Category: Music
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Late Night Reflections: Writing After Dark
Night, Sunday, April 27, 2025, Miami, Florida If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. It’s almost 10 PM here as I write this, the second blog post on this last Sunday of April 2025. I rarely do this so late; I may have done it a few times when I lived in Tampa,…
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Behind the Music: “Boy of Harvard” and Its Dreamy Origins
Exploring the playful creativity of Reunion: Coda When it comes to weaving whimsy into storytelling, the dream sequence in Reunion: Coda is a standout moment. Set during Jim Garraty’s high school commencement, this scene offers readers a glimpse into the humorous and poignant workings of Jim’s imagination as he dozes off during an inspirational speech.…
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Sunday Serenade: Songs and Compositions I Enjoy
Midday/Early Afternoon, Sunday, January 5, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. Well, while I am feeling a bit better today, I’m still under the weather. So, instead of the usual narrative blog post or occasional review, here’s a selection of music from YouTube for this first Sunday of 2025! Enjoy!
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Saturday Serenade: Some of My Favorite Piano Pieces*
Midday/Early Afternoon, Saturday, January 4, 2025, Miami, Florida * Including piano transcriptions of orchestral compositions. Hi, everyone. I’m feeling a bit better today, but still dealing with a persistent cold. I’m exhausted from the symptoms and medication. Instead of my usual long blog post, here are some of my favorite piano performances. Enjoy!
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Music Album Review: ‘Kiri Sings Gershwin’: A Swinging Tribute to Timeless Classics
Kiri Sings Gershwin (1990) Label: EMI Records Genre: Standards/Crossovers Artists: Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano), John McGlinn (conductor), New Princess Orchestra Release Date: October 25, 1990 Regular readers of this blog won’t be surprised. Still, I seem to follow the beat of a different drummer because I prefer older musical styles to contemporary ones, especially when…
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Music Album Review: Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Shines in Kiri Sings Kern
Kiri Sings Kern (1993) Label: Angel/EMI Records Genre: Crossover/Standards Artists: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano), London Sinfonietta (Orchestra), Jonathan Tunick (Conductor/Arranger) Release Date: March 16, 1993 Jerome Kern (1885-1945) remains one of the most influential composers in American popular music. Alongside legends like Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers, the New York-born Kern…
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Sunday Musicale: Sharing My Favorite Piano Pieces
Sharing My Favorite Piano Pieces Inspiration from Maddie in “Reunion: Coda” Hello everyone, As I’m still feeling a bit under the weather today, I thought I would take a moment to share something a little different. Instead of my usual updates, I’m excited to share some of my favorite YouTube videos featuring beautiful piano pieces…
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On Music and Melodies: I’m a Man Out of Step with the Times, Musically Speaking
Today I made a brief but candid observation on my Facebook page: “While many of my peers – born in the early to mid-1960s and who came of age in the early 1989s – prefer rock, salsa, or (ugh) disco, I tend to favor older genres. I’m not sure why, but that’s how I’m wired.”…
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Tuesday Tunes!
Midafternoon, Tuesday, November 12, 2024, Miami, Florida Hi, there, Constant Readers. Apologies for the tardy post today. I was entangled in personal matters this morning, which consumed nearly four hours of meticulous attention. Feeling weary and wildly off schedule, I’ve decided to take the remainder of the day to recharge and escape my myriad worries.…
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Thoughts Upon a Cold, Rainy Fall Day in New Hampshire
It’s cold and rainy on Columbus Day in Madison, New Hampshire, and a most depressing way to start my last few days here before I head back to South Florida on a long road trip with my South Miami High School classmate and his wife. I don’t know when I’ll arrive in Miami because Eric…
A Certain Point of View, Too 