Composer’s Spotlight: Piroska Kuhn performs ‘New Blues’

Composer’s Spotlight Series: Piroska Kuhn performs ‘New Blues’

In this interview, Piroska shares her experience playing New Blues. She first learned about New Blues on YouTube and instantly fell in love. She was thrilled to play the harp because she had already wanted to do it as a kid when she first saw a harp in an orchestra.

Piroska Kuhn

Piroska Kuhn is a multi-instrumentalist from Berlin, Germany. Born in the 1980s as the daughter of a piano teacher, her beloved mother Gabi, and as the last descendant of a family of musicians and teachers, Piroska was raised as a classical piano player. Despite some other plans and diversions she finally became a musician and piano teacher too.

Piroska was raised as a classical musician but always had a longing for jazz. She rather wanted to sing than to play piano. She never was forced into something, and she always was offered the chance to try other things out, but it took her a long way to musical freedom.

It was never easy for Piroska to play and sing jazz and other styles of music. And it took her a long time to discover other instruments and find the courage to just play them. But finally, through some hard work and when she finally didn’t care so much about faults anymore, she started just having fun.

And that’s where she is now.

Now it’s getting more and more instruments. Piroska bought a tiny harp last Christmas and then a bigger one. She already wanted to play harp as a kid when she saw it in orchestra, but she never tried it. When she got her hands on the tiny one, she was very thrilled. Then she bought the bigger one. It was harder to play but so much fun!

Continue reading below for the full interview with Piroska Kuhn

Watch Piroska Kuhn playing ‘New Blues’ on her new harp.

One of the things that is especially fun about Piroska’s interview is that she has THREE videos of “New Blues” on YouTube, as she started sharing her learning journey right at the beginning.  Enjoy these two earlier versions on a 12-string harp – and make sure you let her know how much you enjoy this little window into her journey.  Follow her via her social media icons below and leave a comment for her below!

Second try … coming right along!  it’s fun to hear the new added bass notes and easier swing.

A Mini-Interview with Piroska

How would you describe your experience of playing the piece?

Jazz on harp! Yes!!!

What do people say when you play this piece? Do you have favorite memories of people’s reactions to it?

They are astonished what I play on harp. Expected something more classical. 😉

What drew you to this piece – why did you choose to learn it?

Well – it’s jazz! I always was drawn to the harp – but not especially to “normal” harp music. I searched on YouTube and found this piece and instantly fell in love with it!

What does this piece add to your repertoire (and/or your life) that you didn’t have before?

It’s just fun. Love it!

What would you tell someone else who’s thinking of learning this piece that you wish you’d known before you learned it?

Don’t stick to the sheet. 😉 (I didn’t.)

What do you think you can get from working directly with the composer of the piece that you can’t get from the sheet music?

You can’t write down a feeling. Sheet music always is just an approximate notation of what’s meant.

Please follow this artist on social media and let them know what has opened up for your own self-expression in seeing and hearing their performance, and please share in the comments below.

YouTube: Piroska Kuhn
Website 1: piroska-kuhn.de
Website 2: piroskakuhn.de

Stay tuned for more artists soon and check out my Composer’s Spotlight blog series, featuring other talented musicians who played my song!  If you’re playing my music, apply here to be in the ‘Composer’s Spotlight’ blog series.