As a ballet accompanist, I am always trying to expand my repertoire so the dancers don't hear my same pieces over and over. I've found that every instructor wants something different. Some prefer more classical, some prefer music from actual ballets, but most don't care what I play as long as it fits the rhythm and feel for the combination.  One thing I enjoy doing, is taking a song I've known for years, and discovering it can have a "ballet make-over" and sound completely new. This song was like that. Because of the chord progressions, square phrasing, and 3/4 time signature, it made a perfect adagio when I slowed it way down and added some languid arpeggios. Like most of my improvisation, the result seems to be the love child of a dark, angry Russian, and Honky-tonk music. See if you can hear what song it is. I play the familiar melody about a third of the way through... I'm sure most of you will get it, but just in case, I'll post the answer tomo...

Do you enjoy looking at your old yearbook photos, or does it make you cringe to see what you once were? For me, and probably for most, it's a little of both. There is proof of how goofy, naive, and immature I used to be (dorky, bad dresser, stringy hair, but I digress). And proof of how much I've grown since then (I have better hair now). I found something today from my early musician-hood that made me laugh out loud. I began playing piano professionally (I use the term loosely) during my senior year of high school. In trying to gain some more business, I asked my then piano teacher, Ceil Brown , to help create a business card for me. This was before I knew how to use a computer (oh my, I didn't realize I was so old). Ceil, in addition to being amazingly gifted and a wonderful teacher, is one of the funniest people I've ever known. She came back the next week with some very professional samples......and this one. I'm so thankful that I've kept it tucked away al...

One of the best things about being a musician is no nine to five. No one expects a piano player to play for 8 hours straight anywhere...well, I do play for 7 hours at a time for ballet class once a week. But otherwise, the flexibility in my schedule is something I would never trade. On days like today, when I have nowhere to play, I still punch the proverbial clock and put my hours in...practicing.  I recently attended a performance of Giselle by the New Jersey Ballet Company, and I must say, I fell in love. I scoured the internet for sheet music but all I could find was a copy of the full score. I spent the day deciphering the french words, trying to figure out which act and scene went where. I even had google translator open. Finally, when I figured out a section to begin practicing I realized, duh, many scores have 2 piano parts, or p rima and s econda . The melody doesn't quite come out right unless both are played at the same time, and I'm only one little person....

They say the best way to learn a new language is to be completely submerged in the culture. Be forced to hear and speak only that language. And before you know it, you'll be asking where the bananas are in that foreign tongue! I was shocked to learn this is true for the world of ballet as well. After almost 2 months of playing for ballet rehearsals , I'm finally catching on to what in the world they're talking about. As an accompanist, I have to pay very close attention to the words (mostly French) and demonstrations of the instructor in order to choose an appropriate song to play for the combination. There have been several times when I've played an introduction and the instructor stopped me, "Nope, wrong kind of rhythm for  tendu ..." Yesterday, I walked down the hall to my living room and suddenly had the urge jump up onto one tip-toe with my arms rounded in front of me and finger tips touching. Eddie looked up from the computer, puzzled at the abrupt mot...

There is a small theatre in lower Manhattan with all the charm and character of a dying breed of New York City theatres. The 13 th Street Repertory Company was founded 38 years ago by Edith O’Hara and has remained a firm off-off Broadway venue through its constantly changing and updating surroundings. These small, underfunded theatres are where future Broadway plays are born. Now 94 years old, Edith O’Hara proudly continues to run plays and musicals in her theatre. I’m proud to be a pianist in a new, old musical called “ Touch .” It ran years ago under the same director and is making its second debut in January. The director explained to me that there is no sheet music, no lead sheets, just an old recording of the 14 songs. I would have to come up with all the music 100% by ear. I play by ear, but the internet has made me lazy. It’s too easy to google chord charts and lead sheets for nearly every song fathomable, saving time and work. However, that’s impossible with this musical....

I played this song, "12th Street Rag," in Times Square for the first time in probably 2 or 3 years. I remember halfway through, noticing some passerby's eyes on me and thinking, "How am I ever gonna end this song?!" Eventually I remembered the final chords. Too bad I didn't save it to play at a piano that was a little closer to the actual 12th street!  I love going through these videos from last summer's Play Me, I'm Yours project when Sing For Hope (a charity organization) placed 60 brightly painted pianos throughout the 5 boroughs of New York City for 2 weeks only. I made a commitment to play every single one (and by default, Eddie got dragged along as well). That adventure led to some great opportunities, among one of them, becoming more involved with Sing for Hope, which strives to support schools, hospitals, and communities through music. Hope you enjoy the video and tap your foot a little. To see photos from the Play Me, I'm Yours ...

In honor of yesterday's post , I thought I would keep the theme going with this video shot at Prospect Park in Brooklyn near the carousel. I thought it was an appropriate song to play with the children near by because I just love the message in it. I've noticed something in the little girls from ballet class who put their heart and soul into dancing because it's their dream . I love this lyric from the song: "If your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme. When you wish upon a star as dreamers do." To see photos from the Play Me, I'm Yours project, click here . To see more videos, click here .

I know, I know! I should be practicing ballet music for Saturday's classes. Lately I've been forcing myself to practice classical music for uncharacteristically long hours in preparation for my new job at a ballet school and company. Mainly I need to learn more music for  dégagés , and some good jumping music (so if there's any suggestions out there...). Precision and repetition are the keys for me when I'm learning a piece of music like Pizzicati from the Ballet "Sylvia." It's killin me, actually. I haven't practiced this hard since college. So I took a break and fooled around with a waltz. On my first day playing for the class, the instructor asked me to play some "stretching" music, which is usually a relaxing, languid, 3/4 piece that makes your muscles want to melt into supple flexibility. I looked at him, puzzled for a moment, because I had already used most of my prepared waltzes. So instead, I thought of a nice chord progression fr...

On my second day at my new job as a pianist for a ballet school and company , I found myself struggling through the combinations. I thought that certainly after some practice, the job would become easier, but I suddenly found myself over thinking the counts, struggling with intros, and having trouble “squaring off the piece.” I was worried the instructor was getting frustrated at the disruptions. Even worse, the owner of the company, made visits in and out of the class room and I was certain she noticed my fumbles. The mirrored room reflected my image like a string of paper dolls. Every missed count echoed against the walls. Every mistake was magnified by a hundred. When the night was over, the owner very seriously pulled me aside and asked, “Can you stay a bit after?” I nervously replied that I could and she motioned for me to walk back to her office. As I sat there waiting for her to enter, I actually texted Eddie, “I think I’m about to get fired.” I silently prepared my plea for ...

My first day as a pianist for the New Jersey School of Ballet was not a disaster, so I guess that would make it a success? I never thought that sitting at a piano for 7 hours could be so exhausting. And I do mean 7 hours, not so much as a 5 minute break between classes. Each class demanded continuous music from the first exercise to the final minute, to include warm ups, cool downs, and stretching. Midway through the day, the company owner noticed me stretch my aching back and brought a seat cushion for the unforgiving, wooden piano bench. The instructor periodically reminded the dancers, "Tummies in! Head up!" And every time he did, I found that my own posture miraculously improved. As I expected, the learning curve was steep. I quickly found that many of the pieces I practiced did not fit the atmosphere or style of the classes, so I was forced to play certain songs over and over. Once, I was caught like a deer in the headlights when the instructor raised his hand, cueing...

In the Army, we used the expression, “fake the funk,” a phrase I always thought sounded gross for some reason. But it basically means, if you don’t know what the heck you’re doing, act like you do and people generally won’t notice the difference. This is something I fear I will be doing in my new position as a ballet class accompanist for a few weeks until I get the hang of things. I observed a class today and was exhausted by the end of the 1 ½ hour session just watching the pianist. The mental focus of reading the instructors mind, and silently counting with the accuracy of a metronome totally drained me. And on my first day, I’ll be playing for about 8 hours straight. I’m praying there’s a lot of children’s classes scheduled for Saturday. (Can you ballet to the Itsy Bitsy Spider?) When I got home, I tore apart my horribly overstuffed and disorganized music shelf for anything that sounded a little more ballet-ish. I would imagine there might be some funny looks when the inst...

Somehow, someway, I got a job as a pianist at a very prestigious ballet school and company  as an on-staff accompanist. I responded to the add, like so many others, one of a dozen expecting never to hear from them. But one day they called me in for an audition . Caught completely off guard, I asked what sheet music they would like me to play. The director explained that it's not so much what you play, but how you play it. The accompanist must watch the ballet instructor as she demonstrates an 8 count dance combination for the class. Based on her vocabulary (adagio, degage, etc) and physical movements, the pianist chooses an appropriate 8, 16, or 32 bars to play. When I drove in for the interview/audition, I observed an experienced accompanist and scribbled notes on a scratch piece of paper for future reference as he skillfully played without question or hesitation for each combination. The class moved so quickly, I was sure I would never get the hang of it. The director ...

Here is a video from the Play Me I'm Yours project shot at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. Time certainly does go by. I can't believe I've already been here for nearly a year and I feel like I've barely begun. Enjoy the video, special appearance by Joy S. Grimes. For more videos from the Play Me I'm Yours project, click here . For photos, click here .

It must be a world-wide beautiful day today, at least in the northeast of the US anyway. It was a perfect Saturday to sit under a tree with my husband and dog, and just hang out for an afternoon. Here is another video from the Play Me, I'm Yours project on a day very similar to today. The weather was gorgeous, the sun was shining, and I discovered a gorgeous, small park in upper Manhattan called Harlem Art Park. The name certainly suited the piano that sat on the cobblestone courtyard, as it was brightly painted with New York City landmarks. Under the shade of picturesque trees, in a tucked away sanctuary in New York, seated at a vibrant piano, what else could I play, but "What a Wonderful World?" To see more photos from the Play Me, I'm Yours project, click here . To see more videos, click here .

This video is from the very last of the 60 pianos that I played for the Play Me, I'm Yours project in NYC. I remember how totally exhausted Eddie and I were as we scoured the city for the final piano. It happened to be one of only two pianos that were indoors, making it all the more difficult to find. As I reached into my brain for one last song to play by memory, I suddenly felt sad that our piano hunting journey would be over soon. So here is "Hey Jude" at the piano on 51st and Park Avenue. Enjoy. To see photos from the project, click here . To see videos, click here .

This is a video from the Play Me, I'm Yours project at Columbus Park in Brooklyn. Edelweiss has always been one of my favorite movie songs. I hope you enjoy it! To see more photos from the project click here . To see more videos, click here .

Thank goodness I have so many videos from the Play Me, I'm Yours project. I've committed to One Magical Moment Per Day, but to be honest, there are days when it's difficult to find that moment. There are days when I can't remedy my "blues," and conjuring up a fluffy paragraph or two just seems hypocritical. But when I look back at some of my videos, I can pull out a memory to share with you all and hope you see something in it that makes you smile for a moment. So here is a "blues" song from Gansevoort Plaza in Chelsea. I love the depth of this song by Ray Charles and I wish I could do it justice. Hope you enjoy.

This is a video from the Play Me, I'm Yours project . There are pianos made for classical music, there are pianos made for jazz music, and then there are pianos that are just perfect for honky-tonk music. This piano at Willoughby Plaza was one of them. Enjoy " Before the Next Teardrop Falls ." To see more photos, click here . To see more videos, click here .