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It’s funny how things seem to be working out, musically, right now. As I write this for publishing tomorrow, it’s not even 24 hours after having got back from seeing The Decemberists, and I’m booked up to my next concert, one I’m particularly excited about (but then I’m easily excitable and was just as excited about The Decemberists!

It seems Yann Tiersen (of Amelié sound-track fame) is visiting Glasgow on the 24th April for his first Scottish concert. Since taking up the Piano recently, I’ve already found an increased, if still very basic, appreciation of some of the classic music I enjoy has appeared. Picking out details no doubt blindingly obvious to people who are familiar with the finer points of music has increased my enjoyment immensely. So when “Comptine D’un Autre Ete: L’apres Midi” came on my iTunes selection recently, I realised that this was perhaps one of my all time favourite pieces of music, beautiful in it’s simplicity and emotion.

Way back when I started, my piano teacher had suggested I bring along any music I had, and unsurprisingly finding my cupboards rather empty on that front, I’d had a sort of notion to dig out something I liked and mark that as a goal. Well, it’s safe to say this beautiful piece of music has become just that: Set the bar high, I figure. The journey is going to be the fun part. So I ordered the music, direct from France as it happened, and have a half-hope I might some day be able to play it in some form or other. Eventually. It doesn’t look anything close to easy. Yet to discover - purely by accident as I was flicking through a copy of the Big Issue - Yann Tiersen himself was visiting Glasgow in April was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. Suffice to say I’m already very excited by the prospect, although I doubt I’ll get that much in the way of hints or clues, from seeing and hearing the composer himself!

It’s interesting also to discover a new use for the Internet: It’s quite the musical place even when you take away illegal mp3’s. Taking this piece of music as an example, I discovered a lovely graphical animation to the piece which, I think, captures the essence of the piece perfectly (even if the characters themselves are a bit rough around the edges). There’s also an surprising number of recorded renditions of the piece. I’ve misplaced the one I particularly liked, but here’s a highly rated one from the many I’ve seen. The idea is that budding pianists can pick up the finger placements from folk who’ve worked it out and can play it, presumably without necessarily having to fork out (or learn?) the sheet music: I know myself from when I was younger it can sometimes be easier to learn by imitation than understanding (even if it’s a short-term gain).

Whilst it’s an interesting discovery, I’m sticking to learning the piano the hard way for now. It’s far too much fun!