Episode 7 - Passing it on

Welcome to episode 7 . Thank you for joining me . If you have found this episode randomly , you can subscribe to the podcast on any of the popular podcast networks . You can subscribe to the podcast on any of the popular podcast networks , including Apple Podcasts , spotify and iHeartRadio , or from your podcast player of choice . You can even leave reviews from there .

The podcast is also available on YouTube , but it's still audio only . You can contact me by email , website or text . The website is being upgraded . It's currently on Squarespace , but I'm experimenting with moving it to WordPress . You might notice that this week's episode sounds a little different to normal . That's because it's being recorded differently .

I'm recording some of it , including this part , as normal at home , but I'll be recording some other parts while away in Queensland . Also , the recording at home is a week earlier than the other parts and I'm using different equipment for the recording in Queensland . I didn't want to bring my whole studio set up , so this week is my Rode portable equipment .

I hope you like the variety .

This week's review is Alfred's Basic Piano Library All-in-One Course by Willard A , Palmer , Morton Manus and Amanda Vick Lethko . If you're starting out learning as an adult , your new pursuit is likely to spark some interest in those around you and perhaps they'll decide to give it a try too .

If they're adults , point them towards the resources I've been talking about or towards the materials you're using yourself , but if they're younger , you might find yourself needing to introduce the piano to them . So this week's review is of some books that may help . Unlike adult piano method books , texts for children aren't self-directed .

They assume that there will be someone guiding the new player . So I've looked for some books that are appealing to a young beginner , but at a level that I , as only a beginner myself , can handle . If the youngster shows an interest in going further , then finding a proper teacher for them would be the next step . That's the first proper piece in the book .

It's very simple for the learner They've already covered finger numbers and it's being played just with the left hand on the black keys between F and B . It even comes with a duet part for the teacher , so you could accompany the new learner .

Except for one thing , because the tune has been made easy for the beginner it is in B flat , so there are six flats in the key signature . You'd better practice before giving it a go . The book is quite comprehensive and more than enough to give a young beginner a decent taste of piano learning before turning them over to an experienced teacher .

If you are already a good player yourself , there's probably about a year's worth of material if you want to teach them . So that's the first book of Alfred's all-in-one course . There is a whole set more . If you want to go further , I'd recommend having a look at them

Passing it on . None of us came up with the idea of playing the piano ourselves . We all saw or at least heard someone else doing it first . Whatever sort of music you like , someone else will have introduced you to it . Music has a long history of passing it first . Whatever sort of music you like , someone else will have introduced you to it .

Music has a long history of passing it on . When I was growing up , the lady who lived across the road played oboe in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra . So although my family wasn't at all musical , I got to hear a fair bit of classical music .

The father of friends down the street played stringed instruments not normal ones like the guitar , but weird ones like mandolins and banjos . I have no idea whose music I was listening to , but being around people making it meant that they passed on their interest . To me , music wasn't much of a thing at my high school .

There was no formal music classes , no band competitions or other such things that seem to be the norm nowadays . Music was just passed on in passing . In the last episode I spoke about getting a teacher to guide you along your musical journey . This is clearly a formal way of passing on musical knowledge , and the teacher-pupil relationship goes back millennia .

But it's a formal relationship and usually involves some commitment and motivation on both sides to make it happen , and that can be hard to organise , especially in today's busy world . It also costs money and that can really be a barrier . So it's up to us adults to do our bit to pass along our love of and interest in music to the next generations .

How to do this ? Make yourself available . One of my memories from when I was very young was visiting one of my parents' friends who had a stereo system , which was quite rare at the time . At home we had a very old record player and one record , the movie soundtrack of the Sound of Music .

I remember sitting in the special chair and being played Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf . That would have been over 50 years ago and I still remember the experience . Although I have no idea who my parents' friend was , of course I was around other music . Who my parents' friend was , of course I was around other music .

My friend across the street had a portable record player and some Beatles 45s . I eventually got a cassette player and a copy of Jonathan Livingston's Seagull , but it was that early , casual exposure to classical music that has stayed with me , though I still like lots of other music .

Of course there is a much more practical way to pass on playing music hand-me-downs . When learning the piano , many things have a limited lifetime and can be passed along to other learners . The beginning books you have outgrown are an obvious first step , as are pieces of music that you have outgrown . You probably don't still need the sheet music for them .

After all , you'll have them all memorised . There is also equipment that you have moved on from . I bought my first keyboard with the intention of passing it on . I've been me long enough to know that if I really get into doing something , I will want to get the best equipment I can reasonably afford .

You just have to look at the computer equipment and the phones I use . So I knew that it would be the same with the piano . I wanted something good enough to get a feel for what learning as an adult would be like , but not so expensive that it would be a waste if I didn't continue .

I also knew about how much I would need to spend to be really happy with a keyboard to learn over an extended time . I've now passed that Roland FP-30X on and upgraded to the Kawaii Novus 10 .

I've also told the kids that if any of them get past grade 5 in their music exams which is the point at which the Roland's key action will start to limit them I'll give them the Kawaii and then I'll buy myself something new . But that's a good 5 or 6 years away at the earliest , and the choir has a 12-year warranty . Passing on the keyboard has been fun .

This is the first non-toy musical instrument the kids have had and all of them have been giving it a go , even the two-year-old . Whether this will be the start of one of them having a stellar musical career I have no idea , but being able to be part of the long tradition of passing music down through the generations has been rewarding . This

week's YouTube channel recommendation is for an American musician living and teaching in Australia . You might think I've just randomly found someone to include in the show , but you'd be wrong . This week's musician is Finn Purcell , my first piano teacher . When I was looking to begin at the local conservatorium , I read Finn's bio .

It said that , in addition to many years of experience , he was interested in harpsichords . I've always liked harpsichords too , so that's one of the reasons I picked Finn as my first teacher . Recently , finn took delivery of a two-manual harpsichord . He has put up videos of himself playing some pieces and it sounds great .

If things work out , I could see myself getting a harpsichord like this in the distant future . Finn also has videos of himself playing many classical piano pieces , and I'd thoroughly recommend visiting and subscribing to his channel . There's a link in the show notes .

Well , that's it for this week . If you'd like to contact me , email is the best way . You'll find me at david@ pianofinally . show and the website at www . pianofinally . show . In both cases , pianofinally is all one word . The show is also on Facebook , Instagram and Threads .

You can subscribe to it from any of the popular iOS or Android podcast applications or from directories such as Apple Podcasts , Spotify or YouTube Podcasts . The show notes for this episode are on the website and include a text me link which will let you send me a message . I hope the different recording setups haven't been too distracting .

This should all return to normal for next week . So until the next episode , I hope your piano stays in tune and you enjoy your time at the keys .

This week's practice was recorded on a different instrument than normal . As I'm up in Queensland , I recorded on the Roland FP-30X I've handed over to Nixon, Halle and Ace . It has a very different feel to the Kawai , but it's still a nice instrument and was definitely a good choice as a starter .