Before you buy a car, what do you do? Hopefully, you check with some resources to compare prices, features, quality, and repair history to make the most informed purchase decision. What if you could do the same kind of research when buying a piano or digital keyboard? Well, the good news is, you can! Back in 1987, Larry Fine authored "The Piano Book", which has been a staple for piano buyers (and piano dealers) in the ensuing years. This wonderful resource is now supplemented with a website, PianoBuyer.com, designed to help folks make informed choices when investing in a new piano or digital keyboard. In this video, we interview pianist Dr. Owen Lovell, Piano Review Editor for PianoBuyer.com, at the 2015 NAMM show in Anaheim, CA. Be sure to check out this great website and book before deciding to buy your next piano or keyboard!

We've all heard of Steinway and Yamaha pianos, but have you ever heard of a Grotrian? It so happens that this piano was favored by Clara Schumann and highly regarded by the likes of Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms! The Grotrian-Steinweg, or "Grotrian" for short, is well known in German and European circles, but still something of a "secret gem" in America. In this video, we interview Grotrian-Steinweg director Burkhardt Stein to discover what unique qualities this gorgeous piano brings to the discerning pianist.

Here is a Video Exchange with DanEvans83 playing "Clair de lune" by Claude Debussy. Welcome to the school, Dan! Beautiful performance, and I hope you enjoy your lesson!

In this video, I interview Eric Uglum, a multi-talented sound engineer and musician who is helping to put together my latest recording project tentatively titled "Psalms: Hyssop and Snow". Eric is the owner of New Wine Sound Studio in Apple Valley, CA, and has helped to produce some of the top Bluegrass and Folk albums and artists.

Calum Martin is a wonderful Gaelic songwriter, singer, and guitar player. Be sure to check out his albums! In this video exchange, Calum asks for some ideas to enhance his piano playing for a new song for his upcoming album, and I'm more than happy to oblige! We explore some options for creating richer, fuller hamonic textures to accompany his gorgeous melodies.

One of my online students asked me how to practice the piano when she's traveling away from her instrument. Since I'm stuck in my hotel room in Miami, I came up with some great exercises for keeping your fingers in shape without a piano. I think you'll find these exercises challenging and fun!

This week I'm subbing with the Baltimore Symphony at Meyerhoff Hall, playing piano and celeste parts in a tribute program for African American achievements. Lots of fun playing works by Duke Ellington, Scott Joplin, and George Gershwin! I personally hate counting rests, so I show how I use my iPad and my AirTurn to read the full score (instead of just my piano/celeste parts) while turning pages hands-free.

What do you get when a legendary jazz pianist inspires a master piano craftsman to build the piano of his dreams? The answer is the Ravenscroft Piano, one of the most meticulously designed instruments built today.
In this episode of Piano Tastings, we interview the founder, designer, and builder of the Ravenscroft, Michael Spreeman, at the 2015 NAMM Show in Anaheim, and of course get a sample tasting of this unique piano. Enjoy!