One of my first influences outside of classical music was Fats Waller. He seemed to have an inexhaustible set of riffs and turns that made me a very happy teenager. His effortless playing on just about any quality of piano amazed me, and his ability to turn out tracks of super high quality again and … Continue reading I understand (eccentricity)
Hitting reset
After a near death experience three years ago, and a high-profile job cut short by pandemic problems, finding myself again has been an important goal. I’m not sure how one does that, exactly. It sometimes feels like I have no idea what I’m doing. But, I’m doing it. It is happening. Over the past few … Continue reading Hitting reset
The vast nothingness
Many years ago I was a violinist. I’d spent many, many years practicing. Not at the level of James Ehnes, who had a work ethic like I’ve never seen, but I was practicing for two hours every day starting at the age of six. Two hours daily, one hour each morning and one hour each … Continue reading The vast nothingness
John Wiens, Conductor 