The State of the Art Do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti...? (No, not that seven.) This seven: Bach, Prokofieff, Rachmaninoff, Hindemith, Corea, Zawinul and Evans. After my last recital I chose the following piano pieces to work on for my next repertoire: Bach Inventions 1 - 8 because these are always worth going back to. Prokofieff Visions Fugitives 1 - 8 because these make excellent modern companion pieces that complement the Bach Inventions . Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paga

'Tis the season... Merry Christmas everyone! Wishing you peace, love, good will and the joy of the season. With thanks for the blessings bestowed upon us.

A Tale of Two Cats 3 months into this leg of the journey and 2025 is winding down. It snowed a little while ago and is raining now, putting me in a reflective mood. So, I'll begin with the origin of Moonstone Music and then move on for a brief look at my new ballet work in progress entitled The Fire and The Rose . Moonstone Music was chosen as the name of our first YouTube account in 2010 and I am now using it as the collective title of all my music endeavors. The word Moo

Home At last I received the eye-catching graphic above when I recently joined the Dramatists Guild. It had an immediate appeal to me because it illustrated the bringing together of complementary elements which has been a cornerstone of my creative life. I am primarily a composer/pianist who enjoys writing and playing music of different styles and periods. That's quite a bit of diversity in itself. But I have also written 4 plays which involved the writing of music, lyrics

One month into the voyage... Things are off to a good start. Without going into too much detail, I am happy to say that I am staying...

"Moving on again, my end is my beginning..." from the musical Hail Mary After having taught thousands of piano lessons to a...

On Thursday, June 26th I will be performing at the Portland Conservatory of Music Noonday Concert. Piano Pieces: Nocturne by Samuel...

...which is a groovy time, (as Jimi Hendrix once said) Life goes on even when it sometimes feels like a bad April Fools Day joke gone...

"What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?"

...I will mourn the loss of the Republic which so many brave souls lived and died to create. But we will find our way because character...

The day after tomorrow is Election Day. What matters most to me is that it is a referendum on America and what we stand for. What the...

Yes, I think the piano has infinite possibilities. But I do not. I have to respect the limits of my body, mind, heart, and soul and not...

At the Portland Conservatory's Noonday Concert on Thursday, July 11th at 12:15, I will be playing 5 piano preludes I wrote early in my...

I log in to update my blog and I am inundated with prompts to use AI. No AI for me, thanks. I'd rather dig into my own human...

It's official! Breathing Space is off the shelf. My new quintet for flute, alto sax, viola, cello and piano which had its premiere...

At the Portland Conservatory of Music 12:15 - 1:00 The Program From Visions Fugitives By Sergei Prokofieff I.     Lentamente...

Volume 1, No. 1 In today's world, where lies are the new truth, the situation is reminiscent of the slogan of the Ministry of Truth in...

A prophetic excerpt from The Martian Chronicles (1950) by Ray Bradbury (This first part predicted our present state....) "...I was honest...

....a moment to pause and reflect on what really matters in these strange and difficult times... Be back soon.....

Robert Gans Sr. 1930 - 2023 Evelyn Gans 1928 - 2023 I have many fond childhood memories of my dad and my stepmother Evelyn… putting up...