It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. ~Ecclesiastes

While we’re talking about classical music and playing from the heart, check out what Steinway Pianist Chad Lawson did to a bunch of Chopin nocturnes – he charted them out! This is exactly why we need to get all of the inversions of all of the chords under our fingers – so we can voice it the way we hear it. One of our jobs is to exist in the tensions, and in our case, that is telling the old, old story with a new song, which in my mind also means doing something artistic with it. Chad Lawson is doing that with Chopin, because what he did next was to mute his piano with felt to soften the tone. Toss in a little distressed violin and cello bowing, and you have something truly magical (listen below). He’s telling those old stories using a current voice that seems to be connecting with many. Our job isn’t to use the latest trends for their own sake, and our job isn’t to hide away in a bubble. What’s left is a pretty amazing space to explore though. Let’s get going! Chad Lawson Chopin Variations on Amazon / iTunes