Episode 58 - Listening In

🎙 Episode 58 – Listening In

G’day and welcome back to Piano, Finally—where a bloke learning piano later in life reports in from yet another theatre foyer. This week’s episode was written from the Northern Foyer of the Sydney Opera House, in the sunlight beneath John Olsen’s mural Salute to Slessor’s 5 Bells. A pre-concert talk with Jaime Martín and Genevieve Lang turned out to be one of the highlights of the week—more on that later.

🎨 More on the mural

📺 YouTube Feature – Aspen Music Festival and School

The Aspen Festival is back, and even if you can’t be there in person, you can still tune in from home. There are seven livestreams on their YouTube channel and on their Virtual Stage, featuring student and professional performances. Highly recommended if you’re looking for fresh inspiration or a reminder of just how good live music can be.

🎥 Aspen’s YouTube Channel

📝 Essay – Listening In

A Bill Hilton podcast sparked this week’s reflection: should we listen to recordings of the pieces we’re learning? For most of us, the answer is yes. Whether it’s YouTube performances of AMEB pieces (like Blackout Blues), a demo from your piano teacher, or a playback from notation software like Dorico or MuseScore, hearing a piece before (or while) learning it can be a huge help. And thanks to playback tools, you can even slow it down for practice or play along without needing a metronome.

🎹 Nord Stage 4 Review – The Effects Section

We wrap up the main parts of the Nord Stage 4 with a look at the effects engine. From reverb (room, hall, cathedral) to filters, phasers, delays, rotary speakers and more—there are dozens of ways to shape your sound, and most come with dual variations. The real challenge? Knowing when to stop tweaking.

🎼 Progress

Back to Wild Chase this week—polishing bars 9–16 and rounding out the ending. It’s shaping up well for the September showcase.

Also included: early work on Riders on the Storm using the Nord Stage 4 and presets from My Keys To Music. The sound is right, but the timing still needs work.

🎶 Pre-concert talk highlight: conductor Jaime Martín on childhood concerts, music in classrooms, and what Taylor Swift has in common with Diaghilev. A brilliant conversation hosted by Genevieve Lang.

🎼 More on the pre-concert talks

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