This is a video of the piano roll and audio output of a piano piece with various amateur things going on.

Piano Brush (Quicktime, 176MB)

The track: Right-click and Save As
Duration: 5:45

I don't care for the name for this so much any more, it was to reflect the melting, pseudo-horn sounds going on in the background. If anyone can think of anything better, please let me know.

This is probably my most proud piano piece. This was recorded in 2003, I believe, before I moved to San Francisco. All of the background effects were hand tweaked through reverbs and delay processing, in lieu of being able to add the horn parts I had originally intended. But it fleshes it out nicely.

This piece has an agitated edge to it, especially towards the end. Amazingly, I somehow pulled off the most graceful closing phrases I've ever done, and it reminds me a good deal of Liszt's Etude No. 10.

This piece also shows some rare restraint. The whole recording was 20 minutes long, and I chopped it up and edited down to this 5:45. All improvised, besides the editing.

Link: Right-click here and Save As

I recently acquired some new piano sounds. Again. Finally I've found an upright piano that sounds fairly authentic, although it still is missing the sheer power of having this moving, heavy instrument shaking at your commands.

So this is the first recording I did with this. Unfortunately, in the mixdown process, there were some glitches on sample, so there are parts where the strings sound muted, as if I had put a piece of paper in between them. It's grown on me. This isn't what I played when I recorded it, but it came out as something a little different, and I like it.

I may go back and remix some older piano pieces using this piano instead. I'm much more inclined towards an upright piano than a big grand piano. Grands are too pretty, they also don't respond to the pedalling the way I'd like them to.

There are some lovely moments in this. There are some not-so-lovely moments too.

Link: (right-click, save as): Looking - Finding - Losing - Looking.mp3
Time: 19:42
Composed/performed: April 3rd, 2006

An original intent of this site was that I'd post anything and everything here, not just what may come to be a 'portfolio', so to speak. I want to feel comfortable posting my musical sketches-- almost diary entries--, without some attempt to attain accomplishment, but just to record my thoughts, moods, and expressions. But I still want people to listen to it, comment on it, offer criticisms, interpret what they get from it, even if it's annoyance.

So last night I set back on that by recording another piano improvisation. It follows some of my usual patterns, but also deviates. I'm looking for things. Sometimes I find them. Sometimes I find the wrong things! But damn it, I put the wrong things to use, anyhow. And that may as well be a life philosophy. If I didn't attain what I was trying to do, then I may as well move on from what I got and see where that leads me.

This does that. And finally, it lets me resolve.

So this is me right now. Or at least an approximation thereof.

I may make changes to this later on. But it is what it is right now.

Link: Right-Click Here And Save As
This is me performing Mozart's Fantasy in D Minor on piano.

At about 2:05 to 2:20 I improvised a new cadenza to, embarassingly, cover up for the one that I can never play properly. I like it.

This has been one of my favorite Mozart pieces since I set my eye on it at 16. Ever since then it's been on a regular rotation of pieces I practice for myself. Over the years I've taken a lot of liberties: I shift the tempo around a lot, I've come up with my own dynamics that I think things should be at.

It also exhibits a lot of my performance flaws. Lack of coherent and consistent rhythm. Little mistakes here and there. But I've developed the ending section to have a little more finality than the sheet music calls for, and I think it's better for it.

Track: Right-click Here and Save As
Duration: ~ 5:30
Played: 2-12-2006

I was practicing Liszt etudes last night. Not the final versions of the Transcendental Etudes, but the earlier, unrefined set. From this set I'm able to somewhat competently play what later became the stunning Mazeppa and and pastoral Paysage (I love the way the harmonies move in that).

Eventually I turn through my book and reach the final version of Etude No. 11 in Db, Harmonies du Suir (Evening Harmonies). This is absolutely one of my most favorite pieces of piano music, ever since the first time I laid eyes on it. The harmonic movement is astounding.

That said, I can only mangle that piece. There's no way that I can currently make it through the whole thing.

So, rather than record a poor performance, I just used its key and first chord as a jumping off point.
There are some definite ideas for what will be added to this. French horn, cellos, perhaps some light synth manipulations.

In addition, here's another pianist playing the Liszt etude: Right-click Here and Save As

Recorded: 11-05-2005
Link: Click Here to Download
Genre: Elements of Impressionism, Romantic-period, Modern

This is entirely a piano piece. It is rather lengthy (nearly 18 minutes). The title I gave it, before even starting, was 5-13-1980 (my birthdate, as well as my brother's).

It is, obviously, long-winded. But there's a lot going on, and it has a sort of internal logic. I don't blame anyone for giving up somewhere in the middle.
I recorded this at a much slower speed than it's played back at. If I didn't do that, it'd be 25 minutes.

Composed: 11-08-2005
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This is a three-part composition. Essentially, I was talking with a friend about the way the instrument you're playing effects how you play it, particularly when improvising. In so doing, it might be interesting to take what you've played for one instrument, and move it over to another. This axium permeating even between different varieties of the same instrument.