Robin Spielberg's Blog
August 11, 2021
Robin Spielberg’s Year of Re-Invention
The Inspiration for Re-Inventions, a New-Age recording available on CD, Vinyl, Hi-res streaming formats
I invite you to listen as you read…
Like so many of you, in early Spring 2020, I was confined to home due to the pandemic. Isolated, but also inspired by the gift of time, I reached into my treasure trove of sheet music, where I discovered long-lost friends—classical piano scores that have always offered me comfort, companionship and peace. For me, these pieces were comfort food, and playing them was therapeutic.
As a young music student, my piano teacher once chastised me for improvising on a well-known classic. One afternoon, while I joyfully devised a new melody to a Chopin waltz, my teacher slapped my hand.
He told me that while it was acceptable to improvise on a show tune, pop song, or American standard, it was inappropriate to touch the music of the great
Now, I do. History tells us that celebrated composers often held soirees where they concocted new ways to play one another’s pieces. Mozart himself said that he strove to never play his pieces the same way twice.
By improvising on piano works created centuries ago, I honor the spirit of great composers. Here, in my own piano room, on my newly refurbished 1896 Steinway—an instrument familiar with centuries of classics—I have given myself permission to reinvent them. In the process, I’ve reinvented myself. xo Robin
My daughter, Valerie, had 48 hours to pack up all of her things and move out of her dorm. Like college students everywhere, she was shocked, confused, frightened, emotional. A music major with a traumatic brain injury, Valerie worried about handling the new “virtual learning” environment. Once back at home, we began playing music together. It bonded us, brought us comfort. My husband, a guitarist, joined in. Our new found focus gave us a sense of purpose and filled our days with learning, experimenting, bonding…and dare I say…joy.
Click here to hear the first single, “Skater’s Waltz” (mother/daughter duet)
See Valerie’s TEDx Talk about overcoming “invisible disabilities.”
See my TEDx Talk about music and wellness
Robin Spielberg, piano/additional composition/arrangementsTina Guo, cello
Ricardo Ochoa, violin
Valerie Kosson, glockenspiel
Larry Kosson, guitar
Piano: 1898 Victorian Steinway
Producer: Larry Kosson
Track List: 1) Sonata No. 16 in C Major/Mozart, 2) Liebestraum (Love Dream)/Liszt, 3) Canon in D Major/Pachelbel, 4) Melody in F/Rubinstein, 5) Scenes from Childhood/Schumann, 6) The Skater’s Waltz/Waldteufel, 7) Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C Major/J.S. Bach, 8) The Blue Danube Waltz/Strauss, 9) Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# Minor, first movement (Moonlight Sonata)/Beethoven, 10) Berceuse de Jocelyn/Godard, 11) The Merry Widow Waltz/Lehar, 12. Lullaby/Brahms, 13. Fantasie-Impromptu/Chopin, 14) Piano Sonata No. 8, 2nd movement (Sonata Pathétique)/Beethoven, 15) Serenade/Schubert
LISTEN NOW on the platform of your choosing or proceed to the Spotify player below
Fun Fact:
This is a photo of all of the original parts to my piano! It is an 1896 Steinway and needed restoration. I saved all the original parts….well, I guess because I am sentimental that way. I was thinking of making an art piece with them. What do you think?
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June 12, 2021
We Clapped Our Hands
When we were children, my sister and I sat in our chairs, staring at the portable record player, completely mesmerized by the sounds that wafting through the air. We were listening to “Peter Pan.” My sister, aged 5, memorized the entire record, and was able to recite it by heart for her Kindergarten class, playing all the parts, and singing all the songs. My favorite part was when we, the listeners, had to use all the energy we could muster, for Tinkerbell to get well so she could do her magic. The impassioned request, “If you believe in fairies, then clap your hands!!” boomed from record player, and I clapped as hard as I possibly could, until my hands were red. Wonders of wonders, it worked every time. But that was only because I believed, and the wishes of three year old children are powerful.
Decades later, in the midst of a global pandemic, I was running out of magic. So I turned to the other people in my house, my daughter (who was sent home from her college campus during the Covid-19 pandemic) and my husband (who was out of work as a talent agent). Together, we clapped our hands, and we dreamed up our own fairy magic.
I composed music for our adventure and the result is this, “In Search of the Forest Fairy.” We hope you enjoy it. We hope you still believe in magic. And when concerts come back, I sure hope you will clap your hands. 
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November 19, 2020
Shoutout to My Vendors!
It’s album release week and I wanted to take a moment to thank the vendors and people behind the scenes who have helped me get the music out there with a splash!
First and foremost, Sticker Mule! Sticker Mule is a company that creates all kinds of fun things—stickers, buttons, custom labels, packaging. I have, over the years, used their services to create complementary products and promotional items like the ones you see here. My logo pin was a big hit in China when I was on tour there last summer. The kids all attached them to their hats.
When the Re-Inventions album ships, it will be sealed with this sticker you see on the rolled tape. The Re-Invent Yourself fridge magnet reminds us all that we can use this time to re-set, re-imagine, re-adjust and re-invent ourselves. The die-cut white sticker went out to the first 50 people who ordered my CD. I am sure we will create more fun things down the line.
Disc Makers allows indie musicians like myself to replicate CDs and create posters.
Hand Drawn Records is pressing vinyl, which is making a great comeback! They sound AMAZING.
America’s printer turns out postcards, brochures and catalog cards in record time and their color is always spot on! This catalog card was just printed by AP this week.
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September 28, 2020
A Time to Grow
In the first few weeks of quarantine, I did a lot of house cleaning, organizing, sorting. The next month or so I complained that my life was so disrupted, and mourned that shows were being cancelled. In the third month, I found myself mourning colleagues who had died of COVID-19 and offering comfort to friends and family who were sick. And then some real change began.
I started to re-invent myself. Just a bit. Little by little. It started with Live streams. First on my iPhone, and then with two camera angles, and then with a mixing board, microphones, headsets. The piano I had bought to be re-furbished in Atlanta was finally ready. It had been 18 months. It arrived just when I needed it most. I began re-visiting music I hadn’t touched in years, created new arrangements of well-loved songs. I started a campaign on Patreon to involve fans in my process and to create a community that could not only support me financially, but contribute to the creative process by giving me feedback and input.
It’s 7 months since I have traveled or performed in a concert hall, but it has also been a time of reflection, growth, renewal. I am so grateful for the gift of music, to everyone who has written to me to tell me my music has touched them in some way–for the new bonds I have been forming that might not have formed if I hadn’t been here. Home. Still.
Like the image I uploaded here, we can’t always see growth. It can’t always be measured in inches, in financial numbers, in weight. Growth happens when we are open to listening, when we overcome a difficult obstacle, when we embrace change. Thanks for helping me grow.
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January 24, 2020
The Story of the Red Dress
While on concert tour in China this past summer, I ventured with my husband and our young translator to a dressmaker in Hangzhou. I brought along a few concert dresses that fit well, but had seen better days. I was told that one could buy custom made suits, blouses and dresses in China for less than half the price in the States, and that the workmanship could not be beat. As a concert artist, I wear “special occasion dresses” as “work clothes.” I pack them, steam them, wear them, perspire in them, roll them up in my suitcase…they get stepped on, dry cleaned, pulled and stretched. When the dressmaker, who did not speak any English, saw the simple dresses I brought along with me to have replicated in other colors, she sighed and walked away. When she returned, she had an armful of sample dresses which she then displayed on a table one by one, each more magnificent than the last. They were far more fancy than anything I had brought along. She turned to the translator and spoke to her. The translator, Leona, turned to me and said, “The dressmaker says that a star like you should not wear such simple dresses.” My husband and I exchanged glances. I followed the dressmaker into the large runway style dressing room and tried them on.
About a month after my trip, a package came in the mail from China–the two dresses I had made, one red, and one black. They fit perfectly and the workmanship is stellar. Here I am wearing the red dress for my “Love Story” album cover photo shoot. Now the real test: can I play piano in this thing?
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October 12, 2019
“Easily Distracted” – My Most Underrated Quality
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May 26, 2019
Finding Inspiration in the Small Things
Our minds remember the grand events–the life cycle events–births, deaths, wedding days, graduation days. But what about the magic that happens on a daily basis in life’s smaller moments? What about the events of our every day lives that are amazing, life-affirming, tender…but maybe not so memorable, simply because they were not ‘grand’? These are the moments that inspire me most to compose music. Something I know I will not remember down the road, can be cemented forever as a musical soundtrack, and help me appreciate those smaller moments.
These are: My cats chasing their tails. The woman who ran through the rain to stake her flowers to they wouldn’t fall over. A story I read in college about Sufi teachings. The caterpillar we watched emerge as a butterfly when I was seven years old. These moments would have been gone forever from my memory had I not given them musical soundtracks. Each song you hear on my recordings or in concert, were inspired by a small moment and now in my musical diary.
What do you do to keep track of moments you wish to remember?
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April 24, 2019
New Web Site Launched – Celebrating with Site Sale! (Coupon here)
Hi Everyone,
Welcome to my brand spanking new web site, designed by my friend and colleague John Albert Thomas. John is a talented pianist/composer in his own right and can write code. How impressive is that?
This new site allows you to listen to my music on any streaming platform, pay via credit cards (no need for Paypal account if you don’t have one), and allows for international shipping.
There are lots of pages, so if you see anything wrong—like a broken link, a song that won’t play, or something spelled incorrectly, please let me know: robin@robinspielberg.com . I sure do appreciate your help in getting everything *just right.*
Enjoy looking around! Use coupon code 15offtoday on the entire site for 15% off of your order.
xo Robin
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March 6, 2019
What If No One Shows Up? (asking for a friend)
[image error]I saw a post by a friend of mine tonight on social media. She is a writer and had a book signing event/Q&A scheduled at a local library. Apparently no one showed up. So she went home after 20 minutes of waiting. This led to a whole series of questions in her mind I am sure–about her talents, her worthiness, her success. I posted my own words of encouragement on her blog.
And then I remembered the time this happened to me. It was long ago and far away, but I’ll never forget the one time I had a concert planned with my trio back in the 1990’s. We had been on the road for some time and stopped in Arizona for a show. And no one showed up. Well, actually it was worse than that. ONE person showed up.
We had promoted the show (or so we thought). We had rented the hall. We had hired the lighting/sound techs. On the day of the show, we loaded in. We rehearsed. Earlier that morning, I made a little side trip to visit my old friend Barbara who had recently moved to the southwest from NJ. We used to be neighbors. A former soap opera actress, she was now a real estate agent. We had a lovely time catching up. I was so proud of her for reinventing herself and told her so. She said she was so impressed with what I had accomplished and took great pleasure in following my career via my web site and was thrilled I was making a living as a national touring musician. I left to get ready for the show. She said, “see you there,” and that she did.
And she was the only one who did.
We were in our dressing rooms when the stage manager knocked on our door. It was fifteen minutes to places and there was no audience yet. How many people did we expect? I went to the box office and asked the staffer there how many tickets had been sold and she said none. I kind of wish someone had snapped my photo in that moment, because I bet the look on my face was priceless.
Now what?
For some reason I still can’t explain (nervousness/exhaustion/disbelief/irony?), I began to laugh as I broke the news to my fellow musicians.Then we all started to laugh–the cellist, the guitarist, me…we had worked so hard and had been so demanding and exacting of one another when it came to our music. We had been so SERIOUS about the content of the show, but apparently we did a terrible job promoting it. And here we were, all dressed up, ready to do a show and there was no audience. It was funny. We laughed until we cried. It was all just so….so….ridiculous.
We decided in that moment to play anyway. We were in a lovely hall. We had great lighting, a good sound system, and we had paid for the space. We might as well play. And then the door to the theater opened and in walked Barbara. Seeing the three of us alone on the stage she shouted across the theater, “Robin! What’s going on? Where is everyone? Did you mix up the date?”
Suddenly it wasn’t funny anymore. I had just told Barbara that afternoon about my successful “career,” and here I was in the most embarrassing of situations. “No, Barb. We didn’t mix up the night. This is just what we call a secret concert. No one knows about it. No one but you.”
Without another word, we began to play. Barbara looked around uneasily as we began to play, and chose a seat. And she stayed. We played. We played a beautiful concert. Barbara gave us a standing ovation at the end. I think she even bought a CD or two. And if she was embarrassed for us, she never showed it. She thanked us for a lovely evening and off she went.
So what did all of this mean? Was I a failure? Did I suck? Was I unworthy? Nope. None of those things. In the grand scheme of things, it didn’t mean a darn thing. It was one show out of hundreds that I have played over the last 25 years or so. Like all shows, I played to the best of my ability, and if I say so myself, we all did a rather fine job. It was the best concert no one heard.
To answer my friend’s question, the answer is YES. If you play a show and no one shows up (or if one person shows up)….it is still a show. How do I know this? Well, because I was there.
###
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February 6, 2019
Your Parents Were Wrong: Money Does Grow On Trees…
At least on this one.
Inspired by a post I saw on Pinterest, I decided to do something with all my loose change from foreign countries. Now my foreign coins are out of my bottom drawer and on display as a reminder of my travels.
You will need:
-canvas from a craft store (I chose 11 x 14), foreign coins, string for the “tree,” glue, gold or copper paint, paint sponge and a few brushes. I also used an old jewelry chain.[image error] [image error][image error]
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First, I painted the canvas and let it dry. Then I added the string for the trunk–globbing on the glue helped create texture that I then painted over with more gold paint. Last, I added coins, and paper flowers.
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