A New Glimpse of the Familiar

Walking through my living room, I caught a glimpse of the late-afternoon light on the curve of our piano, and it really stopped me. I've passed the back of this piano a thousand times, maybe ten thousand, but never saw the light reflect like this before. (Or maybe I saw it but didn't notice . . . .)

I was reminded that this is exactly what I want in my playing. A new view, a sudden freshness, a new vision of the familiar.

If I could only figure out how to make that happen, to get fresh musical ideas on command. But I've never even come close to that secret. When it happens, it happens and the cliche, the old, becomes fresh and new. And that's always a welcome moment!

Not Music, But a Recent, Big Project

I guess it's true that 'once an English teacher, always an English teacher.' I can't seem to get away from my love of writing. Years ago, I wrote four books for Writers Digest Press about the music business, but that was long ago and far away. A good experience, but I won't do that again.

But I have been working recently with my wife, the recently retired college professor, on revising a book we did together a few years ago, and now it's finished. Or, at least the Kindle edition is finished, and a print version will be out soon.

For years, Sandra had what I always thought was the best job at Georgia State University. She was Director of the Learning Assistance Center, and got to work with thousands of students to help them directly improve their college performance. Often the results were nearly immediate and their gratitude was real, because she had helped them transform their lives.

So now, her systematic approach to college learning is revised, updated, and ready for the Kindle. If you know someone going to college, or (perhaps more importantly) returning to school after an absence, this book could be a gold mine.

Visit our site for lots of 'going to college' info, or check out the Kindle version at Amazon.

A Big, Old Steinway is a Wonderful Thing!

Big Steinway Video
A few months ago, I spent some time at the big old, wonderful Steinway  that's a fixture of Glenn Memorial Auditorium on the Emory University campus here in Atlanta.. My good friend, Fitz, did his usual video wonders and here is his compilation of some of the random things that happened.

Several of the songs are truly oldies because I needed some public-domain tunes for videos---thus there is some older material here. But I think the oldies, like My Wild Irish Rose, for example,  have become classics for a very good reason--they're just great songs.
 
I hope you agree.