Shorty

I made a frightening discovery this morning at the dress rehearsal for tomorrow's performance. Yumi Hara Cawkwell's piece Groove Study XL requires some extended techniques; in one section I pluck the strings pizzicato-style with my left hand while playing fingernail glissandi with my right. Yumi cleverly used the sostenuto pedal to raise the dampers, marking the strings that need to be plucked (much more visible than chalk) and allowing them to resonate. The logistics are normally quite easily accomplished; however the hall's ancient Baldwin has a gigantic geometrically-shaped music rack, and I'm not tall enough to see over it while holding the pedal simultaneously.

Yayoi and I solved this problem by quickly devising a cueing system so she will hold the sostenuto pedal down while I reach inside the beast. Hopefully we will both remember our assignments tomorrow during the concert. In the words of Tim Gunn, "Make it work, people!"

Now playing: Perfect pre-concert and -houseguest apartment cleaning music, in the British pop tradition of Elton John's albums from the '70s (in fact he co-wrote several of the tracks), with a bit of Blondie influence. It's ironic that a song called "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" never fails to get everyone on the dance floor, even the straight guys.

"Never took piano lessons/But baby you're a grand/And I will learn to play the good notes/And tune you up the best I can"