You Were Always On My Mind

Oh dear readers-----> What can I say? I can't stay away from you! I have missed writing to you and sharing music with you. It seems everyday for the past two weeks I have been watching music videos on YouTube thinking "Oh I should post this to the blog!" Only to stop and go, "Oh--- that's right...."

So, I have to come back. I couldn't stay away. I miss talking about music with you. Just be patient with me. The posts may not be regular as in daily. I am not the type to say "Every Monday you can look forward to a post!" I tend to take one day at a time and write when the inspiration hits. I hope you will understand. So how have you been? What have you been listening to? I want to hear everything!

The video that really hooked me and made me regret leaving the blog was an interview with Bill Evans, the great Jazz pianist.

What I adore about this interview is Bill's story about learning how to improvise. He talks about learning how to play anything from sheet music, but not being able to create music spontaneously. Now imagine being an artist who can only copy works of Van Gogh or Picasso, but cannot create original, spontaneous works. Can you imagine the frustration and boredom?!

Music education has not been set up the way Art Education is set up. At least in American culture, you learn how to play music from reading notes first. Now how does that make any sense? Learning music with your eyes??? What I love about Jazz, and what I love about this interview with Bill Evans, is that you can see that there is a school of thought that believes in the importance of using the ears exclusively to play music.

This is a contentious subject in the world of music education. Some feel very strongly in the traditional classical model of teaching, where you start on page one of your method book, playing quarter notes and half notes, never once straying from the page. The radicals are the ones who question this approach, but it seems strange to think of it as radical.

Another obsession I have had since we last parted is Elton John.

I love the way he plays piano and I LOVE the way he sings. In this video, he's all alone, so you really get to see him show off his skills. Makes me want to play, so I'm gonna leave you at that.

It's so nice to be with you again! Talk to you very soon!

Bella