Level: Late Intermediate

Format: PDF Digital Download

License: Studio (share with your students but no one outside your studio)

Hi there!

I gave "Born is the King" to one of my adult students yesterday, and this morning she sent me this message:

"Thank you for Born is the King!!! I almost cried, it is so beautiful! I couldn't stop practicing."

Cheers,

Anna

Can there be anything close to traditional festivities during this 2020 Christmas season?

How do we respond when our annual expectations for a Hallmark holiday are turned upside down?

I’m not sure I have pat answers for those tough questions. Time at the piano and organ are coping mechanisms that help me hold things together when life falls apart.

Music seems to soothe whatever ails me at the moment and so I put it upon myself to arrange something for the Christmas season. I thought it might be Silent Night but instead, The First Noel appeared beneath my fingers. This came about because I was inspired by a piano solo composed by Ola Gjeilo. Every walk or run, I listen to at least a little Ola.

So, I must confess that the opening chord progression comes from his piece called Shadows. I adored the pattern and noticed it’s a snug fit with the first phrase of The First Noel. I’ll take the credit for the rest of the arrangement and you’ll notice a hint of Silent Night sprinkled throughout. Ola’s harmonic choices influence and trickle into my work over and over. It’s never my intention to steal. I borrow an idea that I like, learn it by ear and explore it until the idea morphs into something new and becomes my own.

Austin Kleone gave me “permission” to borrow from others in his book Steal Like an Artist. My favorite quote from him:

“Nothing is original.”

Think of how many times pop music uses the same four chords. And yet, new melodies emerge and another “hit” is born.

Ola Gjeilo's music and in particular his piece Still had a powerful impact on both my husband and me. It was only his music that we could stomach after our son’s accident. It’s lyric-free and  transformative aura gave our emotions a place to land. Eventually, his music encouraged us to climb out of our darkness and listen to other music. It certainly gave me a nudge to get creative again, too.

May you find light in the darkness and peace on earth this upside down Christmas season.