The statistics show many of you coming to the blog arrive as the result of a search for Steve Richko, the very talented jazz pianist who passed away unexpectedly last fall. Thanks to Tim Hoy and Cliff Monear at the Steinway Piano Gallery of Detroit, Steve’s final performance has been captured on film. This concert, featuring Steve, Cliff, and Tad Weed, took place just a few days before Steve’s death. Continue reading
Tag Archives: musicians
Compiling A List Of Orchestras
Anne Midgette, who writes The Classical Beat blog at the Washington Post, has a posting today about the large number of orchestras in the Washington, D.C. area. In her post, she writes:
“I’d submit that orchestras also offer a more participatory experience than, at least, opera; more people have had enough music lessons to make their way through some symphonic repertory than are able to sing “Don Giovanni” on stage.”
Indeed. The full post is worth a read, and is inspiring to look at.
Filed under Inspiration, Opportunities to Play
Playing for Fun
I spent a couple of hours this weekend playing string quartets with a group of people who get together every week just to have fun with music. These long-time friends have been meeting regularly for several years, ever since a child’s wedding surfaced a sudden need for a string quartet to play.
One of the regular first violins was away on vacation, so I sat in to fill the spot, sight-reading all along the way. (Mozart at first glance – now THAT’s a mental workout!). Continue reading
Filed under Fun Stuff, Music and Aging
A Busy Day of Music
This past Saturday, October 16th, was a full-immersion music day, and boy, was it fun!
About two dozen musicians gathered at the home of Judy Moslak, one of the founders of the Orchard Lake Philharmonic Society. Judy has just obtained a beautiful two-manual harpsichord, and it sounded wonderful as the group played a number of selections from Bach. Continue reading
Filed under Fun Stuff, Personal Journey
New Links!
Thanks to Raymond Murphy from Motor City Brass Band for providing these new additions to our *Places to Play* links: Continue reading
Filed under Events and Calendar, Opportunities to Play
At Midlife, It’s Not a Competition …
There’s an important difference when you come back to music in midlife compared to when you were in school. The point now is to do it for fun. At this point in our lives, it should not be a competition. Continue reading
Filed under Opportunities to Play, Returning to Music
Rusty Wins in Baltimore
Kudo’s to the Baltimore Symphony and Music Director Marin Alsop! The Orchestra invited amateur musicians — what they called “Rusty Musicians” to join them. They were so overwhelmed with requests that they ended up scheduling a second concert to handle the 400 volunteers. By all accounts, the experiment was a resounding success. See the story in The Washington Post or this blog entry from The Baltimore Sun. Continue reading
Filed under Inspiration, Opportunities to Play
The Wonder of Encouragement
More than anything else in our lives, we seek encouragement and support. A little encouragement is often all that’ s needed to take a risk, try something new, or pick up an instrument again when you left it behind years earlier. Encouragement can be a very powerful motivator. Continue reading
Filed under Inspiration, Personal Journey
Midlife Musicians 