So, as predicted, my hyper-emo state of the last few weeks managed to build up and spill out as a depressing ballad about a relationship that didn’t work out.  This one is not drawn from any personal experience, per se.  I have determined that I need to write an upbeat song next.  Just to see if it’s mentally and physically possible for me to do so.

This particular video was done in a new way.  Rather than record the piano first, then record the vocals, like I usually do when I record, I set up the microphone in the room with the piano.  I plugged the audio outs of the piano into Pro Tools, and listened via headphones.  Then I did a take where I sang and played together.  Then I did another take focused on my hands on the keyboard, playing along to the original take, only this time, I didn’t sing.  Then I did one more take of playing and singing with the camera (almost) focused on my face.   Then I cut the three takes together in Pro Tools, exported the audio, and cut the video together based on the cuts I had made in Pro Tools.

Ideally, I would have had three separate cameras set up simultaneously, so I didn’t have to do the cutting together, but it was just me and my single camera, so I had to make do with what I had.  Also, it would have been good if someone else had been able to frame and focus the camera for me.  It’s hard to set the focus on your camera when the thing you’re trying to focus on is actually behind the camera doing the focusing.

It was a fun Sunday evening, project, though.  And now I won’t get this song out of my head for about two weeks because I have listened to it about 250 times in the last four hours while editing.

Also this weekend, I painted my dining room and did a bit of decorating.  Photos coming soon.

There's a new woman in my life.  Her name is Lillias.  She's big, she's black, and she loves it when I let my fingers do the walking. 

Yesterday, I purchased my first piano.  This is the Yamaha AvantGrand N2.  It's a "hybrid" digital piano.  It's a digital piano that is sampled from a Yamaha 9 foot concert grand, but the placement of the speakers makes this piano sound amazingly like an acoustic instrument.

What really sets this piano apart, however, is not the way it sounds (amazing) but the way it plays.  The AvantGrand series actually has a real Yamaha grand piano keyboard and action in it.  It plays exactly like a well-tuned Yamaha concert grand.  The feeling is truly incredible.  They've even build it so the keys and the pedals vibrate sympathetically with the sound, like they do on a real acoustic piano.

I walked into the piano store and told the salesman, "I live in an apartment, and I need a digital piano.  I took lessons on Steinway and Schimmel pianos, and I need one that has an action as close to playing a real piano as possible.  John, the salesman, just replied, "I'm not going to say anything.  Just play this."

I sat down and played three chords.  Then I dropped my hand, turned to John and said, "Are you kidding me?"  It was insane.  It felt like I was playing a really good grand piano.  The sound was beautiful.  The action was perfect.  John just stood there with a smile on his face.  He showed me around to some other digital pianos and a few really nice (and expensive) acoustics, and I couldn't get Lillias out of my mind.

At one point, I said to John, "I just don't understand why anyone would buy an acoustic upright piano anymore." 

I played Beethoven, Chopin, Clementi, and even a little Armstrong.  I improvised.  I jazzed up some Christmas music.  I even practiced my scales.  (I hate practicing my scales).  It was amazing.  I hadn't enjoyed playing the piano this much since I was in high school.  Playing my little black beauty was a very poignant (and painful) reminder about how much I used to love playing music, and how much I've missed by excising it from my life for so long.  Now that I don't HAVE to do music, it's time for me to get back to doing it for the love of the music. 

So, on Wednesday, Lillias is going to be moving in with me.  Our relationship is still in its early stages, but I have a feeling that we're going to be together for a long time.  And we're going to make all kinds of beautiful music together.

And tomorrow, I'll write the blog post about the financial aspect of our relationship.  It wasn't always smooth sailing, and sometimes I'm not sure if I did the right thing asking her to be mine, but our chemistry together is just so good.  We'll find a way to make it work.

And now, take a moment to bask in the beauty of Lillias and her sister, Audra.

This video is in German, but you can hear Lillias being put through her paces.  Pay attention at 0:45, and again at 4:00.  Pretty amazing stuff.

And here's a picture of what Lillias looks like with her clothes off.

And Finally, Here's a video of Lillias' big sister, Audra, being played by the incomperable Cyprien Katsaris

Give a listen especially at around 6:30 and again at 8:15

Wednesday can't get here soon enough.