Episode 57 - Reading and Writing

🎙 Episode 57 – Reading and Writing

Welcome to Piano, Finally, a podcast about learning the piano—later in life and without the pressure. This week’s episode has been recorded a day early as I head off to the Opera House for another concert in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s subscription series—more on that next week.

🎧 The latest episode of the Chopin Podcast focuses on the Polonaises, including one I hadn’t heard before: the Polonaise-Fantaisie, which has quickly become a favourite. Denis Zhdanov’s performance on YouTube is a good place to start—though the double flats in bar four suggest it’ll be a while before I try playing it.

🎭 I also caught Prima Facie at Carriageworks this week—powerfully performed by Sof Forrest in a one-person show. A brilliant actor in a confronting work staged by Black Swan Theatre Company. If you see it advertised, make time—but check the content warnings.
More on the production

📺 YouTube Spotlight – James Shawcross
If you’ve ever wondered what hidden pianos lurk in American thrift shops and antique stores, James Shawcross’s new channel is for you. He plays the pianos as he finds them—no tuning, no touch-ups—just character. His earlier channel, The Piano Forever, also has some lovely playing and thoughtful commentary from a younger James.

📝 Essay – Reading and Writing
This week’s reflection connects two developing skills: improvising and musical literacy. Inspired by Devi’s suggestion, I’ve started experimenting with basic improvisation (hint: two low Cs go a long way). While I’m not composing yet, I’ve realised that music reading feels a lot like early language development—sounding out notes like syllables, slowly growing into musical fluency. If we’ve learned to write entire essays and emails, maybe staff notation isn't so impossible after all.

🎹 Nord Stage 4 Review – Sampling
We wrap up the review of the Nord’s synthesiser section by looking at its sampling capabilities. You can trigger ambient sounds (like thunder and rain for Riders on the Storm), or load full sample libraries of other instruments. The Nord Sample Editor lets you build your own playable samples—imagine turning your mandolin into a Nord patch. Check out Nord’s tutorial here.

🎼 Progress
Still working on Wild Chase by Wynn-Anne Rossi, now officially chosen as my piece for Devi’s September showcase (if I can get it there). Recorded on the Kawai NV10 with the Claire Fazioli f308 virtual piano.

🎶 Sydney Symphony: Ravel and Falla

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