When I was growing up through my teenage years, I created a large number of original works on piano. My method was to keep playing them and elaborate upon the ideas over time. I rarely wrote anything down, I kept it all in my head.
As I grew older, past college, I lost the ability to improvise in this way. Part of the reason, I think, was a change in my brain over time, perhaps it was less plastic. Second, I think in studying classical music, I sort of pushed my skillset in a different direction.
This piece I wanted to share. It was created in 2010, and was recorded as the “second take.” The ideas I like, but it’s clear that my piano technique, which was best when I was in college, is holding some of the ideas back!
Because it hadn’t lived with me for so long, I can no longer play it. That’s the downside of modern tools like sequencers. I am not even sure where the sequencer file is.
I used this as a soundtrack for a video I produced for work that was to raise awareness of the impact of poverty on students in K-12 environments.
Hope you enjoy it.