{"title":"Pianists' Choice","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"mt-0003-fm","title":"John, Elton - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (FM)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eA custom streaming practice\/rehearsal piano track for the title track \u003cstrong\u003eGoodbye Yellow Brick Road,\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003efrom \u003cem\u003eGoodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cbr\u003eby Elton John.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen Elton John and Bernie Taupin dropped this title track in 1973, it completely redefined the pop ballad landscape. The lyrics reflect a very real fatigue with the glitz of fame and a longing for simpler roots. This gives the vocalist a massive emotional runway to work with during a performance. It marries classical harmonic progressions with a decidedly rock sensibility, making it a staple crossover piece for singers exploring the boundaries between legit theater and raw rock and roll. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e🎹 Thoughts From the Piano Bench: The biggest hurdle we face together on this tune is the classic Whiplash situation - If you don't lead your pianist then the steady plunk plunk chords will start to drag, but if we get too excited then the tempo in the choruses can get away from us. Be the boss! Lean into the backbeat with me to keep the groove locked in, but when the time comes to open it up, your melody is where we'll get the sense of sustain and arrival. I'm just along for the ride 😉\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuxedo Tracks","offers":[{"title":"Standard Unlock","offer_id":54379709399406,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Founding Sponsor","offer_id":54379709432174,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/2726\/1550\/files\/Musical_Theater_Thumbnail.png?v=1780752030"},{"product_id":"mt-0004-dbm","title":"Secret Garden, The - How Could I Ever Know? (DbM)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eA custom streaming practice\/rehearsal piano track for \u003cstrong\u003eHow Could I Ever Know?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003efrom \u003cem\u003eThe Secret Garden\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cbr\u003eby Simon Lucy \u0026amp; Marsha Norman.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"How Could I Ever Know\" is the hauntingly beautiful climax of the 1991 Broadway musical adaptation of The Secret Garden. In this emotional moment, the ghost of Lily appears to her grieving husband Archibald to finally grant him permission to move on and love their child. Lucy Simon composed a truly soaring legit theater score that demands incredible classical vocal technique while keeping the storytelling grounded in raw human grief. It requires you to balance that ethereal ghostlike presence with deep and soaring passion. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🎹 Hot take from the piano bench here - the biggest challenge is navigating the expansive rubato and breath pacing alongside the singer without losing the underlying pulse of the tune. Emotional without getting toooo soupy, yes? The piano texture is fluid with some arpeggiations that need to swell naturally with your vocal line. When you're in the room with your live pianist, communicate clearly on the breath during those octave leaps to ensure the downbeats land together, especially when the dynamic pulls back for the fragile and quiet moments of the lyrics.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuxedo Tracks","offers":[{"title":"Standard Unlock","offer_id":54379708907886,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Founding Sponsor","offer_id":54379708940654,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/2726\/1550\/files\/Musical_Theater_Thumbnail.png?v=1780752030"},{"product_id":"as-0005-dm","title":"Quilter, Roger - 3 Shakespeare Songs, Op. 6 - O Mistress Mine (DM)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eA custom streaming practice\/rehearsal piano track for \"\u003cstrong\u003eO Mistress Mine\" (DM),\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003efrom \u003cem\u003e3 Shakespeare Songs\u003c\/em\u003e, Op. 6 No. 2,\u003cbr\u003eby Roger Quilter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is the D Major listing, Eb Major is also available.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWritten in 1905, Roger Quilter's setting of \"O Mistress Mine\" takes its text straight from the mouth of Feste, the court jester in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. It captures the Edwardian parlor song aesthetic while delivering a gentle, playful plea for a lover to seize the moment. The song is a reminder that youthful romance is fleeting, wrapped up in a melody that feels nicely organic and true to the original poetry. Could fit into Bridgerton somewhere imo. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e🎹 Thoughts From the Piano Bench: Quilter writes a surprisingly complex piano part with an active bass line and plenty of specific articulation directions throughout. This means you have to trust the collaborative interplay rather than just resting on thick chords. There is a nice fluidity to the tempo that requires us to breathe together at phrase endings, especially leading into the second verse where the text asks a new question. What will you want to do differently for the second verse? How crisp should your diction be? When do you want to be light and bouncy with your melody vs a little more legato and sustained? All those good questions.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuxedo Tracks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53896178925934,"sku":null,"price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/2726\/1550\/files\/Song_Lit_Thumbnail.png?v=1780752030"},{"product_id":"br-0006","title":"Ropartz, Guy - Piece in eb minor -  for Trombone \u0026 Piano","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eA custom streaming practice\/rehearsal piano track for \u003cstrong\u003ePiece in eb minor for Trombone \u0026amp; Piano\u003c\/strong\u003e,\u003cbr\u003eby Guy Ropartz.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRopartz composed this in 1908 specifically for the Paris Conservatory Concours des Prix (or \"morceau de concours\" as you've probably seen at the top of a number of Alfonse Leduc published scores for french pieces from around this time period). The Conservatory was a great engine for new work in the 20th century brass and woodwind repertoire - I could spend a year just recording all the Bozza\/Ibert\/Messager\/Desenclos\/etc pieces from around this time. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis staple of the brass repertoire balances a lyrical, chorale style opening with a rhythmic and more technically demanding Allegro section for both the trombone and the piano. I'm a big fan of these single-movement pieces that feel like a very complete story, Sulek and Lebedev and all them. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🎹 Thoughts From the Piano Bench: This score features incredibly lush chords that I'm glad to perform with trombone, means I can really let it rip and play true fortes and fortissimos. The middle section introduces some syncopations and rubato passages where the piano and trombone absolutely must breathe together. I've always thought there's a couple awkward-ish transitions in this piece, like those sudden fortes at key changes that die away to piano in just a measure or two, so be careful to keep your dynamics at the forefront of your consideration and not go on auto pilot!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuxedo Tracks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54265051480430,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/2726\/1550\/files\/tbn.png?v=1783207261"},{"product_id":"op-0011","title":"Menotti, Gian Carlo - The Old Maid and the Thief - Steal me, sweet thief","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eA custom streaming practice\/rehearsal piano track for \u003cstrong\u003eSteal me, sweet thief,\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003efrom \u003cem\u003eThe Old Maid and the Thief\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cbr\u003eby Gian Carlo Menotti.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMenotti originally wrote the opera directly for NBC radio back in 1939!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this scene, the clever young maid Laetitia is plotting to keep the handsome houseguest Bob around by convincing her spinster boss to start stealing from the neighbors. She is entirely frustrated with waiting around for romance to happen and decides that just taking exactly what she wants is the only logical way forward. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e🎹 Thoughts From the Piano Bench: Dynamics dynamics dynamics. The sudden mood swings are honestly easier to put together in person, since your pianist can look to you for melodramatic intake of breath. I also like advising that some of the sections where you are complaining (\"he eats and drinks and sleeps. He talks of baseball and boxing\") can sort of feel heavy on the beat, just plodding along with Laetitia's gripes about Bob's mundane behaviors when she longs for a romantic sweeping guestures.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuxedo Tracks","offers":[{"title":"Standard Unlock","offer_id":54379702976878,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Founding Sponsor","offer_id":54379703009646,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/2726\/1550\/files\/Opera_Thumbnail.png?v=1780752030"},{"product_id":"mt-0012-cm","title":"Last Five Years, The - Still Hurting (CM)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eA custom streaming practice\/rehearsal piano track for \u003cstrong\u003eStill Hurting,\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003efrom \u003cem\u003eThe Last 5 Years\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cbr\u003eby Jason Robert Brown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJason Robert Brown opens his two-person musical with this devastating solo. Cathy sits alone at the end of her marriage reading a farewell note from her husband Jamie. The song demands immense emotional vulnerability right out of the gate since the audience has no prior context for their relationship. It requires the singer to ground themselves immediately and build an arc of betrayal and heartbreak that anchors the entire rest of the show. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e🎹 Thoughts From the Piano Bench: I hope this gets a few downloads because I actually practiced that string interlude 😤. Especially playing through this by myself and having to audiate the voice part, this is a song that the tempo can pick up a couple clicks if you're not focused on 'living in it'. Yes the recurring L5Y motive is very effective, but I just love love love those tense chord progressions during the bridge. In a live situation there are a couple of balance issues to be aware of, be careful for example in the second verse as the piano texture thickens but the voice stays in that bottom-of-the-staff register, easy for some words to get swallowed up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuxedo Tracks","offers":[{"title":"Standard Unlock","offer_id":54379701829998,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Founding Sponsor","offer_id":54379701862766,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/2726\/1550\/files\/Musical_Theater_Thumbnail.png?v=1780752030"},{"product_id":"mt-0020-ebm","title":"Anastasia - In My Dreams (ebm) - Flaherty \u0026 Ahrens","description":"\u003cp\u003eA custom streaming practice\/rehearsal piano track for \u003cstrong\u003eIn My Dreams\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003efrom \u003cem\u003eAnastasia\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cbr\u003eby Flaherty \u0026amp; Ahrens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFlaherty and Ahrens completely revitalized the music from the classic 1997 animated film when they brought this story to the Broadway stage in 2017. \"In My Dreams\" serves as the massive central 'I Want' song for Anya as she tries to piece together the shattered fragments of her childhood memories. The vocal line demands an emotional arc that starts with fragile uncertainty and explodes into a triumphant or desperate, or however you are led to portray it, declaration of hope.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🎹 Thoughts From the Bench: This whole show constantly modulates and keeps the pit on their toes. Be sure to know when are where you're going to pull back the intensity and dynamic - if you park and bark and stay strong, your pianist will happily be led astray to play loud the whole time since the part is usually quite thick. Have a plan and follow your emotional contours, there's some nice poignant moments where we can bring it back down together.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuxedo Tracks","offers":[{"title":"Standard Unlock","offer_id":54379666735470,"sku":"1000","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Founding Sponsor","offer_id":54379666768238,"sku":"1000","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/2726\/1550\/files\/Musical_Theater_Thumbnail.png?v=1780752030"},{"product_id":"br-0021","title":"Vaughan Williams, Ralph - Concerto for Tuba - I. Allegro Moderato","description":"\u003cp\u003eA custom streaming practice\/rehearsal piano track for \u003cstrong\u003eConcerto for Tuba - I. Allegro Moderato\u003c\/strong\u003e,\u003cbr\u003eby Ralph Vaughan Williams.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRalph Vaughan Williams essentially put the tuba on the map as a serious solo voice when he wrote this concerto in 1954. Before this piece, the instrument was mostly relegated to holding down the bass line in the back of the orchestra. He composed it specifically for Philip Catelinet, the principal tuba player of the London Symphony Orchestra, and it demands surprising agility alongside a massive singing tone. The first movement jumps right into a bouncy, march-like energy that shows off exactly how nimble the instrument can be in the right hands. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🎹 Thoughts From the Bench: Okay so one of my main thoughts with this piece is for the pianist (in this case myself) - maintaining the strict tempo through the metric modulations is a task, whenever I switch to the 6\/8 I always want to tumble forward a little bit (and I've heard that same issue with any number of pianists over the years 👀). For you, my dear soloist, we need maximum articulatory contrasts from section to section. The opening is a weighty proclamation as you set the mood, but as soon as we hit that first cantabile after square 2 it's all on you to add the lyricism and soaring melodies the piece requires - your orchestra (me) is still staccato there, so all the sustain and legato is courtesy of the soloist!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuxedo Tracks","offers":[{"title":"Standard Unlock","offer_id":54379716346222,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Founding Sponsor","offer_id":54379716378990,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/2726\/1550\/files\/tuba.png?v=1783207261"},{"product_id":"br-0050","title":"Vaughan Williams, Ralph - Concerto for Tuba - II. Romance","description":"\u003cp\u003eA custom streaming practice\/rehearsal piano track for \u003cstrong\u003eConcerto for Tuba - mvmt II. Romance\u003c\/strong\u003e,\u003cbr\u003eby Ralph Vaughan Williams.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten in 1954 for Philip Catelinet, the principal tuba of the London Symphony Orchestra, this piece put the solo possibilities for tuba on the map. Vaughan Williams crafted this Romanza movement to showcase the instrument's capacity for breathtaking lyricism and vocal-like phrasing. The music requires breath control and a velvety tone to navigate the sweeping, sustained melodies without losing the underlying pulse. Especially at a couple of the climactic moments, be careful that your subdivisions remain proportional - you can control the tempo as long as your mental 'conducting' is clear!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo, I don't know what happened to the aspect ratio of this video, apologies for that. This was filmed right when I was switching back to my 'real' camera instead of using the webcam I had setup for the first batch of tracks, so I must have had something set strangely with my capture card or with OBS. When I get around to filming mvmt. 3 it'll be back to normal!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuxedo Tracks","offers":[{"title":"Standard Unlock","offer_id":54483762184558,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Founding Sponsor","offer_id":54483762217326,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/2726\/1550\/files\/tuba.png?v=1783207261"}],"url":"https:\/\/tuxedotracks.com\/collections\/staff-picks.oembed","provider":"Tuxedo Tracks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}