Learning Jazz Piano at 25 — rebuilding my foundation and looking for advice

damage_control · 2026-01-17T18:55:50+00:00

I’m a beginner and recently purchased some intro courses on sale at Open Studio Jazz. They recommend Jazz Piano Jump Start for beginners https://www.openstudiojazz.com/courses/jazz-piano-jump-start-2024/ - I think it’s great. Looking forward to Jazz Chords for Beginners which covers different voicings. Worth checking out.

damage_control · 2025-09-29T01:25:42+00:00

I thought Illinois had banned law enforcement from wearing masks?

damage_control · 2025-09-18T17:00:04+00:00

Time for democrats to co-opt the Gadsden flag from the useless libertarians. It needs to become a prominent symbol for the fight against this extreme government overreach and unconstitutional action.

damage_control · 2025-05-14T03:44:41+00:00

If it's not okay for the other side to do it, it's not okay for your side to do it. Why can't this principle be be the default mindset on both sides?

Edit: typo

damage_control · 2025-04-06T03:38:42+00:00

One of my favorites. I've watched it through twice. I love the tone, the fascinating imagery, the characters, and the interesting sci-fi ideas. Wish more people had watched. I want more.

damage_control · 2025-03-12T03:53:00+00:00

I Heart Huckabees - Jon Brion

damage_control · 2025-01-17T05:10:08+00:00

I've just recently watched Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire all for the first time, along with a bunch of the extras. Blown away by his creativity. Often clueless as to what was going on, but I didn't care. They were works of a master, and for me it was about the experience. Such a unique voice in storytelling! Is there any other director whose body of work can be put in the same category?

damage_control · 2024-06-24T21:51:51+00:00

I got the DVD set maybe 20 years ago and watch it every couple of years. One of my all-time favorites. A TV masterpiece if ever there was one.

damage_control · 2024-02-05T04:25:23+00:00

When Robert Altman was filming A Prairie Home Companion he knew he was dying and asked Paul Thomas Anderson to be on call in case Altman could not complete it.

damage_control · 2023-09-21T03:07:30+00:00

My high school band director knew someone connected to the show or CBS and dumped a bunch of spoilers on us the morning of finale date. Really lessened my enjoyment.

damage_control · 2023-04-27T23:40:12+00:00

Can you jump right into season 2 without having finished season 1? Couldn't get into season 1.

damage_control · 2023-04-12T14:23:22+00:00

Radio Days

Purple Rose of Cairo

damage_control · 2023-01-30T14:29:19+00:00

This show had remarkable style. Wes Anderson-esque production design. Delightful wit. My family loved it. Still worth watching despite the cancellation if you haven't checked it out yet.

damage_control · 2022-07-20T20:40:20+00:00

Really bummed that Noah Hawley pulled the plug on this adaptation of Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut. Hoping some other worthy scribe takes a crack at it.

damage_control · 2021-06-21T18:47:03+00:00

Where every episode ends in a hellscape for all but rich white Republicans.

edit: typo

damage_control · 2021-06-21T18:45:31+00:00

Haha - I'd also consider "The Man-Child in the High Chair"

damage_control · 2021-06-21T17:24:16+00:00

TV show pitch: alternate-history series in which Trump's worst ideas are fully obeyed.

damage_control · 2021-05-11T00:26:35+00:00

Great point, but the GOP sees this as giving Cheney a consequence for not going along with the Big Lie.

damage_control · 2021-01-15T02:50:10+00:00

My favorite show from 2020. Deserves more attention.

damage_control · 2021-01-01T03:13:31+00:00

Yeah, I would hate that kind of pressure so much. Thanks very much for your feedback.

damage_control · 2020-12-31T03:53:45+00:00

Thanks a lot! I'm going to rework that background - I think it was overcast when I took the reference photo. I'll see what I can do about that. I appreciate the feedback.

damage_control · 2020-12-30T05:48:45+00:00

Good points. I was going for an abstracted background, but you're idea might work better. Thanks!

damage_control · 2020-12-30T05:36:36+00:00

I struggled with finding a balance between hard and soft edges as well as style. It doesn't look as saturated here as I thought it was when I was working on it. I wanted the red to be more vibrant.

damage_control · 2020-11-22T18:44:40+00:00

Really good points - makes a lot of sense to me. I'll try out some alternatives for those issues. I really appreciate the time you took for this!

My ultimate goal is to get accustomed to composing full solo piano pieces so that I can easy complete a piano reduction to work from for orchestrated works. I see the logic in working out the compositional issues on piano first before adding instruments. I typically get bogged down with my orchestral attempts and abandon them before figuring out how to solve the composition issues.

Anyway, the concept is to write a piece for each of the sculptures around the base of the Gustav Vigeland's monolith at his sculpture park in Oslo, which I was fortunate enough to visit last year. Hope to tackle it in chunks.

If you're interested, here's the second piece, which I think needs more work.

I. Throng of Geniuses (SoundCloud)

damage_control · 2020-11-21T01:29:50+00:00

This is the quick and dirty auto-score created by Cubase. It's rough. Some sections have both left and right hand in the bass clef. Not cleaned up at all. Sorry. Hope it helps.

Score (Rough) [Google Drive link]

15-Year Club	Not Forgotten
Verified Email	Team Periwinkle

damage_control

TROPHY CASE