The Playground

This is the first in a series of articles designed to help you choose and care for your piano. Here at Simply Music, we’re not too precious. When it comes to your choice of instrument, many teachers will insist on beginning on a good-quality acoustic…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Nov 20, 2018
• Choose a Piano, gordon harvey, music, music education, music teacher, piano, play piano, simply music, teach piano, the playground

Mark S. Meritt continues our series on songwriting, discussing some guiding principles and idea-generating approaches he uses. Legendary musical theatre composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim noted some fundamental principles that guide his work, the primary one being Content Dictates Form. He also said that his…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Apr 18, 2018
• coaching, simply music, singer-songwriter, songwriting, the playground

Previously, I talked about the benefit of making the most of simple activities and valuing the journey as much as the goal. But how? As a Simply Music student, your teacher will be regularly on your case about keeping your Playlist alive. Of course, you…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Mar 21, 2018
• coaching, gordon harvey, improvisation, learn piano, music, music education, performance, piano, Simple Things, simply music, the playground

Our series of songwriting hints continues with Eliette Roslin, who has taken time out from her amazingly busy life to share the very personal story of her song “Believe”. Eliette sang before she could speak and music has always played an important role in her…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Mar 14, 2018
• eliette roslin, piano, simply music, songwriting, the playground, Write Music

Songwriting doesn’t have to be done balancing pen, paper, guitar and coffee cup on your lap. In fact, most modern pop music is constructed on the computer from the get-go. Gordon Harvey outlines this process through the example of a song by his band Aquiline.…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Feb 7, 2018
• create, gordon harvey, music, music education, piano, simply music, songwriting, the playground

Simply Music Teacher Jennifer Lee continues the conversation about writing songs with a reflection on how simple projects can be the unexpected beginnings of great inspirations, including some of the wonderful songs on her forthcoming album. Photo by Remo Fioroni For me, I’m certain that…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Jan 31, 2018
• create, jennifer lee, musicians, simply music, singer-songwriter, songwriting, teachers, the playground, women songwriters

After our Songwriting Tips from Simply Music Friends – Pt 1 post, we asked contributors to give us a more in-depth insight into their process of creating songs. You’ll find that there are as many ways of writing a song as there are songs to…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Nov 27, 2017
• gordon harvey, music, music education, musician, musicians, piano, play piano, simply music, songwriting, Sue Lopez, the playground

Our wide-ranging and talented community of Simply Music Teachers and associates include an array of gifted professional songwriters and composers. We asked a bunch of them to share a little about how they work. We found that there are as many ways of writing a…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Oct 10, 2017
• eliette roslin, gordon harvey, jennifer lee, katie knipp, mark s. meritt, music, music education, piano, Scott Ferreter, simply music, songwriting, the playground, Write Music, Write Songs

My teenage son makes an awesome cup of coffee. He bought himself a ’70s percolator and spent a considerable time experimenting with different techniques, grinds, brewing times and who knows what else. Now that he’s got his chops down, it’s almost as rewarding for me…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Oct 3, 2017
• gordon harvey, learn, lessons, piano, play, practice, Simple Things, simply music, technique

Can you think of any activity in your life that you were perfect at the very first time you did it? Here are a few things that that applies to for me: Contactless credit card payments Using velcro Wearing shoes (especially if secured with velcro)…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Jun 6, 2017
• coaching, improvisation, learn piano, learning, performance, playing, Simply Music The Playground Music Piano Music Education, student