January 2022 Gruber Update!

Tl:dr – Patron feedback needed: What’s best way to release finished music for Patrons and the public (works-in-progress, finished tracks, tutorials etc.)? What would YOU like to see/hear?

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Happy new year everyone!

I’m back to work after a refreshing break and am really excited about some new music / composition goals. Also, Levi turned two!

• Piano / Ableton Compositions
• Jazz Piano Articles
• Music Masterclasses & Piano Streaming
• Pico-8 / MilkyTracker tutorials

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Piano / Ableton Compositions

Admittedly, the last few months of 2021 were very difficult composition wise. I’m still struggling to find my flow as a pianist / Ableton user.  I think part of my struggle has been putting too much emphasis on solo piano production and performance.  So, I’ve been looking for different inspirations and have changed my music playlists.

If piano + electronics interests you, I’ve got some recommendations.  Please send me yours!

Kiefer – lo-fi vibe, but more emphasis on jazz and bebop.

John Kameel Farah – Epic compositions. Classical piano meets Squarepusher meets the Middle East

Vardan Ovsepian, HEO – Lots of interesting piano + electronic interactions. This is more conversational and interactive compared to the other artists I’ve been listening to.

Jeff Mills and Jean-Phi Dary – Jazz and techno.  Thanks to Slono for the recommendation.

With less pressure on solo piano, I’ve already felt a weight lifted and have been having lots more fun composing.  I hope to be regularly composing and releasing music soon!

So, the next question is: What’s best way to release finished music for Patrons and the public (works-in-progress, early access to finished tracks, tutorials etc.)? Feedback is appreciated!

Jazz Piano Articles

My article on jazz piano runs is ongoing.  On the immediate to-do list is analyzing my Oscar Peterson transcriptions and designing preliminary exercises. Eventually, I’ll be transcribing some Chick Corea which will offer a whole new dimension to playing runs. As usual, because these articles are so deep and dense, they take many months to complete.  I try to update these once a month.

From this article, I’ve also got some great feedback from students on notating piano fingering and note clusters (beaming vs. red boxes).  I will likely be updating some of my previous articles to reflect this better notation.

Music Masterclasses & Piano Streaming

I’ll be continuing my piano streaming and music masterclasses this year. A few times a week, you can expect to see me playing and improvising impromptu for an hour or so on Twitch and/or YouTube.

Along with piano streams, I’m still hosting impromptu Patron-only music masterclasses. A few times a month, I’ll be sending out links to unlisted YouTube livestreams where I’ll be available to chat, answer questions, give feedback, or just hang out.

Of course, not all Patrons are in my time zone, so if you have any questions (Pico-8, MilkyTracker, piano, improvisation etc), send them to me, and I’ll be sure to answer them on stream.

Pico-8 / MilkyTracker Tutorials

Since releasing Pico & Chill, I haven’t worked on any new Pico-8 music (except for this game by Peteksi).  I DO hope to write a Pico & Chill Vol. 2, but until then, Pico-8 updates will be sparce so I can focus on composing in Ableton.

I’m always open to questions and tutorial requests though.  Send me your music and carts, I’m happy to review them.  (Includes MilkyTracker music of course!)

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Thanks for reading.  Thanks for being here. Always happy to hear from you.  Share what you’re working on, say hello!

All the best,

Chris / Groobs