The Playground

In our last discussion about the diversity of Jazz, we cast a very broad net to show how varied music can be under the jazz umbrella. This time I thought we could explore just how varied can be the interpretations of just one song. I…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Feb 15, 2017
• Autumn Leaves, create, gordon harvey, music, music education, musical, musician, piano, simply music, the playground

  With Gratitude and Appreciation With the onset of 2017, Simply Music enters its 20th year! And with only a few weeks left in 2016, I wanted to take a few moments to express my gratitude and appreciation. This has been a remarkable year. For…

• Written by Neil Moore on Dec 22, 2016
• 2016, create music, music education, neil moore, piano, play piano, simply music, simply music piano, the playground

We’ve already shared our favourite songs from seasonal celebrations, so for something different, we thought we’d celebrate the seasons themselves, with some of our favourite songs for each season. See which ones transport you to another time of year. Here in Melbourne, it’s almost a…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Dec 22, 2016
• gordon harvey, music, music education, piano, seasonal songs, simply music, the playground

  Karen Nisenson was recently the subject of a video podcast with Tim Topham. This wide-ranging and entertaining chat gave Karen the opportunity to discuss the philosophy and methodology of Simply Music Gateway, the groundbreaking new program being developed for those on the autism spectrum…

• Written by SM Admin on Dec 22, 2016
• learn, music, music education, music lessons, piano, simply music, the playground, Tim Topham, Tim Topham TV

Some human beings just can’t get enough creativity. It’s not enough to have the most amazing music machine to play, now it seems there’s the irresistible urge to get visually creative with it as well! Perhaps inspired by the wonderful Play Me, I’m Yours project,…

• Written by Stephanie Iadanza on Nov 2, 2016
• art, create, music, Music & Art, music education, Painted Pianos, piano, play piano, simply music, stephanie iadanza, the playground

  Simply Music Founder and Executive Director Neil Moore has devoted decades to the possibility of music as a lifelong companion. He has spoken to countless parents who share this vision but are still echoing outdated mindsets that don’t encourage that wonderful relationship with musical…

• Written by Neil Moore on Oct 21, 2016
• coaching, method, music, music education, neil moore, piano, piano lessons, play piano, Relationship Conversation, simply music, SoundCloud, teach piano, the playground

Welcome to A Way of Listening, an occasional series where we look at music from a range of angles designed to open you up to new listening opportunities and hopefully teach you a little along the way. It’s a big, exciting musical world when you…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Oct 4, 2016
• Fred Hersch, gordon harvey, Hiatus Kaiyote, Lalah Hathaway, listening, music, music education, piano, Rosa Passos, Sarah Vaughan, simply music, Snarky Puppy, Stephane Grappelli, the playground, Yehudi Menuhin

In previous posts we have discussed some benefits, learning value and methods of recording yourself, mostly from the perspective of developing your own playing. But what if you feel the urge to share your work? The playing field of recorded music has never been flatter. No…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Sep 20, 2016
• BandCamp, CD Baby, gordon harvey, itunes, music, music education, piano, Sharing Your Recordings, simply music, SoundCloud, Spotify, the playground, YouTube

A picture is worth 1000 words, but a 1000-word online talk is free! Here’s a selection of interesting and informative Ted Talks and other Talks about music and creativity. Enjoy! 1. Daria van den Bercken: Why I take the piano on the road … and…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Aug 23, 2016
• gordon harvey, music, music education, piano, simply music, Ted Talks, the playground, Videos

Neil Moore was recently the subject of a video podcast with Tim Topham. This wide-ranging and entertaining chat gave Neil the opportunity to discuss the philosophy and methodology of Simply Music, tell stories of his own unusual musical upbringing and share his vision of a…

• Written by SM Admin on Aug 9, 2016
• learn, learning, method, music, music education, neil moore, piano, simply music piano, the playground, Tim Topham TV, Tim Tophm