Stephen Grew - Now we are Here

These pieces in many ways, notwithstanding live performances on other pianos and many hours on a weighted electronic keyboard, are the culmination of ten years' work on one particular piano, a Kawai model 2A, this piano resides at Lancaster Baptist Church, Lancaster, in the north of England. I have found this instrument a real challenge to play, its action is particularly unyielding, so my efforts to work with this beautiful instrument have brought out a broad and joyful range of inventions; incorporating many different patterns, timbres, rapid fire techniques and mysterious changes in dynamic mood, which I have invented and have soaked into my muscle memory. It's this attempt to discover something new coupled with decades of tactile exploration that plays a large role in shaping the music. I learn more and more about playing the piano and how far I can develop my individual techniques, compositional skills, and how to bring about something worthwhile and exciting!

Stephen Grew: piano