Creativity 3/4

rhapsodydmb

Aug 10, 20235 min read

THE POETIC MUSE AND WHY I WRITE

Reading David Dowling’s pithy compendium of C. S. Lewis’ comments on writers and writing, (On Writing and Writers: A miscellany of advice...

26 views0 comments

"CECI'S CONUNDRUMS" (AKA "THE BORN-AGAIN PIANIST", a self-deprecatory moving flight of fictional fancy)

rhapsodydmb

Aug 9, 202313 min read

"CECI'S CONUNDRUMS" (AKA "THE BORN-AGAIN PIANIST", a self-deprecatory moving flight of fictional fancy)

(The first and last fabulous Fazioli I ever played in 2021 while testing grand pianos for purchase.) It was a dark and stormy night....

61 views0 comments

A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE: AGE AS A BLESSING OF CREATIVE OPPORTUNITY...OR ONLY A DEATH SENTENCE?

rhapsodydmb

Aug 6, 20235 min read

A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE: AGE AS A BLESSING OF CREATIVE OPPORTUNITY...OR ONLY A DEATH SENTENCE?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars.(1)

Am I past my "sell by" date? Let's just start out with a never-ending stereotype of what aging means in America today, by citing this...

66 views2 comments

rhapsodydmb

Jun 17, 20232 min read

THE JOY OF "PRACTICING"

I was recently talking with a piano teacher who hails from Kentucky, when she corrected something I had said. I mentioned "practicing"...

19 views0 comments

"PINK MAGNOLIA" (A short piano-love story)

rhapsodydmb

Jun 17, 20239 min read

"PINK MAGNOLIA" (A short piano-love story)

I thought I would share my first-ever fictional short story involving music and performance. Although based loosely on some of my...

51 views0 comments

WHAT IS MUSIC? (Part III: The Process and the Personal)

rhapsodydmb

Jun 8, 20232 min read

WHAT IS MUSIC? (Part III: The Process and the Personal)

Such simple and profound words describing music and its meaning in his life, were said on the CBS morning news today (6.8.23) by cellist...

23 views0 comments

WHEN LESS IS MORE (Guest Blog by Garreth Brooke)

rhapsodydmb

Jun 5, 20233 min read

WHEN LESS IS MORE (Guest Blog by Garreth Brooke)

INTRODUCTION: I know the above saying but often don't heed it, since I'm a woman who loves words! But today in homage to the theme, I...

42 views0 comments

rhapsodydmb

Jun 4, 20235 min read

GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT MUSIC

The renown and often respected piano teacher Henrich Neuhaus (1888 - 1964) thought that "amateurism" tainted the perfection that any...

71 views0 comments

AN HONEST RESPONSE TO THE ECSTASY OF CLASSICAL MUSIC!

rhapsodydmb

May 22, 20233 min read

AN HONEST RESPONSE TO THE ECSTASY OF CLASSICAL MUSIC!

Has classical music come back into favorable public opinion? Perhaps, even if public transit facilities are using it more and more to...

29 views0 comments

WHAT IS "MUSIC?" (Part II - Losing the North Star: The Modernists

rhapsodydmb

May 17, 20234 min read

WHAT IS "MUSIC?" (Part II - Losing the North Star: The Modernists

MIRED IN THE "MANY" Music and the art of composing are "creating One out of Many" says Igor Stravinsky in six lectures he presented at...

35 views0 comments

SO, WHAT IS "MUSIC?" (Part 1:The Common Understanding)

rhapsodydmb

May 11, 20233 min read

SO, WHAT IS "MUSIC?" (Part 1:The Common Understanding)

For that matter, what is "noise?" (Could not resist this cute picture of my cat "Mo" helping me contemplate this question, and the below...

30 views0 comments

A LEARNING PARTNERSHIP DOES NOT INVOLVE "COMPLIANCE", "FORCE", OR SUFFERING

rhapsodydmb

Apr 7, 20238 min read

A LEARNING PARTNERSHIP DOES NOT INVOLVE "COMPLIANCE", "FORCE", OR SUFFERING

The most beautiful illustration of the nature of relationship and teaching style under which I thrive, came when recently I interviewed,...

53 views0 comments

THE PAUSE THAT REFRESHES, AND MAKES MUSIC LIVE!

rhapsodydmb

Mar 30, 20235 min read

THE PAUSE THAT REFRESHES, AND MAKES MUSIC LIVE!

The COCA-COLA company claims that "Advertising slogans are a part of everyday life for consumers around the world,and Coca-Cola has...

43 views0 comments

PLAYING WHAT ONE LOVES, BUT LISTENING TO ALL

rhapsodydmb

Mar 26, 20236 min read

PLAYING WHAT ONE LOVES, BUT LISTENING TO ALL

One of the principal elements I seek in any piano teacher with whom I work, is that I be allowed to choose the pieces I want to learn,...

54 views0 comments

rhapsodydmb

Feb 28, 20235 min read

WHY DO SOME PRACTICE DAYS GO SO WELL?

Last night I played Schumann's "Traumerie," Mendelssohn's "Confidence (intermediate arrangement)," Schumann's "Foreign Lands," Aram...

13 views0 comments

HOW DO SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-CONFIDENCE DEVELOP?

rhapsodydmb

Feb 27, 20235 min read

HOW DO SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-CONFIDENCE DEVELOP?

Shaky self esteem and self confidence seem to be major challenges for many senior or "older" adult piano students. A former piano teacher...

23 views0 comments

FRIENDS, PIANISTS, & COUNTRYPEOPLE: LEND ME YOUR EAR!

rhapsodydmb

Feb 20, 20233 min read

FRIENDS, PIANISTS, & COUNTRYPEOPLE: LEND ME YOUR EAR!

Today after a short conversation with my composer-pianist friend Bruce, this strange idea came to me: Do you think up there somewhere in...

17 views0 comments

rhapsodydmb

Feb 6, 20236 min read

MUSIC - IN THE "RIGHT" TIME!

Bruce, a composer-pianist-broker friend who is significant to my growing musical confidence and knowledge, recently asked why my music...

73 views0 comments

LISTENING TO ONE’S “INNER VOICE” IN A HANG DRUM - by Raven Crone (Guest Blog; with Rowley & Joy)

rhapsodydmb

Feb 5, 20236 min read

LISTENING TO ONE’S “INNER VOICE” IN A HANG DRUM - by Raven Crone (Guest Blog; with Rowley & Joy)

I was reading two poems about “Inner Voices,” in a manuscript of Ann’s second volume of poetry which is scheduled for publication later...

13 views0 comments

rhapsodydmb

Jan 25, 20238 min read

THE "FLOW" - A MYSTERIOUS CONCEPT

Words fascinate me. When I was in early grammar school and it was about time to leave for school in the morning, my mom used to find me...

47 views0 comments

Subscribe to blog & publication updates

A soft place to land to read poetry & stories about music & share our love of piano adventures!