Episode 69 - It's Not About the Money

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’m following Anthony Ratinov, runner-up in Miami and a recent guest on Ben Laude’s Late Cho(pin). You can catch his first-round performance here, and find more interviews and highlights on the Chopin Institute YouTube channel. For extra insight, check out Ben Laude’s Patreon recaps and a short discussion between Ben and Ratinov here.

📝 Essay – It’s Not About the Money
Some approach music as a business, others as a passion. I fall into the latter group. While lessons, instruments, and concert tickets all cost money, for most of us learning later in life, the goal isn’t profit—it’s progress. Playing music for joy rather than financial return changes how we value practice and performance. Attending concerts, connecting with like-minded people, and encouraging students to pursue music for its own sake all reinforce the same truth: music’s real worth isn’t measured in dollars.

🎼 Review – Piano Glory Music Folder
Like Bill Hilton, I’ve rediscovered the benefits of paper scores. Digital versions are convenient, but writing on real paper feels more connected. Enter Piano Glory, a Sydney-based company creating sturdy music folders that hold pages without plastic sleeves—no reflections, easy annotations, and durable construction. Each folder holds up to forty pages, includes adhesive tabs and a pencil holder, and stays open on the stand. Not cheap, but beautifully designed and worth it. Check out Bill Hilton’s video that inspired the switch here.

🎶 Coming Up
Next week: the Blue Mountains Musical Society’s production of Legally Blonde (details here), and I’ll be starting the new term with Devi, tackling more Grade One pieces. Also, if you’re near the Blue Mountains, catch Devi performing later this month with the Khyal Trio (event info).

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