Playing the piano - creating a musical painting on a canvas of 88 keys - what a joy! That is what sold me on the piano at the age of 6, when I would sit on the floor and watch in ecstasy what was the only classical piano offering available to me in my home town of North Fond du Lac, WI: the Liberace Show on network TV! But how long I had to wait to make the piano ring with the melodies and sonorities of the “greats...” My goal as a composer is to provide music that will allow students to experience at least a hint of those big sounds and exquisite sonorities no matter what their level, as well as to make colorful musical stories come alive through imaginative composition.
I like to think I am on the side of the student: getting the biggest bang for the buck by carefully crafting patterns and shapes that lie under the hands and avoiding unnecessary technical glitches, to ensure a smooth and inspired performance. I like to search for “special” sounds in my music that help express the mood of a piece - for example, color chords, an especially expressive turn in a melodic phrase, or an unexpected final resolution. Of course, I never rule out a musical joke where appropriate.
I hope that your students find my compositions fun to play, inspiring, and rewarding to learn and perform.
