The Classical Source For All The Performing, Visual And Literary Arts & Entertainment News
Reporter: Elizabeth L. Forrester

'The Piano: A Measure of Time (Part 2), Liz Forrester

My fingers have difficulty playing my own old recital piece from boarding school. Still, I can belt out the showtunes. My music continued there and kept me in touch with the outside world. I accompanied my schoolmates around the piano -- cranking out hymns on the small chapel organ. At college in Boston, where my love with New England flourished, I found a common bond between north and south in the glee club with portrayals of W.S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan's "I'm Called Little Buttercup" from Pinafore and "The Duchess" from Gondoliers.
  • 'The Piano: A Measure of Time (Part 1), Liz Forrester

    As I sit down to move these wrinkled hands on the piano, I try to decide what music to select. The living room is overflowing with dusty boxes filled with music: piano, vocal, organ, church, wedding, popular, art songs and more. One of my earliest memories was my mother playing "Red Sails in the Sunset." I sat near the pedal in wonderment. It was during the Great Depression; a Steinway was a luxury. For my mother, it was a necessity. And so, I grew up knowing that a piano in the home was essential for happiness, solace and discipline.
Real Time Analytics