The Playground

Leon Moore sits down with Sacramento-based Simply Music Piano Teacher and Blues artist, Katie Knipp and discusses her latest album, “Take It With You”, her recent SAMMIE award win (think of it like the Sacramento Grammys) and becoming a Billboard featured artist. Katie, a teacher…

• Written by SM Admin on Jul 29, 2019
• Blues, interview, katie knipp, Leon Moore, music, music education, pianist, piano, professional musician, simply music, teach piano, the playground

For a machine, a piano can sometimes be almost like a living thing. It can seem to have behaviours that change with the seasons and the years and the places it lives. Like a family member, it can behave differently depending on the way it…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Jul 22, 2019
• gordon harvey, music, music education, piano, piano care, simply music, the playground, Vincent Tarin

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 a timeless song, The Lion Sleeps Tonight? Join us as…

• 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

Leon Moore sits down with the wonderful Joe Gilman to get to know a little about him and his background as a professional jazz musician. Joe shares his musical inspirations over the years, and how he approached playing the songs that are outlined in the…

• Written by SM Admin on May 22, 2019
• interview, jazz, Jazz musician, Joe Gilman, Leon Moore, music, music education, pianist, piano, professional musician, simply music, the playground

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

Previously we’ve talked about the choice between digital or acoustic pianos, and, if you go acoustic, what kind of piano you might choose. If you’ve come this far, you might be ready for the next question – new or second-hand? Those new beauties look shiny…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Apr 18, 2019
• Acoustic Piano, Buying a piano, gordon harvey, music, music education, piano, simply music, the playground, Vincent Tarin

We asked Mary K Ferreter some questions to gain some insight into her role here at Simply Music, what lights her up musically and some facts that make her the person she is. Your full name: Mary Kathryn Ferreter When did you start and what…

• Written by SM Admin on Apr 4, 2019
• interview, MaryKaye, music, music education, piano, simply music, 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

Were you ever wowed by the wizardry of a blues musician? Really, anyone can achieve an authentic blues sound with a few basic tools. Using some very simple tools Blues can be taught to entry-level students with great success. One of these tools, the principle…

• Written by SM Admin on Mar 13, 2019
• Blues, improvisation, music, music education, neil moore, piano, simply music, the playground

In the first article in this series, we discussed the choice between digital and acoustic pianos. For those considering a digital piano, we included some advice, but as to the purchase of an acoustic piano, we decided that dark art needed its own post. Are…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Mar 6, 2019
• Acoustic Piano, Buying a piano, gordon harvey, music, music education, piano, simply music, the playground, Vincent Tarin