Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Sheet music: blumenmusic.gumroad.com/l/TheContortionist
FUN EXTRA: This download includes TWO versions of the sheet music: an advanced arrangement as performed in the video, plus a more intermediate arrangement that I adapted for a student. I left in a couple of the lines that required careful fingering but adapted some of the more chord-heavy spots to be a little easier to execute, without sacrificing the character of the arrangement (imo). If you are so inclined, would love to hear from you about which version you end up working on!
---
Hey folks, been a minute - as you may have noticed, I've been enjoying the less tech-y side of being on the internet so far in 2026, lots of raw clips and fun transcriptions to youtube shorts and all that, but haven't setup the good camera and all that for any 'real' filming in a while.
This lesson is left over from last fall; I have put the patreon on hold for a couple reasons but figure I might as well upload this last lesson on youtube for anyone interested. Last summer when I was neck deep in self-motivated projects and things, I received an opportunity to be plugged back into academia in a more musical theater-centric role for this past academic year, which was lovely in so many ways (even if it did get in the way of my lucrative youtube career once more 😹) However, it has made me realize in the big '26 that I need to start thinking about a digital outlet for classical music.
Without pompously going too far into life story, I have worked since a teenager as a classical collaborative pianist (playing rep that's not solo piano stuff, but for like trombone & piano or whatever pairing). That's what my schooling has been and my work history in academia and freelancing. However, moved to rural Ohio for a big ol' lemon of a job a few years back, and since then my rehearsing & performing in the collab piano space has dwindled.
I have always used the internet as a creative space for all the OTHER genres and enjoyable music-making, and I value that deeply - I've met lifelong friends, joined bands, made a ton of music I'm proud of! But there's a big part of me that needs Purpose and Direction with classical music, too, and I've been mulling over how to channel the motivation I still have to practice and learn all this music that I used to do for work all day every day.
All that to say, I'm finally going to be splitting off and making some classical-focused accounts in the near future, and as I get back in the swing of things I'll be splitting my attention towards building those audiences fairly aggressively for the next few months as I build my library. That isn't to say that I'll be a ghost on here, just that there will be a little crossposting and all that in case anyone on this channel wants to follow me over to the nerdy classical side.
It's funny, all these colleagues and friends who know me in real life from recitals or rehearsing and then follow me on insta only to see that I post almost exclusively prog and non-classical and are uh, not super into it lol. And vice versa, people who know me for prog stuff are pretty lukewarm when I get excited about some new fingering I figured out for a classical saxophone piece. Think it's just time to stop smashing the two audiences together (except for Vilera, that'll be an intense combination of BOTH WORLDS RAAA).
The good news is that with the motivation to get everything setup and configured for classical content, I have solved a NUMBER of tech hurdles that have been bugging me for yearrrrs, so a lot of good work has been done the past month or so. Be on the lookout for tons of good transcriptions rolling out this summer (although I'll have to start the switch to Dorico from Finale at some point so that'll slow me down a LOT for a while). A glance at my finished transcriptions folder shows I've got things to record and upload from Barbra Streisand to Final Fantasy VI to Agent Fresco (Agent Fresco Appreciation Month Volume 2 🙌🏻) to more Animals as Leaders, so there's a lot coming. Plus this is the year I finally figure out how to adapt some Karmanjakah and/or Vildhjarta to piano, I swear it.
okay great thank you
#pianolesson #thecontortionist #transcription
Sheet music: blumenmusic.gumroad.com/l/TheContortionist
FUN EXTRA: This download includes TWO versions of the sheet music: an advanced arrangement as performed in the video, plus a more intermediate arrangement that I adapted for a student. I left in a couple of the lines that required careful fingering but adapted some of the more chord-heavy spots to be a little easier to execute, without sacrificing the character of the arrangement (imo). If you are so inclined, would love to hear from you about which version you end up working on!
---
Hey folks, been a minute - as you may have noticed, I've been enjoying the less tech-y side of being on the internet so far in 2026, lots of raw clips and fun transcriptions to youtube shorts and all that, but haven't setup the good camera and all that for any 'real' filming in a while.
This lesson is left over from last fall; I have put the patreon on hold for a couple reasons but figure I might as well upload this last lesson on youtube for anyone interested. Last summer when I was neck deep in self-motivated projects and things, I received an opportunity to be plugged back into academia in a more musical theater-centric role for this past academic year, which was lovely in so many ways (even if it did get in the way of my lucrative youtube career once more 😹) However, it has made me realize in the big '26 that I need to start thinking about a digital outlet for classical music.
Without pompously going too far into life story, I have worked since a teenager as a classical collaborative pianist (playing rep that's not solo piano stuff, but for like trombone & piano or whatever pairing). That's what my schooling has been and my work history in academia and freelancing. However, moved to rural Ohio for a big ol' lemon of a job a few years back, and since then my rehearsing & performing in the collab piano space has dwindled.
I have always used the internet as a creative space for all the OTHER genres and enjoyable music-making, and I value that deeply - I've met lifelong friends, joined bands, made a ton of music I'm proud of! But there's a big part of me that needs Purpose and Direction with classical music, too, and I've been mulling over how to channel the motivation I still have to practice and learn all this music that I used to do for work all day every day.
All that to say, I'm finally going to be splitting off and making some classical-focused accounts in the near future, and as I get back in the swing of things I'll be splitting my attention towards building those audiences fairly aggressively for the next few months as I build my library. That isn't to say that I'll be a ghost on here, just that there will be a little crossposting and all that in case anyone on this channel wants to follow me over to the nerdy classical side.
It's funny, all these colleagues and friends who know me in real life from recitals or rehearsing and then follow me on insta only to see that I post almost exclusively prog and non-classical and are uh, not super into it lol. And vice versa, people who know me for prog stuff are pretty lukewarm when I get excited about some new fingering I figured out for a classical saxophone piece. Think it's just time to stop smashing the two audiences together (except for Vilera, that'll be an intense combination of BOTH WORLDS RAAA).
The good news is that with the motivation to get everything setup and configured for classical content, I have solved a NUMBER of tech hurdles that have been bugging me for yearrrrs, so a lot of good work has been done the past month or so. Be on the lookout for tons of good transcriptions rolling out this summer (although I'll have to start the switch to Dorico from Finale at some point so that'll slow me down a LOT for a while). A glance at my finished transcriptions folder shows I've got things to record and upload from Barbra Streisand to Final Fantasy VI to Agent Fresco (Agent Fresco Appreciation Month Volume 2 🙌🏻) to more Animals as Leaders, so there's a lot coming. Plus this is the year I finally figure out how to adapt some Karmanjakah and/or Vildhjarta to piano, I swear it.
okay great thank you
#pianolesson #thecontortionist #transcription
