In the Hands
My piano music weblog and podcast, featuring commentary and original recordings. You’ll hear my own compositions; Chopin, Brahms, and my other favorites of centuries past; spotaneous improvisations; and occasional guest recordings from other performers.
(Curious? Here’s an in-depth description of my recording method.)
Albums
The Broken Mirror of Memory
The River Inside of Trees
Contents May Differ
Keys Please: The Early Years
Other Projects
The New Ruckus
A mutual support organization for composers, improvisors, songwriters and sound artists. I’m the artistic director and resident redhead.
Keys Please
I do an annual concert with fellow pianists Carei Thomas and Todd Harper, and sometimes a non-pianist guest. It is playful, genre-bending, and a rollicking good time.
Donald Betts
Don, my teacher, mentor, and dear friend, plays with an introspection and a poetic sensibility like no other musician I know.
- Dimensions: A retrospective of Don’s recordings spanning 1966 to 2009.
- The Inner Voice: A magical album of Schumann, Beethoven, and original Betts.
- Betts Plays Chopin: Before recording this, Don said to me, “I’m in love with Chopin.” It shows.
Other Recordings
- My YouTube channel: Include a smattering of live performances not published elsewhere on this site. The audio’s a bit rough on many, but you do get to see musicians’ smiling faces!
- My undergraduate senior recital: An abundance of Chopin, a dash of Beethoven, and three Paul originals. As a friend put it, “classical, but definitely not legit.”
Zo
I occasionally hold small, informal concerts in my living room. I’ve never really felt that the formality of the classical recital ritual suited my playing, and wanted a more intimate and risk-friendly venue — so I made one! The music at these concerts is whatever I’m working on or just enjoying playing at the moment; it’s sort of like “In the Hands Live.”
Scores
Fun to look at! Fun to play! Little black dots the whole family can enjoy!
These are the written forms of my own compositions, and they’re really creative works in themselves. Even if you don’t read music, I think they’re rather appealing just as abstract visual art. And if you do read music, well, so much the better! Have a gander.
Most of the music on this site is complete (not excerpts!), free to download, and DRM-free. It is also free for you to copy — with certain legal restrictions.
I’ve chosen to make this music free to everyone. I ask that you honor those restrictions.
Questions, comments, bad puns?