Where Pianos Roam

I Covet: Fazioli Pianoforti

Among the Bosendorfers, Steinways, and Yamahas of the world, their seems to be a general consensus as to which piano is the finest of them all. 

It turns out that arguably the most revered and highest regarded piano is an Italian make. 

In one name .  .  .

FAZIOLI

It is a company established in the 1970's that vowed to make the finest pianos in the world with a sound and richness like no other.  I've never had the heavenly pleasure of performing on one, but by all accounts, they seem to have succeeded in their quest.

They only make about 60 of these a year, and each grand piano is painstakingly and methodically built with a special type of wood.  Their least expensive model, a 5'1" Grand, costs about $86,000.  Their prized masterpiece, The Brunei, runs in the neighborhood of $409,000.  They also happen to manufacture that largest piano in the world.  

Pianos, much like wine, get better with age.  Fresh out of the factory, it is already quite good.  I can't begin to imagine the textures and colors that these instruments will produce as they get older.  Don't even get me started on how much the price and value will increase.  Holy cow!

To learn more about Fazioli, visit www.fazioli.com .

Certainly, I covet one of these, but that's okay, I've learned to develop my own skills to give the piano it's richness.  Besides, I honestly don't have $86,000 lying around somewhere.  LOL

Someday, as God is my witness, I will play one of these amazing pianos. 

Someday .  .  .

Video of the Week: Mushaboom

About five years ago, I was sitting in my car and listening to NPR.  They were doing a small feature on noteworthy current music releases.  One of those artists was a woman called Feist.  They played a snippet of a song called "Mushaboom", and my ears suddenly felt like they were reaching out to turn the volume knob up. 

A couple of weeks later, I got around to purchasing the album to which this song belonged, and it was one of the best musical purchases I've ever made.  Here's the album cover which is called "Let It Die".

Feist, as a singer, is gifted with a soft and pleasing voice.  Her delivery is often very understated but still rich with versatility and nuance.  Her music is quirky, fun, and entirely original. 

I have since enjoyed listening to Feist numerous times, but I'll always treasure "Mushaboom".  It was my first taste of something so sweet and pure.

(By the way, it's use of piano within the song is magical to me, and there's this sweeping little piano riff during the verses that makes me geek out like bonkers!)

This week's featured video is the official music video for "Mushaboom".  Equipped with flying bread, a merry-go-round, street dancing, a parade, pretty feet, and a playful woman in a white dress, this video is a whimsical visual delight that perfectly showcases this song and the woman behind it.

Enjoy!

Keep those ears open, you might hear something you'll love.

:-)

Early On a Sunday Morning

Sometimes, I like to think about what my life will be like in a few years.  There are two extremes that I seem to dwell on more often than not.

In one extreme, I will be a hermit living in a very remote and secluded location, far away from the spoils of man.  Every day, I work in my little vegetable garden, and in the afternoons, I sit at my piano for hours on end playing my songs.  I take long quiet walks into the countryside and spend time drawing plants, animals, and flowers.  Books are devoured more than they are just read.  It is a calm existence.

In another extreme, I am travelling constantly performing shows or in whatever occupation/capacity I will inhabit by then.  Every new city is more vibrant than the last, and every person I meet has a name that I have to try to remember among hundreds already.  I try to eat some local dish in each geographic location without becoming a sizable bovine beast.  I stare out of airplane windows, car windows, and hotel windows endlessly, not really looking for anything but just absorbing the views.  I take note of local habits and sensibilities, all of which serve a stark contrast to my own nomadic livelihood.

Honestly, I don't know why I imagine such things.  I guess, in a sense, I'm trying to envision the life I want to truly live some day.  I think I want a little bit of both extremes.  Inherently, I am an introverted soul, and so the quiet life of a secluded artist would be immensely enjoyable.  On the other hand, I have a very adventurous spirit and tend to get bored easily.  A life full of new sights and sounds is oh so appealing.  

I guess, then, that I need a way to be grounded but another way to be free and untethered. 

Well, who knows?  I guess only time will tell.  Only a few years ago, I couldn't imagine being a performing musician in Nashville, TN.  Now here I am.

Life, if you choose to make something of it, is full of surprises.

Bring them on, I say.  Bring them on.

Inspiration: A Visionary for Moby Dick

Fellow blogger and artist Matt Kish has taken on an amazing, and I have to say, ambitious project.  He is creating a drawing every day for every page of the classic novel Moby Dick.

The results have been outstanding.

Here are some samples:

Page 189 (Art by Matt Kish)

Page 204 (Art by Matt Kish)

Page 201 (Art by Matt Kish)

It takes an incredible amount of self-discipline, let alone time and attention, to pursue a project such as this one. 

To see all of the amazing artwork, you can follow the project on the official blog:

http://everypageofmobydick.blogspot.com

I, for one, am in complete awe of what Matt Kish is doing, and I am looking forward to seeing this project unfold to it's completion.

(Come to think of it, I've never even read Moby Dick!  Need to work on that.)

Have a sweet weekend folks!

Be Inspired.

Rest for Little Feet

My niece always seems to be mystified by all of the gadgets and gizmos that I own.  She hangs out with me all the time looking longingly at my small and large keyboards, my ceramic animal zoo, and the artwork that adorns my walls.  To the pulling of my Asian hair, she insists on poking and prodding all over the place as she sees fit--busying herself with all of Uncle's magical treasures.

Once in a while, the world shifts in reverse, and I am the one in awe of her.

A few days ago, she fell asleep on my bed.

Breathing quietly, the stillness becomes her.

You'd have no idea how massively rambunctious she actually is.

Hopelessly, utterly, blissfully .  .  .

 .  .  .  adorable.

The wonders never cease.

Video of the Week: This Too Shall Pass

The art of the music video, I'm afraid, is a shrinking cornerstone in the world of music.  MTV, which spawned a new era of image and visually-driven pop stars back in the 80's, barely even plays videos anymore.  (I question whether or not it should even have it's annual and overhyped MTV Video Music Awards, but this is another matter entirely for another time.)

I, for one, have always loved music videos, particularly when it is done well and from a very talented artist.

The newest video from the indie-rock band OK GO is one that I've gotten a kick out of recently.  It's for a song called This Too Shall Pass off of their new album Of the Blue Colour of the Sky.

The video is hugely entertaining and ends with quite a bang.  It further extends their reputation for making very creative and fun music videos.  (The song itself is actually pretty good!)

This too shall pass .  .  .

Hope a happy Monday is forthcoming!

PS-As some of you know, I just did my show at the Exit/In last night.  I will offer up a summary of the show along with photos in a couple of days. ;)

Early On a Sunday Morning

So, tonight, I play my first show at Nashville's Exit/In.  I've never actually been inside the venue, though I've certainly passed by it several times.  If  you look at who's played there over it's long-standing existence, it's a virtual who's who of American music.  I'll be happy to place my little Asian, piano-playing stamp on their time-honored stage.  I will be joined onstage by drummer Tim Good and violinist Laurel Blackman.

The promo poster for this show is actually the first of a new side project of drawings for me entitled "The Piano Ninja".  

He is actually shown in his plain clothes playing on his piano.

The next batch in the series exist as different covers of the small "LIVE in Nashville" compilation that will go to folks who bought advanced tickets to this show. 

"The Piano Ninja, I AM!!"

"Praying Under the Cherry Blossoms"

"Not #1, but well, you know .  .  ."

There will be more of these to come, except not just as CD Covers.  Each piece will chronicle an aspect of his solitary but very full life.  I'll have more on this later. 

Tonight, I play.  I cannot wait.  There are a few things left to do today along with a light afternoon nap. 

Then, of course, the show must and will go on.

 

PS:  It's still not too late to purchase tickets for tonight's show.  Go here:

https://tickets.aftonshows.com/GordonRoqu

See you all tonight!!

Inspiration: The Garden of Abdul Gasazi

Today's post is another first.  This is another inaugural installment of a new segment here on WPR called "Inspiration".  I want to share with you all the things that inspire me.  As it turns out, I can be inspired by all kinds of things .  .  .

A summer sunset

Asian people

A book about pianos

And so on .  .  .

For me, inspiration is limitless.  One just needs to be open to it because it can come from any number of random, blissfully yummy, mysterious sources.

This week's inspiration is actually something I blogged about a few months ago.  It continues to inspire me, and as a result, I thought it would be a fitting subject for this first inspiration post.

I was flipping through channels as a bored Asian might do on occasion when I came across an episode of Reading Rainbow with Levar Burton (LOVE him!).  After squealing with delight in the most manly way imaginable, I watched it through to the end where they offer up three book recommendations. 

One of those books was The Garden of Abdul Gasazi by Chris Van Allsburg.  They showed clips of the artwork and mentioned a little bit about it's story.  I was transfixed and made the biggest mental note, like, EVER to remember that book. 

I found it at the library near my house, and I've enjoyed it ever since. 

First of all, I really love the artwork.  It's highly detailed and just beautiful.  When coupled with the actual story, there is this sense of mystery and possibility.  What I love the most is how understated all of it is.  There aren't a lot of flashy colors, or any colors for that matter.  On an even, black and white pallet, it relies more on subtlety and nuance to convey it's strengths.

Notice the little rabbit at the bottom of the steps

 

And then of course, there's the story about a boy who wanders into a neighbor's garden.  It's actually kind of magical considering what happens, but I won't give anything away.

   

Allsburg managed to put flowers in every shot.  Brilliant.

In addition to the artwork and story, I think I love this book because I've always been enamored of gardens.  I grew up in the South Pacific on an island that was one MASSIVE garden.  My Mom has always had a garden (and has a lovely one even today).  They are rich and amazing places.

So, go to your local library and read this book. 

Be inspired.

I Covet: ADIDAS Glory!

This is the first installment of a new weekly segment here on WPR called "I Covet".  I'm going to feature various items, funky artsy junk, and bedunkadunk (?) that all have one thing in common. 

I.Covet.Them. 

This is just a way to share a lot of what I am into. 

Ok, so, onwards .  .  .   

Honestly, I don't really consider myself a clothes whore.  At some point, owning too many clothes becomes quite a hassle.  I have my everyday wear and various items I save for shows and special occasions, but that's mainly it.

I actually prefer shopping at Goodwills and thrift stores to find items that have real character and solid tailoring/workmanship. 

Once in a while, I do splurge on an item or two as long as it meets certain requirements:

1.  Affordable/reasonable pricing (If an item is on sale or discount/clearance, I am more compelled to buy.)

2.  Will I actually use/wear the item?  (I don't buy something just because it's on sale.  If I will love wearing the heck out of it, then cost be damned.  It will be MINE!!)

3.  Will it haunt me?  (I usually ask myself if I will be thinking about this item 3 weeks after I didn't buy it.  If the answer is yes, then I buy for sure.)

I'm very selective about how I spend my money and only do so these days for practical, artistic, and creative purposes.  

Needless to say, I doesn't hurt to look around .  .  .

I recently went to the official Adidas online store (shopadidas.com, to be exact) to torture myself with treasures to behold.  It's always been a favorite brand of mine for being timeless, practical, and just ooozing of awesome holiness!!!  With their trademark three bar emblem, they are iconic and easily recognizable anywhere.

These are called Dragon Shoes:

A splash of green and yellow to match my blog's current color scheme!!

 

Abhang Shoes

Hows about something a bit more understated?  This is a classic design that was unveiled back in 1976.
The Sneeker shoes:

Lastly, I am going to openly admit that I love bags. 

I am a dude who likes bags.  That's right. 

When I am out and about I carry my wallet, cell phone, to-do list notepad, sudoku gamebook, a book to read, a small knitting project, my laptop, my digital camera, a small video camera, a pencil case, a voice recorder, my ancient i-pod, my planning calendar, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and an adorable pair of chopsticks (I am Asian after all.).  Using a bag accommodates ALL of these necessities. 

(Oreo and Buttercup, by the way, are NOT carried in my bag.  More on that later.)

With that said, I found an Adidas man-bag that makes me hungry.  I already have a bag that I really love using, but I can certainly dream .  .  .

This bag is a thing of beauty.

Sigh.

A Smile, a Bucket, and a Happy Song

She really loves her green bucket.

I spent a fun afternoon the other day with my niece and nephews.  They are a rambunctious, lively little group.  I took some pictures of them, and they were very intent on being joyful.

First of all, hows about a happy song .  . 

Up To You

It was all smiles .  .  .

It's amazing how much joy a green bucket can bring.

It's actually a very small bucket.

There was nothing in it by the way.

 

Whoever got her that scarf had the right idea.

Ditto on the yellow shoes.  Must be a new trend to wear them this way.

And then there was the bike.

 
 

Places to go.

My nephew Nacho reclaimed his bike.

And off he went.

Oh to be a kid again.  .  .

when a bucket can offer up hours of fun and delight,

when a bike can whisk you away to places unkown,

when you can wear your shoes the wrong way and not give a care.

Such bliss.

 

PS:  The song I just featured is off of my album "Seahorses".  It's called "Up To You".  :)