Over the years of my playing the piano, I discovered slowly and inconclusively that my brain has been literally altered by my music playing-- using mostly piano. I didn't realize that about myself until much later in life. There seems to be-- now that I have hindsight-- a specific area of the brain not merely dedicated to understanding sound and pleasing sound combinations but a way that this musical brain area seems to inform all other areas of the brain.
I spent 6 years of childhood in Stratford, Ontario where my Dad worked for the electric power company there-- and just found a nice videolog of Avon Park in Stratford, posted to Youtube that's very good-- except that the sounds are raw. (embedded below). That's ok in one way- but I'm acutely aware of the potpourri of sounds that leave a disconnected sense. I might try to create a sound track, at the piano for it.
First, here I am at the head of the picnic table in 1966 with my brothers and sister-- Joe to the left, then Kevin, Christine and Paul on the right-- Mom having taken the photo with her Brownie camera and Dad having been at work that day. I recall Joe specifically wanted an action shot of him taking a bite on his sandwich. He had a keen "action visual sense" even at that age... about 7 I think. Are we all reincarnations of previous people? Why else would I already have an acute sense of sound and music? Why would Joe already have an acute awareness of "action photos"?
That photo was just north of the Stratford-Upon-Avon River-- and our Mom would take us there many times, with Dad being there sometimes too-- on the weekends. It was a very nice park. I think all cities should have a park like this. Now watch the video clips of the same park today. I recall many of the bridges and scenery in the following Youtube. Pay special attention to the sounds-- because if you want to play music on the piano, you want to develop an acute awareness of sound-space and sound-composition in general. It's the awareness of sound that really creates the ability to make piano music. Now enjoy a 20 minute auditory and visual "walk in the park" as I might have experienced it in 1966...
I'll continue to develop this topic in the discussion forum here... Continued... STRATFORD
