- 15 Dec, 2025 *
Tonight, I was playing piano as per usual. I always enjoy playing at the very beginning and very end of the semester as there’s virtually no one left, meaning I can play as messily as I want.
The only company I had was a thesis student who was setting up his final defence in the gallery down the hall from the piano, who would make little encouraging comments every now and then for me. Funnily, the people I see late at night in the architecture building most are either the first years or final year master’s students. Something about either end of the degree just draws people to the building more, I suppose.
I’ve been enjoying playing jazz a lot more lately, or at least trying to. I’ve always struggled with jazz improvisation, which I think is a symptom of being rai…
- 15 Dec, 2025 *
Tonight, I was playing piano as per usual. I always enjoy playing at the very beginning and very end of the semester as there’s virtually no one left, meaning I can play as messily as I want.
The only company I had was a thesis student who was setting up his final defence in the gallery down the hall from the piano, who would make little encouraging comments every now and then for me. Funnily, the people I see late at night in the architecture building most are either the first years or final year master’s students. Something about either end of the degree just draws people to the building more, I suppose.
I’ve been enjoying playing jazz a lot more lately, or at least trying to. I’ve always struggled with jazz improvisation, which I think is a symptom of being raised with the classical training. I’m used to sticking with strict instructions in the form of sheet music. It’s taken me years at this point, but I think I’m starting to get the hang of letting loose on the piano a bit more now.
One thing that I adore about jazz as a genre, specifically classic jazz, is just how wildly different the interpretations of one standard can be. I’ve been loving Chet Baker lately, as a kind of throw back to myself a few years ago. I’ve always loved his rendition of How Long Has This Been Going On, a soft, crooning rendition of the Gershwin standard. Baker could make a horn sing like no other.
This past summer, I discovered The Music Tapes, which is the side band that Julian Kostner of Neutral Milk Hotel has played in since the late 90s. In his album Quartet Plus Two, he has an absolutely magnificent rendition of How Long Has This Been Going On. I hadn’t even realized it was the same song until way in, but I was completely entranced nonetheless.
He’s got such a raw, passionate yet gentle voice, coupled with funky instruments of all kinds including the accordion, a saw, and what could possibly be a theremin? All sorts of sounds. All of it is anchored by what is naturally my favourite instrument of them all, the piano. This languid sound that is at once brimming with so much energy has been a huge inspiration to my piano doodling lately.