Week 5: Colors of the Fall
As the air gets crisper and the days grow shorter, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the beauty and transition that autumn brings. We're excited to introduce our newest community challenge: "Music of the Fall"! This is your chance to explore pieces that capture the essence of this season – whether they evoke the feeling of change, a fresh beginning, or the quiet nostalgia of falling leaves.
What’s the Challenge?
Select a guitar piece that you personally associate with the change of seasons or the idea of starting anew. This could be a work that resonates with autumnal moods, melodies that conjure up images of falling leaves, or pieces that mark a new chapter in your musical journey.
Suggested Themes:
- Transition: Pieces that reflect change or transformation.
- New Beginnings: Works that symbolize starting something new, like a new season in life or music.
- Autumnal Mood: Music that captures the essence of fall – perhaps something contemplative, warm, or even bittersweet.
Timeline:
- Start: October 1st
- End: November 13th
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Shand - Il Pensieroso Nov 1
Here is another update. I don't often dress up for my videos, but I had just gotten home from work when I recorded this.
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Eric Phillips A lovely performance, Eric. Do you ever play for your students? I bet they would really enjoy it.
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Marilyn Blodget Thank you, Marilyn! I do play for my students. They mostly seem to like it, but several are rather ambivalent. I just hope that I can expose them to something new (well, new to them, at least).
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Eric Phillips It gets better and better Eric! Such a beautiful piece. I love the phrasing and the tone colours you produce
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Eric Phillips Looks like you are ready for an on stage performance--playing well( best update so far) and dressed well, haha. Beautiful playing!
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In keeping with Spring here in the Southern hemisphere, I worked on this classic Andrew York piece, which I think evokes new growth and rebirth. I had given up on it several times in the past due to its difficulty, but this time, with the help of the challenge I decided to push through. It is somewhat of an extended slur study, and fatigue sets in about two thirds of the way through, but I am working through the pain! For some reason, it is a hard piece for me to memorize, so there are still a couple of small memory "pauses", which I will try to eliminate in a later take. Still some work to do on making the slur phrases perfectly even, and of course some additional dynamics which are in my head but apparently not in my hands.
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Wow! That’s a workout! Definitely develops stamina! Very interesting piece. Thanks for the introduction- new to me.
Sam Greenblatt
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Sam Greenblatt That's pretty amazing, Sam! The intense opening chords are so unlike what I would expect from Andrew York. But then those slurs come in! Incredible!
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Sam Greenblatt That's amazing Sam! As Marilyn said - quite a workout! Well done!
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Sam Greenblatt This is awesome, Sam! It is also nice to see how Andrew York interprets his own piece for reference. Be careful about "working through the pain". I was reminded about this recently. I've never played this piece, but wondering how Andrew would suggest building in the "relaxation" during this challenging piece. Great work so far!
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Sam Greenblatt This is an interesting piece that you perform excellently, Sam. IThough I am aware of Andrew York, I have not heard much of his music. Thanks for sharing this.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
