A Rhapsody in Blueishness....

Mmmmm... Music =)

Music is one of my favorite things on earth!  It's just so wonderful.

In case you didn't know, I've been learning Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin.
I'm gonna give you a little history about the Rhapsody;
I know I already told you that he wrote it in 3 weeks, but I didn't tell you why.  In 1923 Paul Whiteman asked George to compose "something" for his epoch-making concert of symphonic jazz at Aeolian Hall on Lincoln's Birthday 1924.  (not sure what all those words mean..) Gershwin, at the moment, was against it and had almost forgotten about it if it was not for the shock of reading in the New York Herald-Tribune early 1924 that he was busy on a symphony for the much heralded Whiteman concert.  Here was a challenge which could only be answered by "doing something about it."  The symphony idea was definitely out.  He decided to aim what he wrote at a misconception regarding the inflexibility of jazz rhythms. He worked the composition out in his mind and in three weeks (3!!) turned out the Rhapsody in Blue.  The famous Whiteman concert which gave the Rhapsody to the world is now a matter of history. The concert itself proved conclusively that genius and artistry existed and flourished in Tin Pan Alley. (whatever that means) The Rhapsody proved to be the cornerstone of what has now become a type of music thoroughly divorced from European influence and formalism, and magnificently American. So far as Gershwin was concerned, the Rhapsody merely proved his point- jazz was not confined to strict rhythm!

I got all that from a forward at the front of my brothers Rhapsody in Blue sheet music.  What a song!  If you have not heard it, look it up on YouTube or something!

So I have semi-thoroughly learned pages 1-the middle of page 5.  Although I can play up to page nine, I haven't sat down to work on those parts as much.  And I have skipped ahead to page 22 to learn a really fun, yet challenging part of the song :)  The song is kind of exhausting though.  When I finish learning it, I don't know if I will be able to play it all the way through.  Playing piano songs to their fullest puts alot of strain on my back.  I guess I will just have to pray to God to give me strength when I play.
I love playing piano!  I love being able to do something I love! God is awesome :)

Well, that's all for now!

Thanks for reading!

Much Love,
TessieB