Change is in the air…literally. It seems like overnight we went from 70 degree afternoons to snow in the mountains, trees exploding in color, and 43 degree mornings. My car even gave me a warning today: “Ice possible.” I am not sure how exactly it calculated that one, but regardless, the season is definitely changing!

Around here, things are changing too! 

I am moving my newsletter and blog to Substack! 

I am excited to join a community of writers and readers in this new space. It will allow me to give you a chance to participate in dialogue around my writing by commenting on posts, as well as the opportunity to support my work with likes, shares, and recommendations. I am also excited to now offer paid subscribers bonus content, including access to my Practice Sessions and Mini Musikhaus recordings, and to the whole archive of posts.

What this means for you:

All of the current blog archives will stay intact here on my website. And I may post occasionally here, too. But for my latest posts and news, you will need to head over to Substack and “follow” or “subscribe” to At Home with Classical Piano.

I love being a musician and sharing what I have learned (and what I am continuing to learn) with others. You have been so supportive of my work up to this point, and my move to Substack means that I can offer more benefits to you, my current readers, as well as being able to share my work with more people. 

frequently asked questions

What will moving to Substack look like? Substack lets you access my posts just like you always have here, but it also automatically emails those posts to your inbox and allows for different levels of membership 

What if I don't want weekly e-mails in my inbox? Once you set up an account with Substack, you can click on “My Account,” then under “Email notifications,” you will see an option to opt out of the newsletter posts.

Is it free? Yes! You’ll get the same articles you’re used to getting here. But if you decide to become a paid subscriber, that means you’ll get content on top of that: access to Practice Sessions and Mini Musikhaus recordings, special subscriber discounts to my shop, and other bonuses!

How much does it cost to subscribe? $6 a month or $60 a year

How do I follow you on Substack? I'm glad you asked! Just click here and enter your email to subscribe.

I'm already a subscriber to your newsletter, but I want to try out the upgrade. How do I do that? You can do that here.

What if I'm reading on an RSS feed? If you follow me on feedly or another RSS feed, you will need to add this URL to your RSS reader: https://athomewithclassicalpiano.substack.com/feed

I am excited for this new season on Substack and hope that you find much encouragement and inspiration as I share the music and resources God has given me. 

Happy music-making,

Cori 

What do Bernstein, Bonds, and Hough have in common? I am revisiting works from these three composers in preparation for an upcoming recital and am working on “connecting the dots” of their lives. Of course, they are all recent composers in terms of music history: Bernstein (1918-1990) and Bonds (1913-1972) were contemporaries; Hough was born in 1961. All three composers spent time in the United States: Leonard Bernstein and Margaret Bonds were born here, and Britain’s Stephen Hough studied for his Master’s at Julliard. 

Hough has arranged several pieces from musical theater, and we know well Bernstein’s mark on that genre with Westside Story, Wonderful Town, and Candide. 

Bonds was composing at the same time as Bernstein, but we don’t know how familiar they were with each other personally. Bonds wrote a piece called the Montgomery Variations, and evidently submitted her outline of the work to Bernstein at one point, probably in hopes of his conducting it. The outline was signed by Bernstein and is now available for purchase (for the “low” price of $7,500) on AbeBooks! 

What I find most intriguing about the three, however, is that Bernstein’s “Four Anniversaries (1948),” Bonds’ “Troubled Water,” and Hough’s transcription of “My Favorite Things” all tell stories of people and places. The challenge for the performer is to consider the musical telling in light of each composer’s back story – his or her childhood, upbringing, maturity into adulthood, nationality, musical output, loves, religious beliefs, and so forth – in order to draw meaning from the notes on the page. 

It is an adventure in interpretation to consider: Who are these people that Bernstein wrote vignettes of? How do Bonds' personal experiences contribute to her arrangement of the spiritual “Wade in the Water”? Similarly, why does Hough choose to arrange a well-known musical theatre tune in this way?  Why do these composers repeat motifs multiple times? Why do they return to the theme a note higher, or lower, or a full interval apart, from the original statement? Why the sudden pianissimo or fortissimo? 

I find this challenge especially enjoyable in contemporary works – maybe because they tend to be more programmatic (tending towards a story) than earlier forms, like a Baroque dance or Chopin ballade. Perhaps, though, I also feel a little closer in terms of time – we’ve at least lived in the same century! Or maybe it is because I share Bernstein and Bonds’ American nationality and can relate to the independent spirit, the colorful dissonances resolving to major harmonies, and the “fun” inherent in the percussive rhythmic elements. At any rate, each of these pieces speaks to me in a way that keeps me wanting to practice, dig a little deeper into the music, and share it with others. 

What music are you working on these days? Is there an obvious connection between time periods, composers, genres? Of course, a connection is not required in order to study music we love; but if you are thinking in terms of programming for a performance, perhaps you want to consider how to “connect the dots” for your audience. For more ideas about programming for a recital (yours, or your students’), check out this article. 

Keep up with my writing by subscribing to At Home with Classical Piano on Substack.

I am preparing Margaret Bonds' "Troubled Water" for performance at the Katherine L. White Invitational, and in doing so I have been reflecting on the words of the spiritual she quotes in the work:

Wade in the water,
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water
God's gonna trouble the water

The lyrics seem to be a direct reference to this passage in the Bible: “Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had ”(John 5:2-4, KJV)

Water figured in the physical healing of the man in this passage in John. But the song also contains refrains that reference the Jordan River, Moses, and the Israelites. Water is often pictured in the Bible as a way of deliverance: the Israelites passed over the Red Sea as they fled the Egyptians, and then they crossed over the Jordan into the Promised Land.

It is hard to put into words how all of this works out musically in "Troubled Water," but I believe there is significance in the repetition: three times the children of Israel are asked to "wade in the water." The water is definitely symbolic of deliverance, but more than that, I believe it has something to do with the very presence, promise, and provision of God. Wading in the water is the act of putting one's faith in God, no matter what - even when He troubles the water! 

Life contains many trials, and the Jewish people have experienced much persecution and suffering over the years. Slaves in America also experienced persecution and suffering (In fact, it is said that Harriet Tubman sang this song to warn slaves in the Underground Railroad to get off the trail and into the water to avoid being discovered). There are times when we, too, must go through very difficult seasons of life where we experience suffering. But the message is still the same: Wade in the water. (Did you hear it?) Wade in the water. (One more time!) Wade in the water. 

It is as if we need the reminder several times so that we can gather up our courage and take that step of faith to put our feet in the water and trust that God will deliver us through, or from, our troubles. 

You will hear the initial theme return almost verbatim in the second half of the piece. I wonder if this is the same call, different response: Whereas the first call is to act in faith and the response is hesitation, the second call is perhaps met with courage and resolve, resulting in victory in the final moment.

That Margaret Bonds is able to capture the intensity of the faith struggle, as well as the physical suffering and doubt and testing, and then end it in victory - all in five minutes' worth of music - is an incredible feat, and one I am privileged to work through. If you can't come to the concert, I hope you will at least take a minute to listen to this wonderful piece.

Keep up with my writing by subscribing to At Home with Classical Piano on Substack.

Where does this peace come from, O my God?

Where does this faith come from, with which my heart overflows?

To me who just now, uncertain, agitated,
And on the waves of doubt with every tossed wind,
Was looking for the good, the true, in the dreams of the wise,
And the peace in hearts resounding with storms?
Barely a few days have slipped on my forehead,
It seems to me that a century and a world have passed,
And that, separated from them by an immense abyss,
A new man in me is reborn and begins again.
 

Thus begins a poem by Alphonse de Lamartine which inspired Franz Liszt to write music with the same title. (To read the rest of the poem, click here. You may have to use Google translate if it shows up in the original language of French!) I have long loved Liszt's Liebestraum No.3, and I adore his virtuosic and almost-impossible-to-play Hungarian Rhapsodies, but it wasn't until this week that I discovered his "Bénédiction de Dieu dans la Solitude." 

If, like me, you are unfamiliar with this work, it is well worth your time to look it up. YouTube has a recording of Claudio Arrau playing it at a slow, meditative pace, fitting for the text. His is a beautiful, ethereal, meditative interpretation.

Alfred Brendel has also recorded his interpretation of the piece, but at a more moderate tempo, which helps the melody to really sing. Brendel does not hesitate to play with passion the brilliant climaxes within the piece. Both are fine performances, and I challenge you to choose a favorite!

Liszt wrote this while at a chateau belonging to the Princess Carolyn von Sayn-Wittgenstein at a time when he was returning to his roots in the Catholic faith, and retreating from the limelight of public performance (he was quite the celebrity pianist) in order to spend more time composing. Pianist Stephen Hough, in Crisis Magazine, writes the following about this season of Liszt's life:

It is highly significant that one of the first pieces completed at this time was the Benediction, a double celebration of solitude in his retirement and of his rekindled faith in God. The musical leap is a chasmic one from the early operatic paraphrases and fiendish etudes to this long, ecstatic stretch of slow, serious material. The Benediction remained a favorite piece during the Weimar years, and Liszt would often choose to play it for students and friends at the candlelit soirees at the Altenburg.  (Click here for the rest of the article)

This particular piece is part of a larger collection called "Harmonies poétiques et religieuses." You can listen to the whole set below.

The pianist above performed this at age 85... 

...Goals!

Keep up with my writing by subscribing to At Home with Classical Piano on Substack.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Christmas is coming! With Thanksgiving being early this year, it seems as if we have been in a long season of anticipation, and with it came the annual assault on Christmas. I am not talking about attempts to "cancel Christmas"; instead, I have been chased by the relentless noise of commercialism in the media. It started with our annual tradition of watching Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, which seemed like more of a long commercial break than a showcase of artistic floats and musicians. Then, our family attended "Snowflake Lane," a derivative of NYC's Macy's Parade, with too many fluffy songs about Christmas magic and too few meaningful carols or symbols of the holy-day. We listened to Christmas music curated by Alexa and Spotify, only to hear Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" on repeat, and relentless upbeat, jingle bell-y advertisements for cell phones and music subscriptions for purchase "with no ads." It was enough to turn anyone into a bit of a Scrooge!

And yet, in the midst of the noise, we made time to be culture-shapers in our own home, car, school, and church. We found our much-loved Christmas CDs and channels by artists who have musical integrity and wonderful creativity in bringing the Christmas story to life again. I had the privilege of putting together a condensed version of Bach's Christmas Oratorio (originally six hours long!) for our school's concert, and our girls sang selections from both the Oratorio and Handel's Messiah while images of the nativity painted by Da Vinci, Caravaggio, and Botticelli played in the background. I played a selection of classically arranged Christmas carols in the lobby at our church between services, as well as providing music for the senior citizens' Christmas luncheon. My husband and I chaperoned a school event of 9th and 10th graders, dressed in modest semi-formal attire, to a fancy dinner and a Victorian-era play inspired by Jane Austen. In our own little way, we curated our own Christmas "playlist." I hope that we also spread not only "Christmas cheer," but the beauty and reverence due our Lord Jesus, whom we celebrate at this time of year. 

Christmas Gifts

It may be too late to run out for any last Christmas gifts, but I have been enjoying a daily advent reader this December that provides some meditations on Handel's Messiah (along with an enclosed CD!). The book provides some wonderful insights into the text, as well as beautiful artwork and selections of the score. I highly recommend it: The Handel's Messiah Family Advent Reader.

Another interesting read is The Man Who Invented Christmas, a biography of Charles Dickens. The author makes a case for Dickens being responsible for popularizing some of our well-loved Christmas traditions: decorating the tree, feasting with family and friends, giving generously. Of course there is discussion of how A Christmas Carol came to be, but did you know that for several years Dickens produced Christmas-themed stories in periodicals? One of my girls is reading Great Expectations this year, after having read A Tale of Two Cities last year and A Christmas Carol the year before. Although hers is required reading for school, I have enjoyed revisiting these books and becoming reacquainted with the social commentary Dickens provided through his novels. 

This is My Story. This is My Song.

I'm presenting a new concert in January at my church, this time for the seniors' group (but you are all welcome!). On Thursday, January 11th, from 10:00-11:30am, I will be presenting "This is My Story. This is My Song" at Canyon Hills Community Church in Bothell. This is a program of hymns and classical music by composers such as Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Liszt, accompanied by my personal testimony of God's faithfulness as a Master Gardener who began a good work in me, called on me to "plant" and "water" His gifts well, and continues to grow me up in Him. More than a performance, this is a call to worship the Giver of all good gifts and give glory to the One who is writing your story. If you are free, please come! No tickets or admission are required.

Around the Web

Another gem from pianist-writer Susan Tomes, as she muses on the view from a window. 

A pianist gives perspective on classical music in Kenya.

This content is from Cori's November-December 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe here.

Happy Fall Y'all!

My October is packed with volleyball games, fall school events, and music! I am enjoying my new piano students, and am looking forward to performing at a private house concert tomorrow and a Hispanic Heritage Concert a week from Saturday. I am sure you are also finding it hard to find much "down time" but I hope you will squeeze some time in to enjoy music, either in person at a concert, or listening on a commute or lunch break. There are several worthwhile links at the bottom of this newsletter that I hope will inspire you in your own creative pursuits!

Hispanic Heritage Concert 10/14

This is music that could only have been written by a "man of Latin America," as he liked to call himself. He does more than utilize folk-melodies; he creates his own brand of "imaginary folklore," definitely influenced by what Kodály and Bartok achieved with their use of Hungarian folk-material. The sounds of the South American plains are part of his color world: the "night" sounds, the Latin dance rhythms--all contribute to Ginastera's personal musical language. The gaucho (the Argentine cowboy) becomes the mythical hero, and we can see and hear him dancing the malambo--a virile dance where one gaucho tries to outdo the other by showing off his difficult dance steps. 

- Barbara Nissman, https://www.barbaranissman.com/remembering-ginastera

Alberto Ginastera is just one of several featured composers in this October's Hispanic Heritage Concert, part of the newly formed Snohomish Concert Series. On October 14th, soprano Elizabeth Galafa Ylaya and classical guitarist Eli Schille-Hudson will join me in presenting the wonderful music of Latin America. Tickets are available now!

How a Piano is Made

I am a sucker for videos that show how a piano is made, and the following tells the story of the Mason & Hamlin pianos. We had one such piano in the practice rooms when I was in college, and it was a wonderful instrument. The craftsmanship that goes into each individual piano is inspiring.

Around the Web

This fascinating hour-long interview discusses the evolution of the piano concerto and highlights a cool new piano concerto by Teddy Abrams.

Check out this list of 50 of the greatest classical pianists on record, complete with listening examples.

The BBC looks into the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's study exploring the desire of audiences to "modernize" classical concerts. Good idea or terrible idea?

A brief look at the world through the eyes of a child...or of any creative artist?!

This content is from Cori's Fall 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe here.

Happy “New” Year!

As summer draws to a close, those of us with school-age children gear up for a new year. Stores have been anticipating this for the last two months, displaying school supplies just a week or two after school got out for the summer! We, however, didn't "bite" at the first sales, but just now are getting around to preparing for the return to school with its requisite new shoes, new notebooks, and new lunchboxes.

I love fall in the Pacific Northwest, when the morning air begins to have a hint of crispness, the leaves begin to change, and the Starbucks menu showcases autumnal flavors: cinnamon, pumpkin spice!

Although we are not quite there yet (the sky is smoky from neighboring forest fires, the weather is quite warm, and gardens are still producing their summer crops), I am looking forward to the return of school routines, fall sports, and new projects! Below you'll find two of them: a return to piano teaching, and a new concert series. 

This fall, I am offering piano lessons to homeschoolers during the school day!

From September to May, lessons will take place in my home and will consist of both private and group lessons. Private lessons are what you normally think of when you think of piano lessons: one-on-one time with a teacher, working at your own pace, with teaching tailored to your unique needs. Group lessons will occur every five weeks and will provide a small community of piano students who come together to play for each other in a welcoming environment, play music theory games, and study music history with its notable composers in more depth.

For more information, check out the link here.

Save the Date!

This is music that could only have been written by a "man of Latin America," as he liked to call himself. He does more than utilize folk-melodies; he creates his own brand of "imaginary folklore," definitely influenced by what Kodály and Bartok achieved with their use of Hungarian folk-material. The sounds of the South American plains are part of his color world: the "night" sounds, the Latin dance rhythms--all contribute to Ginastera's personal musical language. The gaucho (the Argentine cowboy) becomes the mythical hero, and we can see and hear him dancing the malambo--a virile dance where one gaucho tries to outdo the other by showing off his difficult dance steps. 

- Barbara Nissman, https://www.barbaranissman.com/remembering-ginastera

Alberto Ginastera is just one of several featured composers in this October's Hispanic Heritage Concert, part of the newly formed Snohomish Concert Series. On October 14th, soprano Elizabeth Galafa Ylaya and classical guitarist Eli Schille-Hudson will join me in presenting the wonderful music of Latin America. Tickets are available now!

Around the Web

Free scores of technical exercises for advanced pianists are available on IMSLP, as well as many other classical pieces in the public domain. Find a brief list of these here, including some by Hanon and Czerny.

Another wonderful library can be found on YouTube: check out some practice clinic videos covering a variety of standard teaching repertoire at all levels.

Musings on memorization

Jarrod Richey makes the case for bringing musical literacy back into the church.

This content is from Cori's August 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe here.

Happy 4th of July!

As we celebrate the birth of our country, it is a great time to reflect on the many freedoms we enjoy because of the sacrifices of so many men and women who came before us. 

During the "pause" of 2020, my friend Seiko Werts helped me to put together a patriotic program for a virtual house concert. Even though we worked in isolation, this remains one of my favorite musical projects because of the wonderful music we got to perform. The whole recital is below, with songs by Copland, Beethoven, Gershwin, and several beloved spirituals. Enjoy!

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
By Katharine Lee Bates (1893)

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassion'd stress
A thorough fare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness.

America! America!
God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.

O beautiful for heroes prov'd
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life.

America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears.

America! America!
God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea. 

A Gathering of Friends

We had a wonderful house concert last month - our first since 2019! Soprano Stacey Mastrian and I enjoyed presenting a program of classical and musical theater pieces to an enthusiastic audience. You can hear some of what we did here.

Around the Web

Piano makers are experimenting with a new design for pianos. What do you think?

Some beautiful performances by pianist Valentina Lisitsa: Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 23 Op. 57 in F minor "Appassionata" and Chopin Fantasie Impromptu Op. 66

An engaging interview between conductor Gustavo Dudamel and pianist Yuja Wang about their recent performance of all the Rachmaninoff concertos

Navajo Vocable for Piano No. 9 by Connor Chee, from an album of piano pieces inspired by traditional Navajo music

This content is from Cori's July 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe here.

Happy May!

April showers bring...May flowers! We are experiencing glorious sunshine and blooming flowers in this beautiful Pacific Northwest spring...and what better way to complement the beauty of God's creation than an offering of music?

My May is full of music! I recently played for one of my daughters at the local Solo and Ensemble festival. It was her first time performing for an adjudicator, and she earned high praise for her performance on trumpet! She will also be performing in front of peers at school this month, and I will accompany her as well as the choirs at their Scottish Highlander-themed arts and music festival. 

This weekend I will dive into Dvorak's Piano Quintet Op. 81 (Enjoy this music via the video below!) as I take part in the Associated Chamber Music Players "Worldwide Play-In" event. ACMP is an international network of amateur chamber music players. It is free for any musician to join, and they host various workshops and "play-ins." A play-in is just like it sounds: a bunch of musicians get together to play music. There is no stage, no audience, no performance pressure - just music and musicians and an opportunity to play! This month's Seattle play-in is full at this time, but if you are interested in playing in a future play-in, or in learning more about what ACMP offers, check out their website! 

Finally, I have some gorgeous music to share with you at our next Indie Musikhaus! Read on for more details on our upcoming concert!

Dvorak's Piano Quintet in A major

Indie Musikhaus Returns: A Gathering of Friends

Let's get together - ya, ya, ya! I am excited to bring back Indie Musikhaus after a three-year break! Soprano Stacey Mastrian and I have put together a program of some of the most beautiful music: Liszt, Puccini, Rachmaninoff, and some lighter selections from musical theater and folk music. You can view the whole program here.

The program draws its theme from the song "Over the Rainbow," from The Wizard of Oz. It is the idea of reflecting on days past (Troubled Water, Shenandoah) and looking ahead to brighter days to come (Come to My Garden, My Favorite Things). Longing and gratitude come together, bound by hope and love. 

Join us for "A Gathering of Friends" as we reflect on where we've been and look forward to what is ahead! The concert will be Saturday, June 17th, at 2pm.  Please RSVP with your name and how many people will be attending so we can save a place for you!

As always, we will send you directions upon receipt of your RSVP. We will take a suggested cash donation of $10-15 at the concert. If you would prefer to Venmo, you may do so ahead of time to Cori-Belle (image is piano keys). We can't wait to see you!

Artist Spotlight: Stacey Mastrian

Dr. Stacey Mastrian, soprano, will be joining me in next month's Indie Musikhaus. She is a delightful person and a wonderfully talented musician. You will love hearing her! In fact, click here to listen to a sample of her work. You may also view her bio and hear more of her music on her website.

Around the Web

The Seattle Chamber Music Society is offering over 30 free concerts this summer! Check out their Concert Truck schedule and their Music in the Parks schedule.

PNW composer Morten Lauridsen is selling some original manuscripts of his compositions here.

The Cross-Eyed pianist and blogger, Frances Wilson, suggests a new term for practicing in short bits: practice snacking.

Thoughts on sightreading at the piano and tips on improving in this area!
 

Trill technique!

Upcoming Events

Saturday, June 17th @ 2pm - "A Gathering of Friends" Indie Musikhaus house concert with soprano Stacey Mastrian and pianist Cori Belle 

This content is from Cori's May 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe here.

Spring Renewal

"Like Adam, we have all lost Paradise;
and yet we carry Paradise around inside of us
in the form of a longing for, almost a memory of,
a blessedness that is no more,
or the dream of blessedness that may someday be again."

Frederick Buechner, The Magnificent Defeat
 

It's Spring! Or...is it? In the grand Pacific Northwest, we have been experiencing sun, rain, hail, corn snow, and the other night - thunder and lightning! Though it is cold, I love seeing signs of life returning: cherry blossoms, tulips, azaleas. Even my berry bushes and hydrangea are beginning to leaf, and I anticipate warmer days...soon?! 

It has been a while since I have shared my music with you, and I am excited to give you a glimpse of what I have been working on since 2020. In the early days of the pandemic, I felt much darkness due to social isolation, political unrest, and a general spiritual heaviness. In some ways, light and joy have returned, but in other ways the darkness persists. I am sure you feel this in some measure. 

We long for better days, for harmonious relations between people, for physical and mental healing, for our world to be put right. To me, this longing is so well captured in the song "Over the Rainbow."

 

The same longing, but with a bit of nostalgia mixed in (as in the quote by Buechner, above), is expressed by Sergei Rachmaninoff in the Prelude in D.

 

Finally, the longing is at least partially fulfilled in a love relationship intimately, yet passionately, demonstrated in Franz Listz's Liebestraum No. 3. 

 

For the Christian, these longings find their fulfillment in a relationship with the Creator God, who sent Jesus as a bridge to make right our relationship with Him. And we rest our hope on this same Jesus, who will one day return to put all things right. This is what we celebrate at Easter - looking back at what God has done, and looking forward to what He will do.

God does not create a longing or a hope without having a fulfilling reality ready for them. But our longing is our pledge, and blessed are the homesick, for they shall come home.

Isak Dinesen, Babette’s Feast and Other Anecdotes of Destiny

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, 

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 

(John 3:16 NIV)

I hope you enjoy this music, and that it causes you to reflect and celebrate as we enter this Easter weekend! 

Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 2

In 2019, I had the privilege of performing Felix Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Kirkland Civic Orchestra. This is a piece I had studied in college, and it is one of two concerti that Mendelssohn wrote. Both demand sparkling, fast fingerwork, and both contain some of the most beautiful melodies. Beyond that, they are such fun to play! At long last, I am happy to share video of the performance with you. 

Fazioli Pianos

One of the pianists I follow is Angela Hewitt, who is a wonderful interpreter of Bach. She most often performs on a Fazioli piano. Here is a wonderful documentary of the Fazioli piano, accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack of pianists. (Fair warning: the video is in Italian, with English subtitles, so you will need to carve out time to watch it. It's worth it!)

Dal Sogno al Suono (From the Dream to the Sound) - YouTube

Around the Web

In my January newsletter, I mentioned a new show in the UK called "The Piano." Here is a follow-up piece about one blind pianist that appeared on the show. Read the article and click on the associated links. The documentary is particularly fascinating, as it gives a glimpse of how a piano teacher works with this severely challenged student - with amazing results.

And...Frances Wilson, the Cross-eyed pianist, gives her thoughts on the show.

Needing inspiration? How about a concert by a local 91-year-old pianist? Bellevue pianist Michi Harata North will perform this April 16th.

Some behind-the-scenes talk about performance anxiety and memorization, topics on the Cross-eyed Pianist's new podcast.

Beautiful video, beautiful lyrics, and beautiful music: "He will Hold me Fast" by Keith and Kristyn Getty

This content is from Cori's March-April 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe here.

The Piano: A History in 100 Pieces 

Pianist-writer Susan Tomes has put together a wonderful compilation of mini-essays on 100 pieces written for piano in her newest book. Though not a strictly "solo piano" list, each piece that she highlights contains writing that makes the piano an important figure in the composition - either as "star" performer, as in a piano concerto, or as an equal partner in a collaborative instrumental piece. Tomes' writing style makes this an easy read, with fun anecdotes about composers and historical settings as well as notes on the technical side of things.  

Here's a fun New Year's goal: as you read through this book, make a point of listening to each piece on YouTube or Spotify or your choice of listening platform. You will find some gems and maybe gather inspiration for working on some of the pieces yourself! 
 

Musical Inspiration 

Here is a wonderful way to start off the New Year. I stumbled on this video via social media the other day. The accompanist is a former mentor-teacher of mine, Dr. Ann Nagell. This performance is part of a concert series held at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, and believe me when I say it is a treat. Melissa has chosen some of my very favorite songs for soprano. I hope you love listening as much as I have!

More Inspiration for the New Year

Ann Wood is a wonderful artist. She dabbles in the sewing world as well as in cooking and painting. Her monthly newsletters are a fun piece of eye candy and often inspire me to go make "something." In this month's installment she reflects on last year's 100 day sewing challenge, in which she made a point of sewing something every day for 100 days. I think she is right on the mark in starting with the discipline of getting to work each day, as routine often breeds creativity. The point is to set aside time each day to do something! 

The video above shows the result of last year's 100 day project. This is what she has to say about it: "This book, this process was full of surprises for me. Daily practice reveals things and it’s an excellent place for ideas to turn up. Ideas like a reliable place to show up."  

Show up! Commit to daily practice and see what creative fruit results!

Favorite Books from 2022 

I continue in my pursuit of great books for kids, and my favorite YA fiction novel last year was Emmy in the Key of Code by Aimee Lucido. It is the story of a twelve year old girl who moves to a new state and school and tries to find where she belongs. Her parents are classical musicians, but although she loves music she is not great at it. She finds her place instead in a computer coding class. Written in poetic form (and Java script!), this is a very clever, inspiring book! 

More fun Young Adult fiction: 

Redwall by Brian Jacques 
Fablehaven books 1-4 by Brandon Mull 
Banner in the Sky by James Ramsey Ullman 

Young Adult historical fiction: 

Words on Fire by Jennifer Nielsen 
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys 

Several Nonfiction favorites last year: 

The Woman All Spies Fear: Codebreaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and her Hidden Life by Amy Butler Greenfield 
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe 
A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph Loconte 
The White Cascade: The Great Northern Railway Disaster and America's Deadliest Avalanche by Gary Krist 
The Good Rain: Across Time and Terrain in the Pacific Northwest by Timothy Egan 
The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball 
The Gift of Good Land: Further Essays Cultural and Agricultural by Wendell Berry 
Parenting Generation Screen: Guiding Your Kids to be Wise in a Digital World by Jonathan McKee 
A Rebel's Manifesto: Choosing Truth, Real Justice, and Love amid the Noise of Today's World by Sean McDowell

Around the Web 

The writers at Stoney Creek Farm remind us that The Feast is Over! How's that for New Year's inspiration?! As you clear out the old to make room for the new, take time to revisit these healthy habits that may have dwindled over the holidays! 

Jarrod Richey offers some ideas for Expanding Music Enjoyment in Community that you might like to try in the New Year. 

Some good perspective on practicing. And another article approaching practicing as problem-solving. 

Pianist and writer Susan Tomes shares her favorite books of 2022.

This content is from Cori's January 2023 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe here.

Merry Christmas!

Twelve days left until the new year, twelve musical gifts for your enjoyment! 

This is my second newsletter of 2022 - I apologize for being absent for so long! I have packed this newsletter full of musical gifts that I hope you will enjoy as much as I have! My year has been full on the home front. As our girls get older, their activities require more time away which, for now, translates to more time on the road driving them places! I am loving every minute of it, but it does pull me away from the piano more than in past years. With everyone home on winter break and the resulting "pause" in our daily routine, I am taking some time to play catch up. The snow falling today makes a perfect backdrop for reflection on the past year and inspiration for the year to come!

1. Let's Get Together...ya, ya, ya

Much of art is worked out in isolation. Handcrafting a shoe, manipulating glass or metal or clay, practicing a musical passage...all require a level of focus and self-discipline, accomplished at least some of the time by oneself. An artist spends a vast quantity of time learning and practicing and honing his art. Someone said that to become an expert at something requires 10,000 hours. One would think, then, that coming out of full and partial isolation imposed by pandemic policies would result in a huge amount of artistic output. Are you seeing this? This has not been my own personal experience! 

Community is essential. The joint effort of collaborating in person serves to feed and inspire me between solitary practice sessions. As a natural introvert, I don't feel the "need" for community as often as my extroverted friends; however, we are not meant to live in isolation. There is a reason we send criminals to solitary confinement and stubborn toddlers to time-out. Isolation without regular intervals of community engagement is confinement. Much of what it means to be human is experienced when we are together. So I ask myself, and you...what effort are you making to be in community with others? How might the artist within you awaken when you let him out of isolation?

This video came across one of my social media feeds, and I found it fascinating. I have heard that handmade shoes are the most comfortable shoes you can wear. The amount of time, skill, and attention to detail in making a shoe is analogous to preparing a musical piece for performance. Whereas our audiences don't "wear" our music, they do walk in it for a time, and the care with which we have prepared it affects their overall enjoyment and can contribute to their quality of life.

2. Silent Night 

Sometimes in very difficult times, when words or actions fail to help, music comes close to us like a friend. The beauty of melody and lyric can open up our hearts like the sun opens up the flowers.

Keith and Kristyn Getty reflect on the story behind "Silent Night," which began in the 1800s. If you scroll to the bottom of the article, you can hear their daughter Grace singing the melody.

3. Another Silent Night

4. Let Them Sing! 

Two of my girls had the opportunity to participate in the Northwest Association of Classical Christian Schools choral festival this year. It is a fabulous one-day festival where junior high and high school students from around the Pacific Northwest come together to learn and fellowship and sing! I wrote about it here.

5. Gabriela Montero 

Wow, this pianist is amazing! She improvises on the spot - as pianists were required to do in the days of Bach and Mozart. The host of this interview reminds me of James Corden, who runs the Carpool Karaoke series...except this interview is in the classical realm!

6. BACH to Thankfulness 

Why study the music of the Western canon? This article considers the question and proposes an answer. 

7. More BACH 

The author of the above article, Jarrod Richey, presents his choir, made up of average students, singing the polyphony of a Bach fugue. You will have to click on the link in the article to hear the result!

8. Johannes Moser, cellist 

I love learning about other musicians' lives and how they deal with performance anxiety, practicing, and other challenges. Cellist Johannes Moser speaks here of these things, including his work with a sports psychologist.
 

9. Lief Ove Andsnes, pianist 

Another installment from Living the Classical Life, this time featuring pianist Leif Ove Andsnes.

10. & 11. Susan Tomes 

Pianist and author Susan Tomes always has wonderful nuggets of insight pertaining to the life of a musician. Here are two of her musings, one on the "mismatch between all the work that goes into preparing for a single concert, and the concert itself which flashes by in a couple of hours," and the other on the peculiar way we determine which tempo is the "right" one. 

12. Another Gem from Gabriela Montero 

I love the audience interaction in this formal classical music setting. Why is it that classical audiences outside the United States seem so much more engaged and invested in this style of music? Do we, as a country, seek to "progress" to our own destruction? Can we look to, and treasure, our past while seeking new ways to create and innovate in the present?

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 
Here's to more music-making in 2023!

This content is from Cori's December 2022 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe here.

Thanks-Seasoning

I have been woefully absent from this newsletter of late. I haven't forgotten about you - in fact, I think of you often and miss making music with and for you! This fall season has been an incredibly busy, creative one for me, albeit mostly void of music-making. 

While on hiatus from my community choir role and taking a backseat to worship leading at church, I have been navigating the waters of volunteerism at my girls' school and my church's children's ministry. Teaching, organizing, and crafting have been general themes of late, with nursing thrown in every few weeks for good measure! It is wonderful to be more fully a part of my little communities, and with that have come the usual fall colds accompanied by the unusual self-imposed quarantines and cancelling of events. But amidst all the busy and unusual and sometimes stressful turns of events, I have much to be thankful for. 

I am thankful for music, which may go dormant for a season but is always there to return to; for good health; for the blessing of friends and family near and far; for God's faithful provision in all things, especially in uncertain times; and for the gift of His Son, Jesus, who makes possible peace with God and with all men. 

I hope you have a wonderful, reflective, and happy Thanksgiving...with perhaps a little music thrown in your celebrations!

This hymn is sung annually at my girls' school, as we get ready to break for the Thanksgiving holiday. It is increasingly rare to find congregational singing like this, with parts - and descant in the last verse!

Building...Creating 

Reprinted from Keith and Kristyn Getty's "Monday Meditation," 11/22/21 

"For we - even our poets and musicians and inventors - never, in the ultimate sense make. We only build. We always have materials to build from…" 

So wrote C.S. Lewis who after many years of building with words went home to be with the Lord 58 years ago today. Lewis had an otherworldly gift of turning our thinking the right way up; all of life springing from the Creator and from that mountaintop seeing everything else. 

We breathe borrowed air, we make pathways on His land, we live in bodies that are not our own. We are building with blocks already made for us. We shape words that He first spoke to us. We gather notes that echo from His handiwork. We nurture our lives, our families, our friendships, our world in the wisdom of the One who first thought of them. 

Beautifully crafted words helped bring Lewis to Christian faith. On reading George MacDonald’s ‘Phantastes’ he said it helped ‘to convert, even baptize his imagination’. A washed imagination wakens the heart to wonder, to eternity, to a longing for the Lord. In the early 1930s his life had been transformed to worship and serve the Lord. He focused the rest of his time on using his God-given craft to draw people to Christ. 

The hymn ‘This is my Father’s World’ (Maltbie Babcock, 1901) reminds me of Belfast- born C.S. Lewis who has inspired so many of us. His listening ears were opened, He recognized the Lord’s voice and it shaped everything. An ancient music he hadn’t understood. A deeper magic as the Narnia stories tell. At this time of Thanksgiving we are grateful to know it as well and so sing with all creation. This thankfulness helps sow and water our remaining time and everything He has given us to make it known to others. 

This is my Father's world, 
And to my listening ears 
All nature sings, and round me rings 
The music of the spheres… 
This is my Father's world: 
O let me ne'er forget 
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, 
God is the Ruler yet… 
New lyric video to ‘This is my Father’s World’ from ‘Confessio’ album

Around the Web 

A cool new website with access to piano lessons from the world's best pianists. 

Thoughts on being A Self-Coached Musician from the Cross-Eyed Pianist. 

A cool spotlight on a young pianist from Silverdale, WA, on Classical King FM's program, From the Top. (Listen starting at 8:20) 

Upcoming Concerts 

When I start practicing... LOL! 
Would you consider coming to hear some Christmas music? Let me know!

This content is from Cori's Fall 2021 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe here.

Reflecting Light

My dad is a rockhound and silversmith. As his daughter, I have been the happy beneficiary of many of his gifts of handmade earrings, necklaces, and rings. Although he cuts and shapes stones, he does not facet them, which is the process of cutting many sides of a gemstone into a reflective shape, like the diamond in your wedding ring or the gems you see in a royal crown. The facets of such a gemstone – those many surfaces – seem an apt metaphor for my life as a pianist. 

I have many interests besides piano: mothering, crafting, teaching, gardening, cooking, homemaking, entertaining. This has always been the case. I remember attending graduate classes in music and speaking with my professor about career paths, and I mentioned that it was hard for me to choose just one as I wanted to do so many things with my life. She was a little taken aback, and told me that she had only always ever wanted to do one thing: work and perform as an accompanist, or collaborative pianist. In fact, she had known this from the time she was a little girl. In contrast, I’ve always wanted to be involved in teaching [or mothering] children, travel, and music, and so my focus has shifted in various seasons – like the light hitting the facets of a stone, highlighting different points at different times. 

These last few months, and indeed, the last year, the light has hit more on the mothering and housekeeping facets of my life than the music facet (due in part by the restrictions on in-person performances due to COVID-19), and so I find I have less to say in this newsletter than “usual”! But life is no less fulfilling without so much music (although I do miss collaborating in person with others!); it’s just that the light is bouncing off other surfaces right now. 

And so these last two months have been full of birthday celebrations, planting flowers and vegetable seeds and starts, vacationing in Florida, teaching women’s Bible study and Children’s Church classes, enjoying friends, and taking care of every day responsibilities. Last week we had a glorious week full of sunshine and warmer temperatures, and I was reminded of how full my life is and how blessed I am.

Spring Concert: Love and Light

Kirkland Choral Society presents a second virtual concert this season, this time with the theme Love and Light. One of my all-time favorite choral songs is included in the program: Amor De Mi Alma written by Randall Stroope (Listen below!). Our interim music director, Seiko Werts, has put together a wonderful program, even as we recorded singly in our homes again. You can watch the premiere on May 8th at 7:30pm and stream it for the whole month of May. Purchase tickets here.

Around the Web 

Watch a very cool performance of Camille Saint-Saens' "Carnival of the Animals" meant for virtual viewing. Pianists Yuja Wang and David Fung join the Los Angeles Philharmonic to explore composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ colorful creatures, featuring animations, stories from around the world, and Gustavo Dudamel with his son Martín. 

The Cross-Eyed Pianist muses on what musicians have learnt from lockdown. 

Upcoming Concerts 

Spring 2021    KCS virtual choir concert. May 8th @ 7:30pm.

This content is from Cori's March-April 2021 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe here.

Solitary Reflections

The choir that I am a part of is working on another virtual concert project for spring. This involves a great deal of solitary work: practicing, viewing rehearsal videos, and recording oneself singing or playing alone. It is a tremendous task that requires courage, stamina, and dedication. It is not unlike the rest of our mid-COVID lives. We are more isolated than usual, and the mental load of doing things differently over a long period of time is draining. I am proud that so many of our choir members have taken on the challenge in this unusual season. 

Both the process and the product of our art during this time reflect our current lives. Though our finished project will be a concert of us singing "together," we are in actuality not together at all, but only meeting virtually over zoom and recording alone. Our art is an imitation of what we would prefer to be doing: singing together, in the same room, breathing as one. 

It's just not the same! As a collaborative pianist, the bulk of my music-making has been in the company of others. Even my solitary practice of solo works has this end in mind: sharing the music with others. Life is not meant to be lived alone. We are created to live in community with others, and when we are isolated, it is like there is a piece (or five!) of the jigsaw puzzle missing. 

I hope that you are finding ways to connect with others in person. As the sun starts to show its face again in the Northwest, we naturally find our way out of our homes. Restaurants are open again, and we have the opportunity to meet others for walks, coffees, and lunch dates. I hope that soon we will also be making music together! I am working toward that end, getting back in earnest to the piano to prepare music to share with you.  

Artist Spotlight: Angela Hewitt 

Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt is well known for her Bach interpretations. I also learned recently that she has made her own arrangements of some of Bach's works! If you are on Facebook, she is good about communicating what she is working on, often with videos of her playing in her London apartment. You might want to check out her page.  

Our local Meany Center for the Performing Arts has been streaming free performances of many fabulous artists this season. Angela Hewitt will grace their online stage in March, and it would be well worth your time to listen in! The free concert can be viewed March 5th through March 12th and no registration is required. Just click on and save this link!

Around the Web 

Pianist and writer Susan Tomes considers how musicians might navigate post-COVID performances. 

Are our digital interactions remaking us? This provocative article comes from Foley Music and Arts. 

Flashback to two years ago: Kirkland Choral Society, Lake Washington High School Choir, and I perform Eric Whitacre's lovely winter song, "Glow."  

Upcoming Concerts 

Spring 2021    KCS virtual choir concert. Date TBA.

This content is from Cori's February 2021 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe here.

Happy New Year! 

I hope this finds you busy with new projects and some fun things to look forward to in 2021! Although circumstances may not have changed much since turning the calendar page, I find it is always good to have some element of "newness" or celebration that our family can enjoy. For me personally, I have been revisiting music scores and trying to decide what direction to take my practicing in the new year. I am also busy preparing to begin a Children's Church program at my church, overseeing its inception and jumping into teaching (One fun element is choosing which music to incorporate into our study of the Attributes of God). We are also planning a fun family vacation in the near future, although we are holding our plans loosely as we learned to do in 2020.  As well, choir starts up again this week, albeit virtually, and we will begin working towards our spring program. I am excited to have some new things to work on! What new plans do you have to look forward to?

The Fugue Metaphor 

Like you, I have been contemplating “the way forward” as we are a country divided. This morning, while working a little on Bach’s Fugue in C Major from the Well-Tempered Clavier, I had some thoughts on this. 

In a fugue, there are multiple individual voices coming together to make a unified whole. Each voice is distinct, having its own register (treble, bass, mid-range) and often, its own way of restating or embellishing the main theme. In order to create an effective performance, the musician must make decisions about which voices to bring out (and when) and which to lessen in submission to, or support of, the one in the lead. 

Bach gave us no dynamic markings, and the period instruments with which he worked had little dynamic range. Because of this, there are always debates about how much to play with dynamics (distinctly contrasting loud and soft, or nuanced?) as well as whether to use pedal or not. While there is room for interpretation, the musician must look for clues from the composer for how it was intended to be played. Sometimes these clues lie within the music, and other times the musician must look to his other works, to the works of his colleagues, and to knowledge of the times in which he wrote, for guidance. 

A good metaphor doesn’t explain itself fully, so I will leave you to your own interpretation. But perhaps you might consider the themes of leading and submission, individuality and conformity, tension and release, in your meditation; as well, the idea of an agreed-upon set of rules (key, time signature, harmonic structure) put in place by the composer, and a nice harmonic resolution that finishes the piece. Might we learn something from the study of Bach? 

Here is my unpolished presentation of the work, warts and all. (Perhaps you can consider that as part of the metaphor as well!)

For a wonderfully polished performance, complete with the preceding Prelude, check out Andras Schiff's interpretation here.

The Secret Piano 

I spent much of my Christmas holidays reading, and stumbled on this intriguing book by Zhu Xiao-Mei. She is a Chinese pianist who grew up as Mao came into power. It is a thoughtful, provoking book. Here is a brief description: 

"Zhu Xiao-Mei was born to middle-class parents in post-war China, and her musical proficiency became clear at an early age. Taught to play the piano by her mother, she developed quickly into a prodigy, immersing herself in the work of classical masters like Bach and Brahms. She was just ten years old when she began a rigorous course of study at the Beijing Conservatory, laying the groundwork for what was sure to be an extraordinary career. But in 1966, when Xiao-Mei was seventeen, the Cultural Revolution began, and life as she knew it changed forever. One by one, her family members were scattered, sentenced to prison or labor camps. By 1969, the art schools had closed, and Xiao-Mei was on her way to a work camp in Mongolia, where she would spend the next five years. Life in the camp was nearly unbearable, thanks to horrific living conditions and intensive brainwashing campaigns. Yet through it all Xiao-Mei clung to her passion for music and her sense of humor. And when the Revolution ended, it was the piano that helped her to heal. Heartbreaking and heartwarming, The Secret Piano is the incredible true story of one woman’s survival in the face of unbelievable odds—and in pursuit of a powerful dream."

Around the Web 

Have you heard of the 100 Day Project? If you are in need of some inspiration, this project may jumpstart your creativity. 

More fodder for inspiration, especially if you are a musician seeking music by women composers. 

One hot topic these days is censorship. In the interest of preserving voices of the past, Estonia has a new "banned books" museum. 

Upcoming Concerts 

Spring 2020    KCS virtual choir concert. Date TBA.

This content is from Cori's January 2021 Newsletter. If you would like to receive her newsletters in your inbox, click to subscribe here.

Making Things 

Hello! The last two months have been busy on the "creative front" for me. Although not exclusively in music, I have been busy making things! Last month my dad and I worked on our annual Advent devotional booklet. He writes the content and I do the graphic design and layout. This is a Christmas gift to our church congregation, and gives people a way to meditate on different aspects of Christmas. This year's booklet has as its theme the signs and symbols of Christmas.  

My girls have likewise been busy crafting, and the four of us worked together to produce a website "market" of our creations! My oldest has taken the bulk of the work of crafting, photographing, writing descriptions, and listing items. It has been a fun learning experience for her. 

Not to neglect music...Just recently I wrapped up a final recording session for our virtual choir's Christmas concert. I am excited to be a part of this beautiful production, recorded in individual members' homes and compiled by my friend and interim music director, Seiko Werts. It will premier on YouTube, and I will give you more information about it soon! 

A Virtual Choir Project 

Last month the choir that I accompany, Kirkland Choral Society, released its first ever virtual choir project. The song is "O Love," composed by Elaine Hagenberg and based on a hymn by George Matheson. I wrote about this piece earlier this year here, as it was a song that we performed live in February. The text and the musical setting complement each other so well, I know you will be moved once again by its beauty.

Around the Web 

Another local choir, Cora Voce, presents a wonderful program of music on YouTube called "Stars Tonight." 

Musicians around the world are grappling with the realities of cancelled concerts and questions about whether to "rethink, reskill, reboot" or just "hang on" until life returns to normal. Susan Tomes ruminates on the age-old question of whether being a musician constitutes a "real" job. 

What do a hammer, a wine glass, and a piano have to do with each other? 

Upcoming Concerts 

December 2020    "At Home with KCS," a virtual Christmas concert. Date TBA.

This content is from Cori's Fall 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe here.

A Bit of Light

I am enjoying the return of the sun after a week or so of cloudy, smoky skies, especially as we are soon to head into the drizzly, dreary days of fall in the Northwest (but not too soon, I hope!). These are trying times, and yet rather than commenting on current events I thought I would share some lighter news on the creative front! 

Recently I reopened my book of Rachmaninoff preludes and have settled into practicing a few of my favorites. Prelude Opus 23, No. 7 is one of my particular favorites, as it is one I remember my dad practicing in my childhood. I had an "aha" moment the other day when I was watching various YouTube videos of different artists playing it: the opening figure of each measure at the beginning of the piece can be played with the left hand! 

If you haven't ever tried to play the piece, I will try to describe the opening: it is this swirling, continuous motion grouping of sixteenth notes that are played at an ungodly speed while left and right hands alternately play octaves. You actually would do well if you had three hands to play this piece! However, with only two, you have to get creative. This YouTube tutorial was mind-blowing for me. If you take the first grouping of notes with your left hand, you can avoid some awkward fingering crossings with your right, and make life much easier for yourself. (Why did I not try this sooner?!) 

Perhaps I get too used to looking at things one way. My creative problem solving is not boundless, although I have a lot of tools in my toolbox from various teachers over the years. I still find I need the insight of others to point out things I didn't see before. 

Not to get too philosophical, but isn't that a great lesson for life? We do need each other, and considering another approach to a problem that we hadn't thought of before can be quite beneficial. What a great gift we have been given in the medium of music, where we can come together to create and learn from each other, and enjoy the process! 

Video Below: I am still searching for my favorite interpretation of this piece. Pletnev's performance is very good!

Exploring Rachmaninoff More 

I had another realization while practicing the Rachmaninoff Prelude mentioned above. Watch my short video to see what Rachmaninoff might have in common with the Latin Jazz composers!

To compare the two pieces, listen now to Piazolla's "Libertango," performed at one of our own Indie Musikhaus concerts a few years ago. Click here and scroll about halfway down the page to hear Eric Verlinde and Ricardo Guity master the montuno!

Around the Web 

The beloved John Rutter, choral composer and conductor, gives insight into his musical career. His advice to aspiring musicians: "Be very, very good at what you do if you possibly can. Work harder and more perseveringly than anyone round you. Prepare thoroughly. If you are a performer, try to be true to the composer’s vision; if you are a composer, be true to yourself. If you have a spark of something, it will communicate, regardless of style." 

Along those lines, concert pianist Richard Goode and writer Frances Wilson urge us to "Play what you play best!"

Upcoming Concerts 

December 2020    "At Home with KCS," a virtual Christmas concert. Date TBA.

This content is from Cori's September 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe here.

Lemonade from Lemons 

A big THANK YOU to all who joined us for the premiere of "God Bless America," our first ever Indie Musikhaus virtual concert! We had over 50 people join us for the premiere, and the YouTube video has been viewed over 300 times. Imagine trying to fit you all into my living room...! What strange times we live in, and how grateful I am for opportunities to connect and make music even from a distance. If you missed it, you can still catch the performance here through Summer 2021. 

Of course this fall will look quite different for the arts. I have enjoyed seeing the creativity of many musicians via the Internet this summer. It is not ideal, and even feels a bit "fake" at times, like we are trying to make the best lemonade with pretty sour lemons! Maybe you have been invited to be a part of a virtual music-making experience and have not taken the plunge yet because of the strangeness of the times. Let me encourage you! 

Technology, recording, working remotely - none of these things will ever replace the very real collaboration of musicians working together in the same room. Let's not pretend that they do. However, it is a viable way to make music together. Studio recording musicians have known this for years, and have the advantage of having already worked through the discomforts of playing to a microphone, listening to musicians through headphones, and trying to communicate through a digital medium (as opposed to a live audience). I think it is important for more of us to explore this concept. 

When Seiko Werts and I began talking about our "God Bless America" concert, I had spent the previous two and a half months in lockdown, trying to virtually "school" my kids and feeling anything but inspired and creative. June came along, and as things began to open up again, (and as we closed the books on a strange school year), I felt the need to take on a musical project. Nothing seemed more fitting than the spirituals for the season, and so Seiko and I put together a program of songs that pointed to hope in the midst of hardship. We recorded ourselves individually many times, and there was a lot of back and forth as we traded music files and Face-Timed each other. I had Seiko sing over the phone while I watched my music so I could mark my score to make room for more nuanced breathing and rubato. It was difficult, not ideal, and certainly less than amazing to watch myself on video and hear imperfections! But, it was so soul-satisfying to work on a musical project again, with a "concert date" on the calendar, and it forced me to work hard and steadily through the challenges. 

I can't tell you how weirdly amazing it was to watch the final video of us finally performing "together." It was almost as good as being together in person. Not the same, but a very good second. If you have a chance to collaborate musically this fall with a friend or two or a hundred (!), please try. It will stretch you musically and personally, connect you with other musicians, and will be an encouragement to both your colleagues and your audience. You will be so glad you did! 

Around the Web 

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein describes a bit of her pandemic experience. I can relate to her feeling that "lockdown did not make me feel creative or productive." However, she still managed to create beautiful music from her Brooklyn living room, recorded on her new album, "A Character of Quiet." 

One of my favorite pieces, Faure's "Pie Jesu," was recorded remotely this summer by Brass Band Northwest. 

Ah, the days before social distancing! Eight pianists, four pianos, and a whole lot of notes here in an inspiring performance of Rossini’s William Tell Overture from the Verbier Festival in 2018. Can you name any of these famous pianists?! 

Upcoming Concerts 

December 2020  TBA! A virtual holiday concert with Kirkland Choral Society

This content is from Cori's August 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe here.

God Bless America 

Next Sunday, July 19th, at 3:00 pm, is our "God Bless America" virtual concert! Seiko and I have been having so much fun putting this together. The spirituals are such a wonderful reminder of hope in dark times - we think they will be an encouragement to you. I hope you are looking forward to joining us. More information will be coming this week on how to tune in! Here is our full program: 

Over My Head, I Hear Music in the Air, arranged by Uzee Brown, Jr. 

​Variations on a Shaker Melody from Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland, arranged by Bennett Lerner 

​Sieben Variationen uber das Volkslied, "God Save the King" by Ludwig van Beethoven 

Steal Away to Heaven, arranged by Mark Hayes 

At the River, adapted by Aaron Copland 

​Summer Time from "Porgy and Bess" by George Gershwin, arranged by Beryl Rubinstein 

​Ain't-a That Good News! arranged by Uzee Brown, Jr. 

Artist Spotlight: Kathleen Battle 

One of the songs on our concert, "Over My Head I hear Music in the Air," is featured on this album featuring Kathleen Battle. Although we will be presenting a different arrangement, this one is worth your time to listen. In fact, the whole album is one of my favorites of all time. It showcases Battle's amazing range and beautiful, pure sound, and the selection of songs is quite lovely. Incidentally, her accompanist, Margo Garrett, is my link to any sort of "claim to fame"! When in high school, I competed in an accompanists' competition at Arizona State University and in addition to getting to be coached by her, I won the Margo Garrett award for "Most Promising Accompanist"!

Around the Web 

Musings on Recordings. This seems especially appropriate as we venture into a new season of recordings, many taped live, ranging from cell phone captures to home studio set-ups to professional recording and editing collaborations. How has technology changed our expectations of artists? 

Upcoming Concerts 

Sunday, July 19th, 3pm  "God Bless America," a virtual Indie Musikhaus concert in your living room!

This content is from Cori's July 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe here.

Forward Motion

Happy Summer! The weight of virtual homeschooling has been lifted (for now) and we have been loving the sunshine, as well as some recovered freedom of movement as our county entered Phase 2: salons opened, in-person gymnastics classes re-started, and we have been meeting friends at the beach and enjoying backyard barbecues. As well, new projects are in the works. My girls are selling at a local Farmer's Market and have been busy crafting jewelry, soap, and stuffed animals. I am excited to announce a new project of my own as well! 

In just a few weeks, I will be hosting the very first virtual Indie Musikhaus house concert...in YOUR living room! My good friend Seiko Werts graciously agreed to collaborate with me, and we have an exciting program planned for you. On Sunday, July 19th, at 3:00 pm, we will present "God Bless America," a collection of spirituals and other songs celebrating the faith and hope upon which America was founded. Even Beethoven makes an appearance with his variations on "God Save the King," the melody of which you will recognize as the familiar "My Country 'Tis of Thee." There will be singing, some solo piano pieces, and even a dueling piano selection! 

Please mark your calendars and be on the lookout for more information (in the next newsletter) about how to RSVP and get the link to the concert. We hope you can join us! Seiko and I can't wait to share this beautiful music with you. We think it will encourage you and lift your spirits! 

At the River 

Earlier this month, I sent Seiko a video of me playing Aaron Copland's arrangement of "At the River" and asked if she would sing "with" me. She decided to play along, and this video was created! Think of it as a sneak preview of our upcoming "God Bless America" concert!

Around the Web 

Can't get enough of "God Save the King/Queen"? Here are several variations on the theme, including some by Charles Ives and Franz Liszt. 

An interesting interview with pianist Andrew Armstrong, discussing his part in Seattle Chamber Music Society's Virtual Summer Festival and the role of technology in these times. 

More livestreams! Have you been following the performances at London's Wigmore Hall? Here is one by pianist Stephen Hough. 

Who says classical pianists can't think on their feet? Brazilian pianist Eliane Rodrigues has pedal trouble during a live performance and literally takes the performance below the stage! 

Last, but not least, a wonderful "tiny desk concert" from pianist Lara Downes during the lockdown. 

Upcoming Concerts 

Sunday, July 19th, 3pm  "God Bless America," a virtual Indie Musikhaus concert in your living room!

This content is from Cori's June 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe here.

A Moment in Time

What strange times we are living in! This “pause” has been, for some, a time for reflection and new projects. For me, it has been more of a shift in how I spend my time. Music has taken a backseat to the more pressing duties of motherhood, which for the past two months have included homeschooling, counseling and entertaining children, and general upkeep of home and family. We’ve acquired a basketball hoop, a drone, and a new bike! We’ve resurrected two old laptops for online schooling. We’ve planted a garden, ripped up our soggy lawn, completed two 1,000-piece-puzzles, and cleaned out all the closets. My girls sleep in newly rearranged rooms. Family bike rides are a new “thing” and our baking adventures have taken us into new territory: pretzel bites, Dole Whip, churros, and faux Dippin’ Dots. But I miss music! 

I read an article this morning that explained this weird time for musicians better than any I have seen up to now. It explained the need of professional musicians for an audience. The muse, the motivation to practice and refine, the creative energy...all these things require an audience, or at least the anticipation of a future audience, to gain momentum. This is true for me at least. In the absence of regular meetings with musician friends to rehearse or talk music, and without a calendar with upcoming performance dates, my music has slipped aside. 

I can hear you already - Cori! We want to hear you play! Yes, and I will... It will come back. Live music-making will come back, because there is that impulse in us that must make music for others. But right now it all feels a little strange. Like zoom fatigue. Have you been there? That feeling that meeting virtually is just not enough. Perhaps it is better than nothing, but really it is not a good substitute for the very real social nature of humans. We need to physically be with each other, sharing the same breathing room, giving and receiving that unseen creative energy. We are not virtual beings; we are made of both body and spirit, and the expression of our creativity is both material and spiritual. This is how it is, how our Creator God made us, and I have hope that since He made us that way, He will restore that very physical expression of music in person again. Until then, I may remain partially silent, but the music will come! 

Bothell meets Hiroshima 

I am so proud of my friend, Seiko Werts, who created this wonderful video compilation with her husband, Doug, and her friend Shoko Nagai along with her husband. I hope you are inspired by their beautiful music and photography!

If Ye Love Me 

If you are keeping track, you know that I haven't written a newsletter since February, at which time I was promoting Kirkland Choral Society's "Love" concerts. Here is a piece I learned first at KCS, which was recently recorded by a friend who works as musical director at Seattle's First Church. Some members from KCS joined choir members from First Church to make up this virtual choir!

Around the Web 

Here is the article that gave me pause: Finding Inspiration in Isolation. Art needs an audience. 

One of my favorite pianists, Lara Downes, reflects on these strange times and considers the "why" behind her music-making. 

Musicians from Seattle's annual Chamber Music Festival perform Dvorak's Gavotte for Three Violins. 

Upcoming Concerts 

TBA!

This content is from Cori's May 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe here.

O Love 

On the heels of Valentine's Day, I am preparing for a set of two "love" concerts with Kirkland Choral Society. On Saturday and Sunday, February 22-23, we will give performances of songs celebrating love and community (accompanied by wine and chocolate at each intermission!). Although the main spirit of the program is love for our fellow man, the song that touches me the most gives witness to the deep, abiding love offered us by God through Jesus: "O Love." 

The text of "O Love" was written by Scottish preacher George Matheson (1842-1906) on the evening of his sister's wedding. It is believed that he wrote it in response to his sorrow at being rejected by the woman he had planned to marry. He took solace in the love found in His Savior, that love that "wilt not let me go." He had this to say about the poem: 

The hymn was the fruit of that suffering. It was the quickest bit of work I ever did in my life. I had the impression of having it dictated to me by some inward voice rather than of working it out myself. I am quite sure that the whole work was completed in five minutes, and equally sure that it never received at my hands any retouching or correction. 

I have no natural gift of rhythm. All the other verses I have ever written are manufactured articles; this came like a dayspring from on high.” 

More on Matheson can be found here. There have been several settings of his hymn and we will present a most beautiful one written by Elaine Hagenberg. View it below, and then come hear it live at Bastyr this weekend!

O Love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee; I give thee back the life I owe, that in thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be. 

O Light that follow'st all my way, I yield my flick'ring torch to thee; my heart restores its borrowed ray, that in thy sunshine's blaze its day may brighter, fairer be. 

O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee; I trace the rainbow thro' the rain, and feel the promise is not vain that morn shall tearless be. 

O Cross that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from thee; I lay in dust life's glory dead, and from the ground there blossoms red, life that shall endless be. 

How Lovely 

At the risk of too much sentimentality, here is one of my all-time favorite pieces, "How Lovely are Thy Dwellings" from Johannes Brahms' Requiem. It seems a fitting companion to "O Love," as it was also written at the time of sorrow, and yet is filled with hope: 

How lovely are thy dwelling places, O Lord of Hosts! 
My soul requires and yearns for 
the courts of the Lord; 
My body and soul rejoice 
in the living God. 

How lovely are thy dwelling places, O Lord of Hosts! 
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house; 
they praise you forever. 
How lovely are thy dwelling places!

Around the Web 

Looking for The One: tips for buying a grand piano by Frances Wilson 

More music to make you swoon: Rachmaninov's Prelude in B-Minor, Op.32 No.10 performed by pianist Yuja Wang 

Why Musicians Should Embrace Their Vulnerability 

Upcoming Concerts 

February 22-23 - Kirkland Choral Society "True Colors" concerts, Bastyr U 
April 2 - LMC Public Concert Series, Seattle Art Museum 12pm 
April 18 - Kirkland Choral Society "Beethoven's 50th," Benaroya Hall 
May 13 - LMC Public Concert Series, Seattle Public Library, 12pm

This content is from Cori's February 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe here.

Happy New Year! 

I had a wonderful Christmas break with my family, filled with too many sweets, lots of late nights and sleeping in, movies, and games. It was so nice to take a break from our normal routines of school, homework, after-school activities, and…well, responsibilities! But 2020 is here and though my calendar is not looking like a “fresh slate” by any means, a new year holds promise for new opportunities. 

To get myself motivated (I’ve felt awfully lazy lately, especially with these dark gray, cold Pacific Northwest days), I’m reminding myself of what has worked for me in the past. Check out my latest blog post to find out what's helping me get to work! Maybe these will inspire you to get moving and creating too? 

Music and Memory 

I love learning how music impacts our brains in tangible ways. A few years ago an article was published on Big Think that describes a study revealing this finding: "...music can sometimes actually lift people out of the Alzheimer's haze and bring them back to (at least a semblance of) normality... if only for a short while." The study found that music prompted people to not only recall musical memories, but also non-musical memories, for a short time. Below is a video giving a glimpse of this.

Around the Web 

What do musicians do all day? Frances Wilson attempts to draw a picture of some of the realities of how musicians spend their time. 

The 5 Minute Trick to Stop Procrastination 

Pianist and practice coach Erica Ann Sipes reveals a look into her "musical mid-life crisis" and shares how she overcame her own personal roadblocks to make music again. 

Pianist magazine reveals Top Crazy Piano Moments of the Decade 

Upcoming Concerts 

February 22-23 - Kirkland Choral Society "True Colors" concerts, Bastyr U 
April 2 - LMC Public Concert Series, Seattle Art Museum 12pm 
April 18 - Kirkland Choral Society "Beethoven's 50th," Benaroya Hall 
May 13 - LMC Public Concert Series, Seattle Public Library, 12pm

This content is from Cori's January 2020 Newsletter. If you would like to receive Cori's monthly newsletters in your inbox, please subscribe here.