiving” from George Winston’s piano CD, December. Very good friends of our family, in fact, my Godfather and his wife, gave me this CD when I was a teenager, right at the time I was starting my first church job (in their church, ironically). As time passes, much of the music I found so powerful and moving in the past seems less powerful, yet this once piece remains one of those that I simply must stop and take in. It is so beautiful, it hurts!