The Playground

Have you met Maddalena Casulana? Born 1544 in Italy she was the first woman to publish her own musical compositions! Women’s roles in the early 1500s largely centred around domestic duties and a constrained societal existence with the expectation that they would live humble, demure…

• Written by Gretta Dunn on Jan 29, 2021
• composer, italy, madrigal, music, music education, piano, simply music, the playground, Women in Music

Whether you’re looking for a new book to read or a present for someone this holiday season, we’ve compiled a list of books for you! Some we have read and some are on our own ‘to read’ lists! If you’ve got any recommendations please leave…

• Written by Gretta Dunn on Dec 4, 2020
• Blues, books, jazz, music, Music Books, music education, music history, piano, Reading List, recorded music, simply music, the playground

I’m sure if you’ve even stuck your toe into the pool of modern Jazz, you’ve heard of Diana Krall! The Canadian jazz pianist, songwriter & singer, known for her contralto vocals, she has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15…

• Written by Gretta Dunn on Nov 12, 2020
• Diana Krall, Female Piano Player, jazz, jazz pianist, music, music education, piano, simply music, Songwriter, the playground, Women in Music

Intro: Music of the last hundred years would sound completely different without the Blues. You may have a certain picture in your mind when you think of blues music, but you may not realise how diverse the genre actually is, and how it has seeped…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Oct 22, 2020
• Blues, music, music education, piano, Robert Relly, simply music, teach piano, the playground

Hazel Scott was a Trinidadian-born jazz and classical pianist, singer, and actor. She was a critically acclaimed performing artist and an outspoken critic of racial discrimination and segregation. Scott was a child musical prodigy, receiving scholarships to study at the Juilliard School when she was…

• Written by Gretta Dunn on Oct 14, 2020
• 'The Hazel Scott Show'." ... she was also known for playing 2 piano's at a time!!, classical music, female, female musician, music, music education, musician, pianist, piano, piano concerto, piano player, piano. She was prominent as a jazz singer throughout the 1930s and 1940s. In 1950, she became the first African American to host her own TV show, simply music, the playground

Did you know that piano sales have increased this year!! The New York Times reported a resurgence in ‘at home music making’ with sales of digital pianos increasing by 30% and acoustic pianos increasing in the used market! Which begs the question … should you…

• Written by Gretta Dunn on Sep 24, 2020
• acoustic, digital, instrument, keyboard, music, music education, new piano, piano, second hand piano, simply music, the playground

Born June 5, 1941 Martha Argerich is an Argentine-Swiss classical concert pianist. She made her concert debut at the age of 8 and is considered to be one of the greatest pianists of the recorded era!!

 

 Here’s a video of her playing her signature…

• Written by Gretta Dunn on Sep 16, 2020
• classical music, female, female musician, music, music education, musician, pianist, piano, piano concerto, piano player, simply music, the playground

The other day, Leon, Neil Moore’s son and my coworker, shared this super cool image of an old repurposed piano in our office chat [We use a software called Slack to communicate across the Simply Music Team]. And it totally inspired me!! This image, plus…

• Written by Stephanie Iadanza on Sep 26, 2019
• art, fun., Music is life, piano, repurposed piano, simply music, teach

What do WE listen to, to soothe ourselves? We listen to music for more than just pure entertainment. We also listen to music to help with relaxation and to decompress from the day, but furthermore for good, quality sleep. From classical and ambient music to…

• Written by Stephanie Iadanza on Apr 30, 2019
• music, music education, personal stories, piano, quality sleep, self discovery, simply music, sleep apps, sleep struggles, stephanie iadanza, the playground

Piano lovers, it’s that special International Piano Day time of year again! We have celebrated Piano Day in many ways in the past with shared lists of unusual pianos, collections of all things piano and more. This year, to commemorate our favorite mechanical friend, we…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Mar 28, 2019
• gordon harvey, music, music education, piano, piano day, simply music, stephanie iadanza, the playground