Piano, finally
Piano Finally is a podcast by an old bloke who is learning the piano, finally. I cover the process of learning the piano and music theory as an adult learner. I also review piano books, hardware and other materials from an adult learner's perspective.
Episodes
G'day, everyone! Welcome to show number eighty-four. The holidays are officially over, and we are back into the swing of things at school. It’s been a busy week of planning and welcoming new classes, but it's always nice to have a fresh start.
Follow-up: Amazon Returns Last week, I mentioned receiving some dubious print-on-demand music books from Amazon. I’m happy to report that the return process was incredibly simple, an...
G'day, everyone! Welcome to show number eighty-three. I’m writing this week's show from a slightly different location:under the shade of a Eucalypt tree at the Stargazer Lawn in Barangaroo. It is the day of the dress rehearsal for the Belong Choir's performance at the Sydney Festival Vigil. The atmosphere is buzzing with activity as chairs are set up and the area is taped off. It’s been a busy weekend, but a privileg...
G'day, everyone! Welcome to show number eighty-two. I’ve just returned from a week in Queensland visiting family, though it meant very little piano practice happened. It’s been great working in the Belong Choir with Nardi Simpson, a Yuwaalaraay storyteller and composer, who makes the rehearsals inclusive and fun.
Podcast Recommendation: No one saw it coming I’m a big fan of history podcasts, and this week I recommend Marc Fenne...
Welcome to show eighty-one! It's scorching here—hitting 43°C—and I'm busy prepping for the new school year. I’m recording early this week as I’m heading to Queensland to assemble a 3D printer for the grandkids!
YouTube Review: Matthew Cawood - 30 Piano Techniques Matthew Cawood's video "30 Piano Techniques Explained in 15 Minutes" is excellent revision. He covers everything from basic articulation to ornamen...
G'day everyone! Welcome to show number eighty. It's the new year, and despite a rocky start with unseasonably cold morning swims, everything is going well here. I've been busy tidying up the house, potentially making room for a new keyboard once the driveway is sorted!
Podcast Update: The Rest is History I need to make a quick correction to last week’s episode. The new musical episodes of The Rest is History, covering...
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 -...
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 -...
Episode 77 - Christmas Shopping
G'day, everyone! Welcome to show number seventy-seven. Teaching has finally finished for the year, wrapping up with a wonderful awards ceremony and a staff performance that was definitely more enthusiastic than musical! I’m looking forward to my last piano lesson of the year this Monday, where Devi and I will pick out a few pieces to keep me busy over the break.
YouTube Review: Merriam Pianos - Hy...
G’day everyone, I’m David Reidy. Welcome to Piano, Finally, a podcast by an old bloke who’s getting around to learning the piano, finally.
In the lead-up to Christmas, practice opportunities appear and disappear in equal measure. A little more playing happened this week, though not as much as hoped. The 3D printer is busy producing small gifts for the staff party, and while it’s handy for personalised presents, it hasn’t yet found a...
G’day everyone, I’m David Reidy. Welcome to Piano, Finally — a podcast by an old bloke who’s getting around to learning the piano, finally.
With the exams marked and reports written, the last weeks of the school year bring a welcome return to regular practice (and twice-daily swimming). This week’s episode is built around a story in two parts: a run of theatre outings, and an unexpected new musical adventure.
🎭 Performances Around S...
We’re into the last three teaching weeks of the school year; final marking is nearly done, and I’m looking forward to a bit more time at the piano.
🎧 YouTube – Beethoven Literally Used Four Chords to Write Für Elise
YouTube analysis channels can be a goldmine. Jazz pianist Charles Cornell – co-founder of Better Piano and author of Jazz Piano Improv – has a terrific breakdown of Für Elise. He looks at the key (A minor), the 3/8 ...
G’day, I’m David Reidy. Welcome to Piano, Finally, a podcast by an old bloke who’s getting around to learning the piano, finally.
This week was light on practice thanks to Year 9 camp at Lake Macquarie and the start of exam-marking season, but there was still some playing – including at camp – and some reflections on what it means to practise where people can see you.
🎧 YouTube – 5 Minutes on… Moonlight Sonata
YouTube pointed me...
Welcome back to Piano, Finally — the podcast of one bloke who’s learning piano later in life.
This week’s episode is all about stepping up to new challenges and enjoying the progress along the way. I’ve been practising more than usual, working on three pieces — including my first “real” classical work: Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. It’s tricky, but rewarding, and I’m discovering just how much a single piece can transform practice fr...
G’day, everyone—and welcome back to Piano, Finally, a podcast by an old bloke learning the piano, finally.
This week’s episode recaps my trip to the Out West Piano Fest
in Bathurst—a weekend of incredible performances, great company, and the best farm food I’ve ever had.
🎼 Review – Out West Piano Fest
Held on Blackdown Farm and organised by Piano Plus, the festival brings together music, meals, and the scenic countryside ov...
🎧 This Week’s Competitions
The Out West Piano Fest is just around the corner, and I’ll be heading to Bathurst for the weekend—my first planned break from the podcast. If you’re there, say hello! Details at pianoplus.com.au/out-west-piano-fest-2025.
For those who enjoy piano competitions, the Honens International Piano Competition is underway, with finals streaming live and available afterwards on the Honens YouTube channel. Mea...
Episode 69 – It’s Not About the Money
Welcome back to Piano, finally, the podcast of one bloke learning piano later in life. This week’s episode was planned and drafted on the train to Sydney—an unusually productive commute at $6.90 each way!
🎧 YouTube and Podcast – 19th International Chopin Competition
Stage One of the 19th International Chopin Competition
has finished, with forty pianists progressing to the next round. I’...
Episode 68 – It Takes Time
G’day, everyone—and welcome back to Piano, Finally, the podcast from an old bloke who’s learning the piano, finally. This week’s episode comes to you from Queensland, recorded on portable Rode gear via an iPhone and edited in Cubase on a MacBook Pro. It’s also a rehearsal for the upcoming Out West Piano Fest, where I’ll be recording on location.
🎧 YouTube Feature – 19th International Chopin Competition
Episode 67 – If a job’s worth doing…
Welcome back to Piano, Finally, a podcast from an old bloke learning the piano later in life. Term three has wrapped up, and with it my piano lessons for now. Devi has me back on Wynn-Anne Rossi’s A Wild Chase, plus a new piece—Kevin Olson’s Machines on the Loose—and Juan Cabeza’s Diversion 1. Plenty to keep me busy through the break.
🎧 Podcast & YouTube – A Musical Séance
This week’s sug...
🎙 Episode 66 – Nothing’s Wasted
Welcome back to Piano, Finally, the podcast of one bloke learning piano later in life. This episode didn’t go quite as planned—I was meant to be sharing a recording from Devi’s piano showcase, but thanks to a calendar mishap, I missed it by a day. Disappointing, yes—but not wasted. The extra practice means I now have four polished pieces ready to play whenever someone asks.
🎧 YouTube Spotlight – Davi...
Episode 65 – Aspirations
Welcome back to Piano, Finally, the podcast from an old bloke learning the piano. With the showcase just a week away, I’ve doubled practice sessions—half an hour in the morning, twenty minutes in the afternoon—rotating between the Kawai NV10 and Nord Stage 4. Devi’s electric Kawai will be the instrument on the day, so I’m aiming to be ready, even if the occasional wrong note slips through.
🎧 YouTube Spotligh...
Popular Podcasts
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.
Listen to the latest news from the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the XXV Winter Olympics We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Milan Cortina Winter Olympics so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.