Monthly Archives: October 2009

Night and Day, Cole Porter’s Signature Song

If you’re like me, you’ve often chuckled when someone says that this performer was on overnight success. After reading about Cole Porter‘s popularity associated with the play and subsequent film version of The Gay Divorce, I suspect that audiences might … Continue reading

Posted in beguines, keyboard, music theory, piano lessons, piano playing | 1 Comment

Let’s Beguine with a Cole Porter Medley, I Love Paris/I’ve Got You Under My Skin

When one of my students is ready for a change of rhythm, I often introduce the beguine. As soon as I play the rhythmic accompaniment for her, she’s hooked. As I discovered long ago with my own musical development, becoming … Continue reading

Posted in beguines, keyboard, music theory, piano lessons, piano playing | 1 Comment

How I Began My Beguine

As I mentioned in my Bossa nova blog series, I became motivated to learn the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and his peers during my teenage years. Since my models were well-known jazz musicians I listened to a variety of … Continue reading

Posted in beguines, inspiration, keyboard, music theory, piano lessons, piano playing | 3 Comments

Autumn Nocturne, Tranquility in Season

Throughout my many years of teaching, students have often brought in one of Chopin’s Nocturnes and asked me to teach them how to play it. In order to help a student get started with the learning process, I realized early … Continue reading

Posted in autumn, inspiration, keyboard, motivation, music theory, piano lessons, piano playing | 4 Comments