Thank you David for your inspiring compositions! I have really enjoyed watching your YouTube videos and listening to your pieces. You communicate such a positive mindset in all your playing as well as in your books about the piano. The pieces from "Transitions" are an excellent selection of styles of writing, keys, technical features and moods. Your arrangement of Bach's Toccata and Fugue is the piece which initially caught my attention and now it is very hard to say which is my favourite piece in this book. As a teacher, I will be asking my students to select one of your pieces for our Music Festival this year and I look forward to seeing which pieces they will choose. Looking further, your music introduces students and listeners to the essense of the Baroque style and will no doubt spark a greater interest in Baroque music and the piano in general amongst the students that I teach as well as for myself. Thank you so much!
Dear David, thank you for your music… I’m Ukrainian, born and living in Kiev, and to describe my last year in few words… there are no words for what I feel, to be honest. Your music for this very moment (since I have heard it for the first time few months ago), especially Silent Night- is such a safety place, where I’m trying to hide from this cruel and unnecessary destructive times and forces… I wish I could talk to you in person, as I’m a choreographer, wishing I could ask you to write music for a ballet!… but it’s obviously not the best time yet. I am not a pianist, i just started to learn how to play piano about a year ago, when the nightmare, called “war”, started in my beautiful country… just because I could put headphones on and make the sounds of music even louder, than everything else, happening around me. It will take me about a year to learn your arrangement to a song, that my mother was singing to me around Christmas time, since I was born) but I so really want to learn it and play one day! Hope you are doing great! Please, don’t stop doing, what you choose to be right! Your music is beautiful and so, I am sure, are you! Thank God there is you, David!
I was looking for one of David's slower pieces to learn, and "Sir Arthur" may be my new favourite! The melody is gorgeous, and the harmonies accent it perfectly. It's fun and easy to play, which is a great combination. I especially love the story behind the piece as well, which makes it even more special. I'm looking forward to learning the rest of this piece.
It really is all that. Very inspiring!
Thank you David, for sharing your talent and your passion with the rest of us.
You are such a great artist!
Congratulations, David Hicken!! You are a true modern Bach-style composer.
When I first found "Captain Sharpe's Mission" a few years ago, I was enthralled! The fascinating rhythms keep the listener in suspense until the piece's dramatic conclusion. Unfortunately, at the time, the piece was too difficult for me, and I shelved it until I could learn this epic nine-page work.
Now a few years later, I've learned the piece, and I highly recommend it to any advanced pianist who's in for a fun challenge! The staccato repeated notes are tricky, and can only be executed properly with the correct technique (loose, high wrist, firm fingers, and a high thumb) and a piano with a fast action. Regardless of the tricky bits, this piece is an absolute joy to play. Even after months of practice, I'm not tired of this piece--which is a rarity!
As with all of David's scores, the music is clear and easy to read---whether it's on paper or on an iPad. That is a big help when learning any piece.
I really haven't had the chance to read the book, as yet. However, from glancing through it as it printed... it looks very typical of the usual perfection in any of David's works...music or otherwise. I know it's a five-star just by glancing through it.
I checked other versions in many websites, and there is no comparision on the emotion, the dynamics and precision of David's version. amazing job!
I bought the Art of Piano for the song Incantation. I was thrilled to spend time practicing it. It also has several other excellent songs. I really enjoy The Messenger, and Camille. The songs are not difficult to play notes wise, but the rhythm patterns still make it quite a bit of fun! Would 10/10 recommend!
I am learning this piecec and I was very pleased to hear a different arrangement.
This book has so much fun music! The pieces are well written and the rhythms are catchy and easy to put together.
