Emerging Artist Concert June 10th

My concert in Winter Harbor went fabulously.  Hammond Hall is beautiful.  Great piano, impressive lighting setup, balcony seating....  I have done a few performances around Belfast but this concert was much different.  Something about being on a stage with lights shining down on me, a real piano under my fingertips (as opposed to an electric one) made me feel so much more alive.


When I improvise, I am very sensitive to my surroundings.  Improvisation comes from the piano, from my fingers, from my mood, relaxation, focus, from the vibrating golden glow of strings caught in the spotlights' beam.  In the beginning of the concert I was tense, I worried about mistakes, stuck to comfortable themes and lacked inspiration.  But as the concert went on I got more and more comfortable and relaxed.  I began experimenting more, exploring unfamiliar rhythms, cords and harmonies.  I rose up into the music, passing all of my other performances and reaching the point where I felt like I was truly improvising, the kind of state that I had never before reached in front of an audience.  I have noticed that when I try to play well it boots me out of my creative mindset.  Suddenly my mind is trying to take control and it only gets in the way of the music flowing from my fingers.

I have the entire concert on film and recorded.  At some point I hope to put parts of the video on Vimeo and Utube.
I could even sell it on CDs if I had requests!


Well, I need to get some sleep.  Big work day tomorrow.
I could probably fill a couple more posts with all the things I want to write about (it is hard to keep up) but I will have to be done for the night.

Buenas noches,
Clayton