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Never Too Late PodcastEpisode 33. Matt Rowe – You are enough! The power of living through joy and loveIn this episode I had the privilege of chatting to Matt Rowe who is the Author of Belief to Heal, a certified health coach, reiki and meditation practitioner, an all American triathlete in 2007, recovered from both MS and a paralysis in his right leg, runs the identity of health wellness coaching and podcast, and travels internationally to speak on belief, healing and possibility. What a privilege it was to chat to Matt and I am so grateful for his time and the opportunity to meet him.Here are some key points that Matt and I spoke about:
2023-08-2058 min
Piano Meditations PodcastEpisode 210, 11-30-22A good crowd again tonight; the evening is evolving to include more audience participation! Some are dancing, others pick up handheld percussion and join the beat, and it's really turning into more of a party vibe. I'm fine with it, but not sure how it will be perceived by people listening to the podcast who may be wanting relaxing piano music.
This has always been an experiment, so hopefully people will stay with me on this journey!
2022-12-0143 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 209, 11-22-22Twelve people tonight! I finally did a more substantial dive into the looping equipment. It's still a steep learning curve, but each week it gets a little more comfortable. I really appreciate everyone's willingness to stay with me on this journey!
2022-11-2444 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 208, 11-16-22What a treat to have our son in town, and to have him join in on drums! Also, a new friend Marcus came and played guitar. I only have two mics, so I just used them as room mics, but I'm afraid it didn't do a great job of capturing all three of us. Nonetheless, the evening was terrifically fun, and many in the audience picked up handheld percussion instruments and joined in as well. Let's see where this goes!
2022-11-1752 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 207, 11-2-22OK I had to start sometime. The first piece incorporated my looper, the Boss RC505. In the coming weeks you will hear more attempts at layering sounds with instruments I have around the house as well as synths in the recording software.
It took me a little while to "get into the groove" but I know enough not to force it or judge it, and just keep going till inspiration arrives. I somehow found myself quoting "Dancing Queen". Felt the urge for ragtime. Went back to my roots playing for modern dance classes. Enjoy.
2022-11-0348 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 206, 10-26-22I came so close to using the looper/computer tonight but ran into last-minute routing issues. I spent the half hour before start time dealing with it, and then having to just let it go and get into the mental space for improvising. Anyway, I kept to sonorous harmonies for the most part, but the second piece was a bit "Halloweeny". The last piece fell into the first three notes of a Chopin Nocturne (or is it a Prelude...?) for the thematic material.
2022-10-2743 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 205, 10-19-22It took me a little while to settle into a flow tonight. I found myself leaning towards repeating the thematic material of the prior piece, so I was working against myself! I finally just let it meander a bit, then it felt much better. Some quotes showed up tonight; "But Beautiful" by Bill Evans, a tune from Fiddler on the Roof, and apparently I played part of a song by Queen, but it was news to me! Enjoy.
2022-10-2045 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 204, 10-12-22Some new guests tonight! Always a treat for me. At the end one shared that they felt transported, and surprisingly un-distracted. She said she's usually thinking about something else whatever is going on, but tonight the music kept her in the moment. I consider that a high compliment! But that is the goal; if I can truly follow the musical impulse and allow myself to become totally absorbed in the flow of the music, perhaps those listening will come along for the ride. Sounds like that was achieved tonight! Enjoy.
2022-10-1346 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 203, 9-28-22Nice group tonight. It's also our anniversary; 36 years! I started with Thomas Pond, a piece I wrote when I first met my future wife and felt I had to do anything in my power to impress her. Gotta play to your strengths, right?
Anyway, had fun with some cinematic sounds tonight, some spritely jaunts and some slow jazz jams. Enjoy.
2022-09-2942 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 202, 9-21-22Went with triads to start, threw out a waltz, tried a steady bass groove and resisted changing the chord till the very end, and riffed on a Bach piece. Enjoy!
2022-09-2245 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 201, 9-14-22We're baaack! I still plan to start working with loops and computer equipment, but why not also just make up music on the piano? (rhetorical question)
We had a nice crowd of friends and neighbors, so it feels great to host and have a format for people to enjoy each other's company and also listen to music for 45 minutes. I was leaning into impressionistic harmonies tonight, which is kind of my jam anyway. Enjoy.
2022-09-1545 min
Hammer Down Racing ReportToledo Speedway Winner Blake Rowe & Palmyra Speedway's John BaileyFresh off his Midwest Modified Tour win at Toledo Speedway and winner of the ARCA/CRA Late Models portion of last year's Glass City 200, Blake Rowe joins us. Plus John Bailey from Palmyra Speedway is back with us to talk about the growing success of his kart dirt track. And of course, all the latest racing news and results! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-05-271h 42
Horsepower HappeningsS4E15 Feat Gregg Dalman & Blake RoweOn this week's episode of Horsepower Happenings, hear from Gregg Dalman, who put his sprint car on the bottom of I-96 Speedway and drove to a win Friday night. Plus, Blake Rowe, who went 2/2 in Modified action over the weekend.
2022-05-171h 09Piano Meditations PodcastEpisode 200, 5-11-22We did it! 200 episodes over four (five?) years. I started this project to practice allowing the music to flow through me, and trust the process. I've gained confidence that the music is good quality and something interesting seems to have happened every week. Taking a break now till after the summer. In the fall I plan to start again with a different format. I'd love to hear your comments, please leave a review, tell your friends, you know the drill! See you in September!
2022-05-1256 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 199, 5-4-22A dozen people tonight! When we have a good crowd like that, we open it up for applause; if it's just a few people it sort of sounds sad, so I play straight through without applause. I don't think any quotes came into the fingers tonight. Definitely digging into more energetic playing.
Next week will be the 200th episode. After that I plan to take a break for a while, regroup and start again in the fall with more prepared pieces. I hope to incorporate computer sounds and looping techniques, and possibly create composed music from previous...
2022-05-0545 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 198, 4-27-22Small group tonight; I was feeling more introspective and just went with it for the most part. I also felt a little disconnected from the "muse", but I didn't want to fall back to tried and true sonorities, so towards the end I just started playing really randomly and didn't try to "make sense" of it. At some point I just went with the energy and it kind of turned into a strange Stravinsky-meets-Cecil Taylor kind of thing, with a touch of Rachmaninoff thrown in!
2022-04-2846 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 197, 4-20-22I've been exploring more rhythmic and energetic playing. Part of it is knowing I have some dancers in the dining room, and others tuning in and moving to the music! The "Meditations" part of Piano Meditations is really about my attempt to get into a flow state and let the music literally flow out; it is not so much about providing music for meditation! A lot of my playing does tend to be more introspective, but that's because it gives me a little more time to listen to the direction of the music. It's more challenging to play fast...
2022-04-2146 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 196, 4-13-22Drummer Dan Burke joined us again! Once again, the music went in totally new directions with the addition of percussion. Most of the music was still completely free improv, but I went in a more jazz sound and played a blues (or sort of a blues!) and a rendition of When Sunny Gets Blue. It feels strange to ask people not to clap (so that the podcast is just the music), so you'll hear that. But hey, it's living room concert!
2022-04-1450 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 195, 4-6-22As I was playing the first piece, I realized I was touching on Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", so I just went for it. Later, the first two chords reminded me of Stephen Foster's "Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair" so I went for that too, but somehow it turned into a rag! I played one piece that was pretty atonal, which sometimes helps me get out of "functional harmony" habit. It was fun.
We are in the countdown to a pause, and a change of sound. We will probably go to a monthly format, and I...
2022-04-0745 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 194, 3-30-22After two weeks away from the piano, there's a feeling that I might not be in my best form, but often the opposite happens, as it did tonight. I think it's because my ears are more attuned to the notes because it seems fresh and new.
Not many quotes tonight, but one was pretty funny; I was doing a waltzy thing and somehow "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" popped up. Go figure.
2022-03-3143 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 193, 3-9-22It's my wife's birthday tomorrow so we invited a bunch of our friends for a quick celebration before the music. 14 people! I started with the piece of music I wrote for Sharon when we first met, "Thomas Pond" (didn't practice it first; whoops!). Then I did an improv on the same piece. I was feeling my old ballet accompaniment roots, so lots of steady rhythms and four bar phrases!
2022-03-1047 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 192, 3-2-22Except for one piece that was sort of atonal, I felt pretty good about most of the music tonight. It's unrealistic to expect myself to be inspired on every piece! Sometimes I'm just not sure what I'm doing, but now I keep going rather than bail out. It's like riding a horse; sometimes there's a great connection between my brain and my fingers, sometimes not.
2022-03-0344 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 191, 2-23-22What a treat to have a guest musician! Sometimes you don't realize just how much you're missing until it comes true. Drummer Dan Burke fully embraced the totally-free music-making, and provided a rhythmic foundation to every piece. His support gave me a sense of confidence with my own rhythm, and I felt the music went in a whole new direction! We had a big audience, too, so it made sense to include the applause.
2022-02-2648 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 190, 2-9-22I was wearing a very bold striped shirt tonight and a few guests mentioned barbershop quartets, so of course the music was influenced! Most of the pieces had a "functional harmony" feel, and I tried a jazzy walking bass kind of thing. Enjoy.
2022-02-1043 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 189, 2-3-22I keep diving into romantic harmonies! Rachmaninoff is a big influence, so why the hell not. One piece was a one-off jazz ballad. I ended the evening with a new-agey, impressionistic Garden of Eden kind of thing. Enjoy.
2022-02-0445 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 188, 1-26-22Fresh tuning; sorry about the last few weeks! Had a boisterous crew tonight, so I felt like diving right into something dramatic. After that I was in the mood for a waltz and a rag! I played a piece that borrowed a feel from Mendelssohn's Songs without Words, and a quasi 5/8 piece that borrowed a left hand riff from Chick Corea. Also played a standard I love, When Sunny Gets Blue. Enjoy.
2022-01-2744 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 187, 1-19-22Had a bunch of people over for chili and homemade bread before the music!
I tried to approach the music with an image in my mind, and thought it could be an inspiration for what to play. It didn't work. The music itself took over.
Enjoy.
2022-01-2041 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 186, 1-12-22Felt like stretching harmonically tonight, which was fun. Hearing two different chords simultaneously helped to open my ears to some new directions. Enjoy!
2022-01-1341 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 185,1-5-22Stretched a bit on a couple pieces, and it reminds me of the balance between playing it safe and going out on a limb. The pieces felt a little uncomfortable and awkward, but I've learned not to bail to and just power through. I'm including them because that's kind of the point of this podcast! You might hear some melody snippets of songs you know; will leave it to you to find them!
2022-01-0652 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 184, 12-29-21One of the pieces began like Paul Simon's Sound of Silence, but I went elsewhere. At the end, some chords evolved into rising thirds, which reminded me both of Silver Bells and Blue Monk, so... I kind of played both at the same time!
2021-12-3041 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 183, 12-22-21Tonight I dug into the kind of sonorities I was wanting to hear, reminding myself that so much of this project is to do exactly that. Sometimes I try to challenge myself to go into unfamiliar styles or genres, and that is a good exercise, but I feel most at home with a particular sound that seems to draw my ear into it, and I more successfully become absorbed in it. I also messed with the mixer settings which may have helped with some of the ringing in the audio. This piano does create a LOT of overtones, but...
2021-12-2637 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 182, 12-15-21I didn't feel very psyched to play tonight, and I wondered if the music would feel stiff and unimaginative. I didn't share this with our guests and started playing as usual. Sure enough, the music just kind of takes over, and everything felt fine!
2021-12-1641 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 181, 12-8-21Three people here tonight. Went in several different directions tonight; started a rolling thing that turned into a tribute to Stephen Sondheim. One piece became an epic 50s ballad, and the last piece began as an imitative melodic counterpoint which somehow evolved into Simple Gifts. Enjoy.
2021-12-0942 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 180, 12-1-21Felt like playing faux jazz standards tonight. I attempted to create melodies that sounded like songs! I suppose it was inevitable that real songs would show up. First came Oh What a Beautiful Morning, which associatively led to America, which led to Imagine. I'll leave it to you to figure out those associations.. It was a little shorter tonight, sorry!
2021-12-0240 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 179, 11-24-21Ten people here tonight! On the night before Thanksgiving! Pushed myself a bit tonight; tried a few new pathways, and hit a few stumbly notes! Hey, it's all grist for the mill. Went back to my days as a ballet accompanist and played a boisterous waltz. One piece was all about how chords can spill into each other. Another piece felt a little Russian folk, perhaps?
2021-11-2545 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 178, 11-17-21Really dug into some thematic elements tonight. A motif of a few notes really can be the fuel which propels the music forward. It's also a balancing act, because you also don't want overdo a theme and render it boring. It's certainly fun to play with the balance! Enjoy.
2021-11-1843 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 177, 11-11-21Nice group tonight! Worked with some motifs and explored different harmonies with them. Towards the end I started a blues, but I wasn't really feeling connected to a "free blues" so I segued into a version of God Bless the Child. After that I still felt like staying with a jazz sound so the next piece was Manhã de Carnaval, also known as Black Orpheus. Enjoy.
2021-11-1243 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 176, 11-3-21I do tend to follow a certain arc to each evening's music; the first one is a rolling piece that evolves gently, then I tend to dig a little deeper into some more complex harmonies, then try a rhythmic thing that moves and builds. After that I often do a more simple, easy thing, then maybe another energetic piece, or a very somber dirge. Whatever the particular flow, I try to have variety and some development over the course of the set. Now watch me mess with it now that I've described the "usual"! Hey, whatever; enjoy!
2021-11-0440 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 175, 10-27-21Something happens when you don't question your choices. The confidence to own your choices creates a kind of inevitability of the music, and by allowing it to happen, it somehow generates music that has a deliberate quality to it. The more I explore this kind of expression, the more it takes on a life of its own. Thanks for joining me on this exploration.
2021-10-2841 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 174, 10-20-21Ok, tonight felt a bit like catharsis. Maybe self indulgent, maybe not, you decide. I wasn't in the best mood starting in, so I just went with the feelings that were there. The second piece just went wherever it wanted and I let it go! Probably not the most "meditative" but it was nonetheless still in "flow". Curious if you have comments!
2021-10-2145 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 173, 10-13-21Pretty big group tonight, but Facebook didn't allow Livestreaming. So this is it! It's way better audio quality anyway. Really felt good about the flow of tonight's music.
2021-10-1442 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 172, 10-6-21New guest tonight, always fun. Started with fifths because I was showing our new guest a simple way to create harmony and add melody. Not sure if it was this one, but on one piece I fell into a bit of "El Condor Pasa". The second piece began as an exploration of an upbeat tempo, but it went pretty dark at times. I chose a high, quiet sound as a contrast for the next piece. It touched on "Tender Shepherd" from Peter Pan. The next piece was sort of a standard jazz tune that never repeated anything! Finally, I...
2021-10-0742 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 171, 9-29-21A big part of what I do with these pieces is to see if I can hear what the next chord or melody movement should be. I also try to keep a certain thematic unity with whatever happens with the first notes. It helps my ear, but what's also interesting is when I think something will sound a certain way, but it doesn't, I then have to retroactively try to make it make musical sense! Fun and risk combined!
2021-09-3045 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 170, 9-22-21New guests tonight; always a treat! Dug into a lot of alternating notes tonight, and rhythmic shifts.
2021-09-2343 min
Horsepower HappeningsS3E35 Feat Blake Rowe, Dona Marcoullier & Cayden LapcevichA massive show tonight features Blake Rowe, who in his first Toledo Speedway start won the Glass City 200. Plus, Cayden Lapcevich who won his second (Outlaw) Glass City 200. And, Dona Marcoullier, who won the Allstar Performance Late Model Challenge Series Championship.
2021-09-211h 20Piano Meditations PodcastEpisode 169, 9-15-21Yom Kippur Eve; small but appreciative audience tonight. Going ever deeper into favorite sonorities, not concerning myself with being "new". Maybe you've heard similar music in previous episodes, but every evening is its own experience. NOTE: I didn't set the phone to Do Not Disturb for the Livestream, and I got a call in the middle of the music. Oops! I guess that track won't ever be on an album! Enjoy.
2021-09-1642 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 168, 9-9-21Nine listeners live tonight. I approached the music tonight with the idea of working with a smaller set of musical materials. I thought i could limit myself and perhaps dig deeper into the themes. I'm not sure i succeeded, but it did make a difference to take more time to explore. The music still took off on its own trajectory, of course, but I like the idea of having a stated direction.
2021-09-1044 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 167, 9-1-21Just our dedicated neighbors in attendance tonight, but it is a deluge outside with a tornado warning, after all. The melody on first piece was reminding me of something, but I couldn't tell what it was while I was playing it, so I just kept gnawing on it. Listening back, I can tell it was "People Will Say We're in Love". We went to concert last night at our (same) neighbors house where we heard "I Could Have Danced All Night", and sure enough it found its way into a piece tonight. The evening ended with some romantic, passionate...
2021-09-0244 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 166, 8-18-21Ten guests tonight! It makes all the difference in the world knowing people are listening live. Tonight's music tended toward more 'groove-based'. More repeating patterns over different harmonies. Enjoy.
2021-08-1942 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 165, 8-11-21After a two week hiatus for vacations, I truly wasn't sure what the music would end up being. Like an old friend, the sounds of this awesome Steinway proved a good guide. Went to some unusual sonorities (for me) and it was intriguing to explore.
2021-08-1245 minHorsepower HappeningsS3E29 Feat Blake Rowe & Rusty SchlenkBig money big money big money - that's what we're talking about tonight on Horsepower Happenings. First, the guys talk with Blake Rowe, winner of the Hot Shoe 100 paying north of $10,000. Then, Rusty Schlenk is on the show to talk about his $33K Wood Tic 75 win at Merritt Speedway. No whammies!
2021-08-101h 10Piano Meditations PodcastEpisode 164, 7-21-21Tonight I tried to incorporate sounds from the computer software, but I forgot to record the piano; so I'm not including just the computer sounds in tonight's episode. The episode is about 15 minutes shorter as a result.
Growing up, I took to extremes my father's advice to "delay gratification" and "postpone reward", so I kept trying to get better before I performed. No more! Hopefully you will indulge my learning curve as I gradually get better incorporating the studio, rather than toil at home and emerge as a master ten years from now...
2021-07-2230 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 163, 7-7-21The first two pieces tonight were very tongue-in-cheek; it's actually tough to be genre-specific and not fall into an existing tune. "Blue Monk" kind of had to happen! After that, I did a bit of a reset and slowed down to exploring single notes and voice leading. I was very happy to be able to play tonight; I just had shoulder surgery last Friday!
2021-07-0843 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 162, 6-30-21As anyone who follows this podcast knows, I really don't plan ahead of time what the music will be, or even the general mood or energy. Tonight tended toward the operatic for some reason! I started with a canon where the melody was following itself around, and ended with something that sounded like it was the finale of some epic drama. Enjoy!
2021-07-0143 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 161, 6-23-21Feeling a little energetic tonight! A few quotes made their way in; Still Crazy After All These Years, something from Jesus Christ, Superstar, Dream On (Aerosmith), probably others of which I'm unaware. Had a good group of in-person folks tonight. Feels so good!
2021-06-2449 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 160, 6-16-21Tonight I wasn't feeling too inspired and I had the sense I was likely to "plagiarize myself" if I didn't really commit to listening to the notes and being honest in their development. So, that's what I did, and it ended up feeling great! The pieces necessarily started off slowly, and over time built in intensity.
2021-06-1744 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 159, 6-9-21Several pieces took a little longer to take shape tonight. I stayed with one or two chords and just waited until I found some direction. It's tempting to just start doing something for fear of sounding aimless or boring, but then there's the wisdom I saw on someone's shirt at a meditation retreat; "Don't just do something, sit there!"
2021-06-1048 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 158, 6-2-21So nice to have live audiences again! I was feeling very mellow tonight, and I thought I'd be actually playing music for meditation tonight, but, as usual, the music went its own direction. Still pretty mellow, but I got into a few energetic grooves. Enjoy!
2021-06-0349 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 157, 5-26-21Tonight’s music is all an exploration of the three-note theme (1-7-6) offered by NASA to accompany the Lucy Mission, meant to encourage musical creation and discovery. NASA may use the music if they like (yes to Creative Commons license, NASA!).
#nasalucysoundscape
I tried to use the motif in many different ways. One of our guests tonight had associations with the different planets! One piece is very dissonant, which could be asteroids colliding... or whatever comes up for you. enjoy!
2021-05-2747 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 156, 5-19-21New guests again tonight! All vaccinated, feels great. The piano was just tuned by the great Victor La Gamma, so I always lean into the rich deep chords that just feel so good.
2021-05-2042 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 155, 5-12-21We're back to live audience in earnest! Eight people tonight, and some new guests! A couple quotes crept in; Brother Can You Spare a Dime, Rainbow Connection, maybe more. A nice waltz at the end, some minor ruminations, a jazzy romp, a little of everything tonight!
2021-05-1342 min2021-05-0641 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 153, REPOST of 8-30-17I didn't catch the fact that my audio defaulted to a different microphone, which resulted in very poor audio, so tonight is a revisit to episode 4, August 30, 2017. This HAS been going for awhile!
2021-04-2946 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 152, 4-21-21We had a huge crowd tonight; six people! ;)
It's so wonderful beginning to play again for people in the room hearing the actual vibrations of the piano. Of course I'm very happy people enjoy the music on FB and the pro-audio podcast, too, but something unique does happen with the symbiosis of performer and audience. Tonight's music felt very good, hope you enjoy!
2021-04-2241 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 151, 4-14-21More live guests tonight! Feels so good to socialize again now that we're vaccinated. Nothing special to report about the music, but I hope you like it!
2021-04-1543 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 150, 4-7-21Wow, episode 150! There's one spot where you may hear something else going on; Sharon was streaming on another platform and someone wasn't muted. Hey, it's a momentary duet!
My hands were tired from chopping wood earlier today. Took a few minutes to loosen up. Anyway, enjoy! If you would, I'd appreciate a review of the podcast.
2021-04-0843 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 149, 3-31-21Our friend Erik came over to listen! Sharon hosted a listening session on another platform, too; just having new ears added a sense of focus for me tonight. Hoping we can start to have more vaccinated people over soon.
The second to last piece was quoting something, maybe Ravel's Bolero, maybe something else. Erik was talking about Chick Corea's "My Spanish Heart" so I may have been influenced! Enjoy.
2021-04-0147 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 148, 3-24-21Some pieces felt great tonight; two in the middle less so. It seems I have the hardest time really listening and getting into a groove when I play 'genre-ish" music; either going for a jazz sound or using very functional harmony and chord changes. Curious to hear some feedback on this idea! Can you tell when I'm not feeling inspired?
2021-03-2546 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 147, 3-17-21Almost forgot it was St Patrick's Day! For the last piece I improvised a little 6/8 mixolydian mode thing to sound vaguely Irish... Somehow Moon River crept in on another piece. I started one piece with an idea towards fugue, but it ended up just being something in a minor key. In any case, hope you enjoy.
2021-03-1844 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 146, 3-10-21Happy birthday to my wonderful wife Sharon! Throughout this pandemic she has been usually my only in-person audience, but thankfully she enjoys what I do! Tonight's music felt like it had more movement in it; I posed the idea on the Facebook Piano Meditations Livestream that people may enjoy moving to the music, so I suppose that's why it felt that way... Anyway, on one piece I was kind of already falling into the chords for Gershwin's "Summertime", so at one point I tried actually playing it. Interestingly, when you aren't quite sure of the harmonies and you have t...
2021-03-1145 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 145, 3-3-21Just going for pretty sounds tonight. I tried to listen for multiple melodic lines and keep track of them. The only known quote was the beginning of the Star Trek theme as I started a piece. I had to, couldn't help it...
2021-03-0442 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 144, 2-24-21Got the high quality audio back online! Calling this episode 144 instead of 143 because the podcast app is calling it that. Maybe it's still counting the intro episode, who knows. No conscious quotes tonight, just putting the focus on allowing the music to take its own path.
2021-02-2547 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 142, 2-17-21iPhone audio only; sorry! I had trouble with my studio computer in the moments before the Facebook Livestream. This audio has been extracted from the livestream recording, so the quality is not great. I'm experimenting with an audio setup which may allow me to channel the pro-quality microphones into the FB livestream, so the quality will be as good as the podcast!
2021-02-2348 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 141, 2-10-21I've said this before but tonight was again one of those nights where I felt like I was in a "same-old", kind of uninspired place, but by now I know better than to start editing or judging myself harshly while it's happening. I just keep going, maybe coming to the same old chord progressions I use so often, but I keep listening and allowing whatever's happening to just happen. Then, sure enough, some little spark starts going and the music catches a groove and I can ride it out. The only melody that presented itself tonight was Tender Shepherd...
2021-02-1145 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 140, 2-4-21The only spontaneous melody quotes that popped up tonight were "As Long as He Needs Me" and "Desafinado". A friend asked for something Satie-like and my wife asked for deep, rich tones. I try to oblige. The piano was tuned today by the great Victor LaGamma, so naturally I was drawn to those deep, rich tones! Enjoy.
2021-02-0544 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 139, 1-29-21I asked Sharon (my beloved) if she wanted to hear anything in particular tonight and she suggested I take my time exploring the tones and not feel any need to "develop" or build the momentum or energy. So I did, and I didn't! It takes restraint to stay with a sound longer than usual, or even comfortable, but sure enough, it then opens up in a new way. Enjoy.
2021-01-2842 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 138, 1-24-21Bonus Episode! I am a pianist at the Noyes Rhythm camp in Portland, CT for over 35 years, and I offered a Piano Meditations evening as an auction item for a fundraiser. The person who was highest bidder decided to open it up to the whole community, so I livestreamed it on Facebook. At the camp, the evening activity is a "Playtime", where the dancers come down to the dance space (the Pavalon) nestled in the woods and open on all sides. Kerosene lanterns light the floor and the pianist plays jazz, ragtime, classical music and improvisations on the grand...
2021-01-2555 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 137, 1-20-21Happy Inauguration Day! I for one am very happy to have a new administration. It also happened to be my birthday.. Tonight's music was for dancing and feeling good!
2021-01-2145 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 136, 1-13-21Ok back to (mostly) mellow. A number of tunes crept in tonight; see if you can spot them! Some are actually the tune, others are snippets. Tonight's last piece was a riff on the melodic shape of Bach's Prelude #1.
2021-01-1445 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 135, 1-7-21Sometimes you have to shake it up. "Meditations" doesn't necessarily mean "mellow". I make bigger mistakes when I'm playing fast or in uncharted territory, but that's half the reason I started doing this in the first place. And as my old improv teacher Anne Farber once said, "There are no mistakes in improvisation, just new directions". So there you go.
2021-01-0842 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 134, 12-30-20Well, I took a break, and I sort of thought it might be time to move on to other musical projects, but I missed the process! Plus, by now there are many subscribers to this podcast, and I have to believe people are enjoying the music, so, let's keep going!
2020-12-3144 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 133, 12-23-20Happy Holidays and first day after the Winter Solstice! Tonight's music had a few familiar tunes circling around, and I went for some sparkly sounds and bell chimes. I love how "Ain't Misbehavin" and "Santa Claus is Comin' to town" have the same chord progression. Enjoy.
2020-12-2444 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 133, 11-25-20I'm still not sure if i'm back to a new episode every week, but it actually feels like I'm missing something if it doesn't happen! I personally enjoy listening back myself, so it's almost like I buy a new CD each week...
I know a lot of people enjoy listening to the podcast while cooking, doing yoga, having tea, etc, so I tend to not get too bombastic; plus, when I really start playing fast I can't truly hear where the music wants to go, and I fall into "rote" phrases that I know I can play...
2020-11-2644 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 132, 11-18-20I decided to take a break from making a new episode weekly, as you may know. At this point I may repost a previous episode, or make a new one! The piano was just tuned by the great Victor LaGamma, so naturally I wanted to share the beautiful richness that this piano has. Enjoy.
2020-11-1947 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 131, 10-7-20I asked my wife if there was anything she'd like to hear tonight and she said she'd like to hear the kind of brooding minor sounds from "Game of Thrones". We also talked about Cinema Paradiso tonight, so the theme was circling around. Whatever was happening in the moment I tried to let it go where it willed, but every now and then brought back a main chord or motif. I'm realizing I should change the intro, too, by the way. Aside from the piano being badly out of tune, friends and neighbors don't come over, we don't have...
2020-10-0843 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 130, 9-30-20Really feeling dance phrasing tonight; Four bars, chord progressions, predictable melodic contours, the whole thing. Naturally, a lot of songs suggested themselves so I explored them a bit. "Michelle", a touch of "Yesterday", a melody from Jesus Christ Superstar, I think even the theme from All Things Considered. In any case, I was imagining my dancing friends from Noyes School of Rhythm who sometimes use these evenings as their "Playtime". Hope I made you move! Enjoy.
2020-10-0141 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 129, 9-23-20Went a little out there tonight! Hope this isn't being listened to during a spa or actual meditation! Even so, I gotta break out a little now and then and work my fingers into some unfamiliar territory. And who knows; it happens rather often that I think I'm going crazy when I'm playing, but listening back it actually sounds like it makes sense. Go figure. There's plenty of mellow stuff in tonight's episode as well. Enjoy.
2020-09-2444 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 128, 9-16-20My sonic palate seems to be centering around a set number of "archetypical" approaches; I don't feel as if I'm copying myself, and I do get into the emotional feel of the music, so I'm certainly not bothered by it, but at the same time, I'm not trying to push boundaries or stretch my technical abilities. Part of me feels like I'm being lazy or getting into a rut, but the other part is like, "I'm playing exactly what I feel like playing, so what's wrong with that? Absolutely nothing!" Enjoy.
2020-09-1744 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 127, 9-9-20Knowing I have a few friends who like to dance to Piano Meditations definitely influences what I play sometimes! Tonight I played around with seconds (as in notes next to each other) and triple meters. It felt more "dancey" so of course I just went with it. I tried a little bouncy two-step at the end. Those can be hard because they pull so strongly into "functional harmony" which tends to box me in, but it's a fun challenge nonetheless. Enjoy.
2020-09-1041 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 126, 9-2-20Felt a little off tonight, but I know better than to judge it while it's happening! The humidity is making some notes stick and I have a squeak in the pedal, so I may have just been distracted. In any case, tonight music went pretty mellow for the most part. A few quotes worked their way in; "Still Crazy After All These Years", and some camp song about the Titanic going down. Go figure...
2020-09-0343 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 125, 8-19-20Had a few family members come for dinner and stay for the music. Opened all the windows for the best ventilation, so of course tonight's music became a duet with the sounds of nightlife outside. Enjoy!
2020-08-2040 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 124, 8-12-20Really focusing on enjoying rich tonality and melody tonight; not too worrying about structure or development, and letting "free" actually mean free! Tonight's music had a few quotes; I fell into Gershwin's "I Loves You, Porgy" after realizing after the fact I had already played a bit of the melody. Also, messing around with intervals of thirds, it naturally went into a touch of "Soon It's Gonna Rain" from The Fantasticks (looking at you, Janice!). Enjoy!
2020-08-1343 minPiano Meditations Podcastpisode 123, 7-28-20iPhone-only audio tonight, sorry! Once again I forgot to hit record with my wonderful studio mics. I have to always remember there's more music where I found it tonight. I felt good about the pieces, so I hope you can get past the lo-fi audio. Enjoy.
2020-07-3047 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 122, 7-22-20So many subscribers and listeners say they find Piano Meditations relaxing, calming, mellow, etc that I find I'm leaning into that vibe! I do try to mix it up in the course of the evening; both for my sake and to make sure it doesn't become too much like background music. However, it's nice to know people are finding it enjoyable, in any case.
2020-07-2346 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 121, 7-8-20I lost an episode in there somewhere, so I called this one #121 so it lines up with the official podcast count. Just played live for my wonderful wife tonight, but it's encouraging knowing people are also listening from home! Tonight's music kept to relatively familiar territory; hopefully explored in a fresh way. Enjoy.
2020-07-0941 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 119, 6-30-20Had some new guests who enjoyed the music from the front yard. They brought dinner! Can't beat that. The rain began just as the last chord was fading away. Tonight the music was in a major mood. Some upbeat, some mellow, a conversation about Bruce Hornsby inspired a riff from "The Way it Is". There was another quote at the end, but I still don't know what what I was quoting. If you hear it, help me out! I think it was a song from the 50s.
2020-07-0242 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 118, 6-24-20 Big night; three guests! Rather than have everyone in the living room they sat outside on the grass and I had the windows wide open. Side benefit; apparently they were dancing! I had a little Latin feel to one piece, and "Maria" from West Side Story crept in somehow. Enjoy.
2020-06-2546 minPiano Meditations PodcastEpisode 117, 6-17-20Thank you for the amazing tuning, Victor LaGamma! It's funny, the last couple of weeks I felt I hadn't been really listening deeply as I played, and sure enough, with everything in such alignment tonight, it felt like the notes were just lining up in the order they should be played, and all I had to do was drop them in their spots. I leaned into more of a jazz feel at the beginning, then did a little contrapuntal ditty, then a drone/melody thing, and finished with a dainty waltz. Enjoy.
2020-06-1845 min
Thoughtful Physical EducationBlake Rowe Professional CommunicationBlake Rowe Professional Communication by Cindy Kuhrasch
2017-06-2602 min
The Tone Mob PodcastTM Podcast 015 Steve Rowe Of The 60 Cycle Hum PodcastOn today's episode of the Tone Mob Podcast, I talk to Steve Rowe of the 60 Cycle Hum Podcast about bass vs. guitar, the gremlins movies, flipping gear, and whats wrong with kids these days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2015-12-071h 23