Episode 78 - A Series of Fortunate Events

Episode 78 - A Series of Fortunate Events

G'day everyone! Welcome to show number seventy-eight. The holidays have finally started! School has finished for the year, and while I have some work to do on a new Physics program for 2027, there is plenty of time to get it done. Devi and I have chosen some new pieces to keep me busy over the break, and I'm looking forward to increasing my daily practice.

YouTube - Guy Michelmore - Want to Write a Better Tune? This week I look at a video by Guy Michelmore. Guy is a composer of film and television music with a very relatable presentation style—mostly because he leaves his mistakes in!In this video, he writes a simple piece of music using Cubase, explaining his thought process on chord progressions and melody. It is a fascinating look at how a piece of music comes together.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJJFlAEBwYI

Essay - A Series of Fortunate Events I discuss why subscribing to a concert series, like the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's Sunday Afternoon series, is a wise investment for an adult learner. Beyond the financial discount, committing to a series helps you block out time for music in a busy calendar. It exposes you to new repertoire—this year I discovered Scriabin—and it's a great way to support live music and young performers.

Review - AMEB Piano Series 19 Grade 2 Following last week's look at Grade One, I review the new AMEB Series 19 Grade 2 book. The jump in difficulty is noticeable; pieces are longer (often two pages) and much denser with notes. The selection is diverse, featuring works from Wilhelm Friedemann Bach to contemporary pieces like "Mala dyskoteka" by Krystyna Gowik and "La poursuite" by Louise Nguyen Van Ty. It looks like a challenging year ahead!https://www.ameb.edu.au/shop/music/keyboard/piano/series-19

Progress I'm continuing with the "Moonlight" Sonata and my flute piece, though combining hands remains a challenge.Wynn-Anne Rossi's "A Wild Chase" is now memorised, and I'm working on evening it out with a drum machine. I've also started looking at "Titans" by Daniel McFarlane, "A Mingus Among Us" by Eric Baumgartner, and "Sea Song" by Christopher Healey.

If you'd like to get in touch or share your own musical journey on the podcast, drop me a line at david@pianofinally.show.

The contents of the podcast were entirely generated by me, David Reidy, but these show notes were created by Gemini.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Opening
• 0:14 Welcome
• 1:32 YouTube - Guy Michelmore
• 4:18 Essay - A Series of Fortunate Events
• 9:34 Review - AMEB Piano Grade 2 - Series 19
• 12:54 Closing
• 14:57 Progress

Transcript

Episode078: 0:00

G'day, everyone. I'm David Reidy; welcome to Piano, Finally, a podcast by an old bloke who is getting around to learning the piano, finally. Welcome to show number seventy-eight. Thank you very much for listening. If you're back for another episode, then thanks for returning. If this is the first time you're hearing the podcast, I hope you enjoy what's in the show and don't forget to subscribe if you do like it. Are you also learning a musical instrument? If you are, let me know how you're going with it. You can contact me at david@pianofinally.show. Well the holidays have finally started. School finished for the students on Monday and on Thursday for the staff. Everything is in place for the new year, although during the holidays I am going to start working on the new Physics program that we will be teaching from 2027 onwards. It's a lot of work, but there's plenty of time to get it done. Devi and I have chosen some new pieces to try out over the holidays, I'll speak more about them later in the episode, but they should give me plenty to work on. I want to increase the amount of practice I do each day while I've got the time, so I hope you'll start hearing some real improvement over the next few weeks. We'll see how it goes. You shouldn't hear the 3D printer this week, I'm recording during a break in printing Christmas gifts. I often watch Guy Michelmore's videos, in fact I have bought a couple of courses from his company ThinkSpace Education. Guy was once a television News presenter, but now he is a composer of film and television music and one of the teachers at ThinkSpace Education. Guy has an interesting presentation style, one that I quite enjoy watching. He clearly knows what he is talking about, and he presents his ideas complete with the mistakes he makes along the way. This makes his work much more relatable. At one stage in this video he is picking out a simple tune but it takes him a couple of goes to get it sounding right; that's exactly what happens when I try the same thing, so it makes me feel that maybe I'm on the right track. In this video Guy writes a simple piece of music using Cubase. He has a few MIDI instruments, an acoustic piano, an electric piano, a guitar, bass and drums. He assumes you know how to use Cubase, but if you don't, he also has tutorials in other places on his YouTube channel. There is a free version of Cubase available if you want to give it a try yourself. Guy starts with a chord progression. He explains what he is thinking as he goes along, and once he has something he likes, he provides a more in-depth analysis of what he did. Then he gives you a chance to try your own. So this isn't a follow-along tutorial, Guy expects you to do something similar to, but distinct from, what he just did. Guy follows up the chords by starting to write the tune that goes above it. He uses a MIDI guitar to pick out the tune, that takes a few tries and he explains what is is looking for as he gets closer to what he wants. He then fills in with some bass and drums. After the first eight bars, Guy moves on to the B section where he has a couple of goes before getting something he likes. Along the way he again talks through what he is thinking and doing. The video is designed for people to do the same, which means people who have at least some experience working with these concepts. I don't have that experience, but it is fascinating to watch how a piece of music comes together. Is it a world beater? No, but it is certainly a nice tune. At the moment, I'm at the stage of playing other people's music, as long as it's simple and I get lots of practice. Seeing where things may go, not soon but eventually, is fascinating and well worth your time. There's a link in the show notes to this video, but have a look around Guy's other videos when you're there. It's a great resource. A Series of Fortunate Events I went to a series of concerts this year, which should come as no surprise, as I've mentioned them numerous times in the show. It was the Sunday Afternoon series from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and they were each held in the concert hall of the Sydney Opera House. Was it a good idea and a wise investment of time and money? Yes, I think so. So, as an adult learner of a musical instrument, I think you should consider doing the same. Now I know most of the people listening to the show are not from Sydney, you're most likely not even in Australia, so subscribing to a series of SSO concerts is not going to be a good idea, but I am sure that there is probably an orchestra or performing group somewhere close to wherever you are that will have an annual series of performances. But why should you get a series subscription? It is usually possible to buy individual tickets, so where is the benefit? Firstly, you'll probably get a discount on the price. Live music isn't cheap; it shouldn't be. As learners, we know how much effort goes into learning a piece of music. At the moment, I manage maybe a half a dozen pieces each year to performance standard, and that is around twelve pages of music. An orchestral performer will have to perform many more different pieces each year, and even though they have the score in front of them, there must be hundreds of hours of unseen practice; the ticket price has to cover them being paid for that work too. Still, a bit of a discount in return for your commitment is nice. That commitment also makes planning your year a bit easier. I renewed my subscription for next year a few months ago, and as soon as I did, I put the dates into my calendar. There was very little else in the calendar at that point, apart from the school term dates, and now those six Sundays are locked in, and nothing else will get in the way. I find that blocking the time is a really good way to make sure I put the time aside for music. Life is busy, and it is all too easy to say "yes" to something else and then miss that time. If, however, something unavoidable does crop up, an advantage of a subscription is that you can usually swap your ticket to another performance. The SSO subscription allows that, but check with your ticket seller to see if they have the service. If all the concerts in your series are at the same venue and you have the same seat, then there is another perk. You sit next to the same other people each time. After the second concert in the series, I have usually said "hello" to whomever is sitting next to me and had at least a brief conversation with them. If they are buying tickets to the same concert series as you, then you must have something in common, and it's always nice to meet other people who share your interests. Another benefit that comes with a series subscription is that you often get advance purchase opportunities for other performances. Because the Sydney Symphony Orchestra is Australia's premier symphony orchestra, although the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra might disagree, it is common for international artists to appear either with the orchestra or in association with it. I will be seeing both Bryn Terfel and Anna Lapwood in 2026 with advance-purchase tickets. There are more benefits than just financial and social, however. Musically, you will probably get to hear music that you would not otherwise have listened to. Now, obviously, the possible range is limited, but a good concert program should include something other than the tried and true repertoire. Ok, you're not suddenly going to find the cello section swapping their instruments for electric guitars and belting out some heavy metal, but you may well hear music from lesser-known composers of symphonic music, or whatever type of music the group specialises in. In the 2026 SSO season, each concert includes at least one piece by a contemporary, often Australian, composer. This year, I have been listening to more music by Scriabin, a composer I hadn't really listened to in the past, all due to some interesting concert programming. And finally, a subscription is a great way to support live music. I'm not going to repeat all the reasons why this is important. But, I will mention that there are a lot of really hopeful students in Australia who have just received their final school grades and want to make a career in music. If not enough people go to see live performances, then their prospects are going to be dim. The SSO has a young performer program where they have young musicians join the orchestra for a year to gain experience, and most other large organisations will do something similar. A subscription, rather than just occasional ticket purchases, lets an organisation plan with confidence and put programs such as these in place. So, at this time of year, when gift giving and receiving are a considerable part of people's expenditure, why not consider a music series? It's a gift that benefits not only the recipient but also the whole world of music around us. In the last episode, I reviewed the new Grade One Piano book from the Australian Music Examination Board Series 19. When I bought that one, I also picked up the grade two book so I could see some of the pieces I will eventually be getting to. I also wanted some idea as to the level of playing. If, as I have said previously, the different exam boards seem to expect most students to progress at the rate of one level per year, then this book contains the material I should be able to tackle in twelve months' time. The layout of the Grade Two book is similar to that of the Grade One one. There are twelve pieces with four in each of sections A, B, and C. This matches the requirements for the Grade Two AMEB exam. List A opens with a minuet by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, a Bach I hadn't heard of before. It is in 3/4 time and looks fairly simple until you read the performance notes. There is a clear expectation in the exam that your playing will have moved on considerably from grade one, with very detailed instructions about dynamics and articulation. This is the same for the other pieces in the book; they are definitely expecting more from the pianist. The second List A piece is another minuet, this time by Johann Heinrich Buttstett. This one appears simpler, but includes a number of ornaments throughout the score, although these are all written out in full as well as just being notation.

Episode078: The final two list A pieces are more contemporary: 11:16

"Yo-yo tricks" by William Gillock and "Inversion Rag" by Catherine Rollin.

Episode078: 11:18

Apart from the detailed performance notes, the other thing that I notice is very different from the Grade One book is the length of the pieces. While last week's book still has pieces that fit a single page, the pieces in Grade Two are nearly always two pages long. They are also much denser, there are considerably more notes per bar, lots of quavers rather than crochets. List B has pieces by Beethoven, Goedicke, Gurlitt and Schmitt all of which are in the classical genre. Unlike the Grade One book, this doesn't appear to be the hardest list. It is in the List C pieces that you can see the AMEB's commitment to presenting lesser-known composers and music."Funky Fairy" is by Sony Chua."Mala dyskoteka" is by Krystyna Gowik, this piece is the first AMEB item that includes a glissando, although it is optional for the exam."Fairy Tale" is the third piece by Samuel Maykapar and the final piece is "La poursuite" from Vietnamese composer Louise Nguyen Van Ty. It is certainly an international collection. The twelve pieces are certainly challenging if you are at grade one level, but I suppose that that is the point. It's probably a year away for me. The book is available from AMEB directly, only in print form, there's a link in the show notes to buy it. But, if your in Australia support your local music shop, they are sure to have it in stock. Music in the coming week will probably be Christmas Carols. I'm not good enough yet to be asked to play at family gatherings, and I might conveniently forget to bring any type of keyboard with me, in case someone else thinks I should play. I do plan to learn some Christmas songs, but for 2026 or 2027. This is the last episode before Christmas, so if you celebrate that event, "Merry Christmas" to you and your family. If you follow a different tradition, then I hope that it brings you peace and happiness as the year comes to a close. Now that the podcast has settled into a rhythm and the downloads are slowly increasing, I'd like to help you get your music out to more people. If you'd like to get your playing onto the podcast, get in touch. I'm thinking of adding a section to the shows where someone else tells us a bit about their piano journey and where they're at, and then shares some of their music. It doesn't have to be perfect; it just has to be you. It's still only an idea; I haven't made concrete plans, but if you're interested, drop me an email, and we can work something out. If you'd like to contact me, email is the best way. You'll find me at david@pianofinally.show and the website at www.pianofinally.show. In both cases, pianofinally is all one word. The show is also available on Spotify and as an audio-only stream on YouTube. You can subscribe via any popular iOS or Android podcast application or from directories such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. I also post an excerpt and link for each episode as an Instagram reel. If you're learning an instrument, let me know where you are in your journey. What's going well, and what are the challenges? How are you managing your time? What pieces are you enjoying the most? So, until next week, I hope your piano stays in tune, and you enjoy your time at the keys. I won't include everything this week, as there are a number of pieces that I am only just starting to look at seriously. I'm continuing to work on the beginning of Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata. It's slowly improving, but there's still a way to go. I'm still only up to the place where the melody begins, but I'm sure I will move on soon. The flute piece is coming along nicely. I can play it at the correct tempo if I only use my right hand, but I slow down a fair bit when using both. At the moment, there are two main parts I am concentrating on. Firstly, there are a number of places where the note in the left hand is played staccato while the right-hand note is legato. I usually get the staccato right, but then also play staccato with the other hand. I know I'll get there eventually. Wynn-Anne Rossi's "A Wild Chase" is nearing completion. I can now play the piece from memory. It is getting more even; the drum machine is helping. Once I'm happy with it being even, I'll start increasing the tempo.

Episode078: The new pieces are: 15:59

"Titans" by Australian composer Daniel McFarlane,

Episode078: 16:06

"A Mingus among us" by Eric Baumgartner, based on the playing of Charles Mingus and "Sea Song" by Christopher Healey, also an Australian composer. I won't include them yet; I'm still just getting started, playing around with the notes just to hear what it sounds like. I'm not sure that all of them will make it into the final list, but I'll stick with them for a couple of weeks to see how they feel. The music was recorded using the Kawai NV10 as the keyboard, the M4 Pro Mac Mini running Cubase 15 and Pianoteq 9, with Pianoteq emulating a Shigeru Kawai SK-EX grand piano in concert mode.[Music][Music][Music]