rockin' it old school

Tonight, I dusted off my old Schirmer sonatina book for the first time in a long time. Usually I'm pretty rusty when it comes to classical these days, and it takes me a while to get back in the groove, what with all their runs and fingerings. It also makes me realize just how much I simplify and leave out notes when playing the pop and Broadway stuff -- 't'ain't so easy with classical.

But I did pretty well tonight. One of my favorites to play is the Clementi Sonatina Op. 36 No. 4 first movement, "Con spirito." So if you ever wanted to hear me play something classical, here's your chance: Con spirito (416 K mp3). Incidentally, the piano teacher who taught me this one called it a "manly" sonatina, because all of her male students seemed to like it.