Michele McLaughlin's Blog

Wow, first I can’t believe that we’re already to the end of December.  Time flies when you’re busy, and having fun!!  In looking back, 2017 has been such an amazing year.  So much happened!  I feel grateful, blessed, humbled, and proud of this year and everything I accomplished.  

Super cool story... I recevie an email, from a guy named Glenn, at Pandora Radio, asking if he can call me.  Sure!  I give him my phone number, and he calls, and he says he works for Pandroa and is writing an article about how well Christmas music does on Pandora during this time of year.

I just spent the last week in Washington State, on the Olympic Peninsula, visiting my good friend, and incredibly talented composer and pianist friend, Jennifer Thomas.  

Have you seen my new Christmas video yet?  I released it a week or so ago, and it’s a little sweet and tender animation to the song “Sing We Now of Christmas”.  

Seeing as how I just released a new album, I thought I would take the time to tell you all what the process is like!

A wonderful review of Christmas - Plain & Simple III by Dick Metcalf at Contemporary Fusion Reviews.  Thanks Dick!!!  Check it out!

You would think that arranging a cover of a song that’s already been written would be easy, right?  I mean, the song is already written… so all you’d really need to do is learn how to play it and then give it your own sound and style.  That sounds easy, but it’s not.   Not at all.  Turning an already written song into something new, and unique, requires a lot of creativity and patience.  Writing all new arrangements for a Christmas album, for me, takes months.  

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, and Utah is so beautiful when Autumn comes.  We have amazing mountains here, the Wasatch Mountains, with elevations up to 12,000 feet in the Salt Lake City area.  We have a lot of Quaking Aspen trees, Scrub Oak, Maple, Cottonwood, etc.  The colors aren’t as impressive as what you’d see in New England, especially since we don’t have nearly as many trees, but the yellows, reds, and oranges this time of year are stunning.

I am not Halloween's biggest fan, but my sister sure is! So, in honor of her favorite holiday, I thought I might whip up a fun post- Halloween Costumes for Pianists. Hope you enjoy what I came up with! Let me know if you have a great idea that I missed.