Melsen’s Piano Log: Piano Log 2008-12-2

March 2015 – Day 26

(Throwback Thursday!)

This was one of my first ever recordings of piano improvisation. Up until 2008, I had improvised so much, but I had never thought to record. It had been my way of warming up at the keyboard, relaxing, or even practicing techniques. But that was all. I didn’t take it nearly as seriously as my classical training.

So, here it is – my first attempt at recording. I had no idea what was going to happen when I hit the record button, and I guess I still don’t!

Piano Log 2013-9-29 Part 8

March 2015 – Day 25

This is the last piano I played on the first day I ventured out to play street pianos. It was a baby grand sitting out in front of the MFA, and it was decorated with an easel and tubes of paint!

Piano Log 2013-10-13 Part 5

March 2015 – Day 24

My friend Maggie was dancing to this improvisation. You can see a video of this and many other street piano performances on YouTube.

Piano Log 2015-3-22 Part 4

March 2015 – Day 23

For this one, I focused on a left hand melody with right hand accompaniment to start. I think it has an eerie quality.

Piano Log 2015-3-22 Part 1

March 2015 – Day 22

I recorded a few piano logs today – here is the first! More to come throughout the coming week…

Piano Log 2012-2-23

March 2015 – Day 21

Spring has come! And there are only ten days left of March! This is a recording from 2012, when I didn’t have a home acoustic piano to play. My Casio keyboard really saved the day during those months when I wanted to keep playing.

Piano Log 2013-10-12 Part 1

March 2015 – Day 20

This piano had no working damper pedal! So I made the best of it. What follows is a very upbeat, staccato improvisation, with many sequences. Sequences can be very satisfying!

Piano Log 2013-10-5 Part 15

March 2015 – Day 19

My second recording from the South Station pianos. I had at least a couple spectators – you can hear them in the background!

Piano Log 2013-10-5 Part 14

March 2015 – Day 18, Part two!

I launched into this jaunty tune. Seemed very appropriate for South Station. There were actually two pianos set up next to each other there, which was unique.

Piano Log 2013-10-5 Part 13

March 2015 – Day 18, Part 1

I’m releasing two recordings today: this first one is tiny – it’s just a clip of a woman I met who had been hanging out at the South Station public piano for multiple days, hours a day. She was trying to amass signatures for a petition to save the pianos. I wonder what became of that?