Asterisk Piano Podcast (pj Cornell)

"Doverie," or "доверие," means "trust" in Russian. It is an improvisation for keyboard and guitar. The bass line sounds like an acoustic bass, but it is actually also my acoustic guitar. The form would best be described as an elegie. When I improvise, this is frequently the form that emerges unless I am intentional about how I think about the form before I begin. Stylistically, this piece could be described primarily as impressionistic with some Americana elements.This song is about the vulnerability you experience when you extend faith to another human being. People will fail you. When you trust in the Father, you are able to extend faith to them as an extension of that, realizing that, when they fail, you must be prepared to show mercy.This is the first piece I created with my new keyboard setup. It was time to retire my previous one. Hopefully my new keyboard will serve me well.The image chosen is in the public domain. It is a photograph by Maysam Yabandeh.https://pixnio.com/media/exploration-expedition-mo

Horus (Sonata for Keyboard) - in g# minorThis episode of Friday Music at Five features "The Proud Bird," by Romansk V. This is a depiction of the ancient Egyptian god of Horus. What grabbed my attention in this piece is the artist's choice to reimagine the ancient two-dimensional Egyptian images and render it in three dimensions with very interesting color choices for the shading. I also like the extreme colorfulness of the god and the proud, confident, intelligent expression on its face. The background is vague and dark, while the bird is colorful and highly distinct. The curve and sharpness of the beak, the haughty look in the bird's eye, the musculature of the face; all of these things suggest a masculine vitality, power, and fearlessness.The Egyptian RenassainceIt has occurred to me that we may be on the verge of a renaissance of rediscovering the deep roots of the Abrahamic religions, which really do go back as far as Egypt; and even further, into the days of Hammurabi and Sumer. However, Egypt particula

AgaveThe agave is a desert cactus. It spreads out almost like a flower; but unlike a flower, it survives year in and year out in the inhospitable desert. It is so sweet that its flesh is processed and used as an alternative to sugar. Its glory is its steadfastness, longevity, and sweetness. Prickly and yet beautiful on the outside. Alive and sustaining of life on the inside. It is patient.Some Notes on AgaveThis piece is largely tonal. It is in F Sharp Major.  It is for keyboard and guitar. Although it is tonal, it uses a lot of quartal harmonies, polytonality, and some dissonance. The piece is a narrative in terms of formal structure; it expresses a motif, and then the rest of the piece is one long development section.The piece starts with a solo piano. It begins with an unassuming moderato. The motif is almost an ostinato, but it moves just enough to suggest a simple melody. The guitar enters intermittently with a more melodic countermelody, lending it a simple polyphonic texture. After this brief interplay

Sonata for Guitar and Piano in e flat minorThis is a sonata for guitar and piano in e flat minor. While it is somewhat in the realms of minimalism and jazz in terms of style, it follows the basic classical three-movement sonata form. I chose e flat minor because it has a dark, murky, mysterious quality. F Sharp Major is its relative major (which is used in classical sonata form for the countertheme and second movement when the main key is minor), which, to my ear, has a rich, yet frosty sound to it. Some Notes on "Sonata for Guitar and Piano in e flat minor"This piece has three movements. The first movement is a sonata allegretto in e flat minor, the second movement is a ternary andante in F Sharp Major, and the third movement is a quick-paced rondo in e flat minor. First Movement: AllegrettoThis movement moves along at a somewhat leisurely pace. The keyboard opens in the tonic key with a simple ostinato. The guitar then enters mimicking the ostinato before launching into the theme. The keyboards maintain a r

RokayaMuslims have a practice known as "Rokaya," which is a ceremonial prayer which cleanses a house of unclean spirits. The idea of this practice is highly suggestive to me. It suggests something rather akin to an exorcism, yet less theatrical. It's more like a center of calm in a person that they find deep within their soul and extends, gently, to their chest, stomach, legs and arms, head, and, finally, their toes and fingers. Consequently, an unshakeable calm saturates their entire body, soul, and spirit. When it does, one utters the rokaya -- assertively, powerfully, yet entirely devoid of aggression or impurity.Demons, who thrive on soul decay, frustration, aggression, and hatred, are only repelled by the pure power expressed by the idea of this rokaya. It is humble and unassuming. When the one who expresses it encounters others, they set their demons are on the run, and that things in their life are set back in proper order. The rokaya has a cleansing, healing, and comforting effect.Some Notes on Rokaya

A web search for the word "Hotep" will reveal a movement that has attracted a lot of controversy. It's hard to identify exactly what it is, but to the extent that this site (http://hotepnation.com/) is representative of it, I have to say, I'm a pretty big fan. For our society to work well, and for us to be at peace with one another, we all need to have the kinds of attitudes described by the literature on that site.