What a Wonderful World
Reharmonized this tune, turned it into an up-tempo jazz waltz. I was trained classically and copped ideas from the greats such as Bach and Beethoven. My teacher, the great Frank Cunimondo aided immeasurably so that my understanding of harmony transitioned me from being solely a reader into a free thinker. As a result, the tyranny of the printed page is a thing of the past for me and it can be for you, too. My Blueprints pave the way for greater understanding plus the mindset to be independent. Piano is the gateway instrument. If you want to develop yourself, become a composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist, those payoffs are well within reach. The Audio page offers proof of my abilities in the sample tracks you’ll find there. Nobody likes being told what to say. It’s my view that strict adherence to sheet music renders one a sophisticated human robot.
Stella By Starlight
Here’s Frank on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1963. It’s 2019 and he’s the energizer bunny that keeps going and going and going. Frank doesn’t teach beginners, so my Blueprints provide the bridge to the more advanced material we’ll be getting to in future Blueprints, weaving in and out, moving from classical to jazz and back as these two schools of study are intertwined. Interestingly enough, Bach and Beethoven were the jazz musicians of their day. The video shows a dazzling display of virtuosity, classical piano combined with jazz. This is what can happen when one adopts and applies an analytical mindset. Blueprint #5 get us into jazz chords with spread voicing, the point being we’re not going to stay in kindergarten forever. 2-year-olds speak at an early stage of development. Aspiring musicians should be exhibiting similar abilities in the same time frame.