Episode 50 - One Year

G’day, and welcome to Episode 50 of Piano, Finally! This week marks one full year since the podcast began, and in that time, fifty proper episodes have made it to air. In this episode, I take a moment to reflect on the journey so far — from consistent recording and practicing, to discovering the joy of small but meaningful progress at the piano.

As I write this, I’m sitting in the Sydney Opera House foyer, waiting for a Stephen Hough concert. There’s also an update on the school’s Battle of the Bands (spoiler: I won’t be performing), and a quick mention of the Van Cliburn piano competition, which is now underway and streaming live — with top-down keyboard views and excellent coverage.
👉 Watch the Cliburn
👉 Ben Laude’s daily recaps

This week’s viewing suggestion is The Piano, a heartwarming ABC series set around a public upright in Sydney’s Central Station. Don’t confuse it with the BBC show of the same name — this one’s not a competition, though it does feature Harry Connick Jr. and Andrea Lam quietly observing from behind the scenes. The stories are beautifully produced and moving.
👉 Watch the featured segment
👉 View the full series on iView

I also look back at the podcast’s first year — the ups and downs of recording, what’s improved, and how it’s changed how I engage with music. From new genres to more concerts, the podcast has opened a lot of doors, including a trip to Armidale and plans for a piano festival in Bathurst.

In this week’s concert review, I recap Sir Stephen Hough performing Brahms’ First Piano Concerto with the SSO — with a Prokofiev highlight and encore Chopin Nocturne to round it off. You can find a Spotify playlist of the concert here:
👉 SSO concert page

The practice pieces this week include Mozart’s Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja and Wild Chase by Wynn-Anne Rossi. I’m making headway, especially with Alberti bass and coordination across hands.

And for early music fans, check out Elam Rotem’s Early Music Sources channel — packed with 16th- and 17th-century insights and examples.
👉 Early Music Sources and recordings

Thanks again for listening this past year. Here’s to the next fifty!

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• via email at [e-mail]; this is probably the best option
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All reviews of products, websites and services are unpaid, and no sponsorship has been received for any content on this podcast.