The Playground

As most of us could agree Danny Boy is a legendary musical piece, possibly one of the most famous songs in the world. It is synonomous with all things Ireland and has made its way […]

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Mar 17, 2021
• danny boy, england, folk music, History, ireland, londonderry air, lyric, music, music education, piano, popular songs, simply music, song history, the playground

From all of us here at Simply Music we wish the very best and a safe and happy holiday season … and a Happy Gravy Day Australia! Gravy Day you ask? The 21st of December […]

• Written by Gretta Dunn on Dec 20, 2020
• music, music education, piano, simply music, the playground

Jerry Jeff Walker, who passed away recently at the age of 78, is remembered as one of the artists who brought country music out of the backwoods and into the mainstream. He was very prolific […]

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Nov 5, 2020
• Jerry Jeff Walker, Mr Bojangles, music, music education, piano, simply music, the playground

Music, like most art, is not as original as it may seem. With the new CGI animated Lion King coming to cinemas this summer, what better time to look at the creation and history of […]

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Jun 5, 2019
• disney, gordon harvey, music, music education, piano, simply music, The Lion King, The lion sleeps tonight, the playground

This month we celebrate a birthday of an unusual kind. You might call it the birthday of the right to properly celebrate birthdays. And surprisingly, it’s just a first birthday, because on June 30, 2016, […]

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Jun 20, 2017
• chords, gordon harvey, Happy Birthday, learn piano, music, music education, piano, play piano, Public Domain, simply music, simply music piano, songs, the playground

A lot of music unites people. Occasionally it divides people. With its contentious depiction of racial stereotypes, the opera Porgy and Bess seems to have experienced the ebb and flow of acceptance over the years, […]

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Sep 10, 2014
• Classics, gordon harvey, music, music education, piano, simply music, Summertime, the playground

In our rush to idolise our favourite singers or composers, we miss some other great contributors to musical culture. One such unsung hero is the American ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax. Armed with a portable tape recorder, […]

• Written by SM Admin on Oct 27, 2013
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This new occasional series is already contradicting itself in the first edition by discussing not a song but a full-length orchestral piece. Still, the 100th anniversary of one of the milestone events in music is […]

• Written by SM Admin on Jun 27, 2013
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