iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Checked out a classical open mic night yesterday at the Philadelphia Ethical Society. Good vibes and good music! It's monthly and I plan to go again. Performing opportunities with an above average piano/acoustics/audience that are not a school or church are pretty rare!

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This seems to be a bootleg audio recording of Yuja Wang playing the #Gubaidulina Chaconne. The energy into the sixth variation and then those LH octaves is pretty wild. I hope she keeps performing this piece and makes an official recording. youtu.be/2Zx4kFoTnlw?...

youtu.be

Yuja Wang: Gubaidulina's Chaconne(2026, Shanghai)

YouTube video by piano_non🎹

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Did a trial performance of my recital program at my parents' church today in Pittsburgh. My very first piano teacher and my high school choir director attended. All the feels!!

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

What if instead of a $99 charge to graduate we just collected that money over time with tuition??? Feels great to apply to graduate though :)

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Happy birthday to John Coltrane and Bruce Springsteen! You can celebrate by not playing Giant Steps over Thunder Road.

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Had a piano lesson the other day and after playing through a piece my teacher said "Ok so now that you're somewhat comfortable with this I'd like for you to push the tempo on these two pages." My practice log app says I've put in 80+ hours on this piece. So yeah. "Somewhat comfortable" 🙃

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Faculty recital program from yesterday. I should probably get my act together and learn something by Nikolai #Kapustin at some point.

A picture of a the repertoire list from a faculty recital.

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Yo this wedding band did "Plastic off the sofa" respect!! #Beyonce

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The residential permit portal for the Philly parking authority has a simple account number and last name login. No 2FA either. It feels like a relic from a different time

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The second movement of your sonata can be at an overall slower tempo if you are excerpting it. When it hits at min 47 of an hour long recital it's best to not play too slow. Out here discovering potentially obvious stuff preparing this solo recital

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Grad piano recital announcement! I realize many of you are nowhere near SE Pennsylvania but still. I'm excited to put this all together and share it.

A pianist sitting at a piano pointing to a piece of paper on the music rack

Handwritten sign on notebook paper

Patrick Fink Graduate Recital
Saturday October 17th at 2:00pm
West Chester University
Swope Music Building
Ware Recital Hall

817 S. High Street
West Chester, PA 19382

A screenshot of the notes app

Grad recital program

Piano Sonata in C - Chevalier de Saint-Georges

MOVEMENT 11’ - Jon Batiste

Images, Book 2 - Claude Debussy

Rain Tree Sketch II - Tōru Takemitsu

Chaconne - Sofia Gubaidulina

Piano Sonata in E minor - Florence Price

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Two first year piano students played in studio class today and they sounded great. I wish I played like that as an undergrad!

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The public bathroom in the music building is not the place for a group speakerphone conversation, especially while doing your business. Come on everyone! Day one stuff here!!

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Music engravers that consider page turns are pretty great but engravers that keep all parts of a sequence between page turns are the real ones.

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Sometimes people add my school job email address to cold emails about upcoming music events. The latest is about 300 miles away from me. Maybe I should return the favor and invite them to my graduate recital?

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Lol I beg to differ Plenty of love for Erik but I've been enjoying the opening of the Sofia #Gubaidulina Chaconne a lot lately

A screenshot of the Fat Out web page with Tom Taylor's blog post "Erik Satie and the two greatest opening chords on music"

The opening two measures from Sofia Gubaidulina's Chaconne.

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Seems odd to me that a bunch of a jazz shows are getting advertised as "_______ celebrates Miles Davis at 100." What a nebulous description! Charlie Parker to Kind of Blue to the Plugged Nickel to Bitches Brew to the electric stuff...I don't know. I guess there'll be a trumpet??

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I've been counting down the days for a while but my graduate recital for this master's program is next month. I'm probably going to whine about memorization on here a bunch

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Incredible vibes at the Philadelphia Cycling Classic today!

The peloton riding by along a four lane street in Philly. Block party atmosphere lining the street

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Survived the first day of the semester piano studio ice breaker. Please clap

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Lang Lang's IG recently shared a video of him playing to some giraffes. And wow. A gig is a gig right? But that's a *super* weird gig. Can we please redirect energy towards stuff like the piano lab donations? 🦒🎹

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Am I going to miss reserving piano practice rooms at school once I graduate?? Insider tip, 200Y and 300V are the best piano major rooms (corners, windows, and not next to other piano major rooms)

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Summer in SE Pennsylvania can be pretty rough. I feel like the air just sits sometimes. #Sticky I do thoroughly enjoy the 2.5 weeks of the year where we can get fresh local peaches. Might make a peach pie later

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Grab some headphones and listen to this. Seong-Jin Cho's voicings and pedal with the big chords (esp around 3:30) is incredible. Also, shout-out to the piano and recording technicians behind this. What a sound! #Debussy youtu.be/ug-BCTagcMQ?...

youtu.be

Debussy: Images II, CD 120: II. Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut

YouTube video by Claude Debussy - Topic

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Talked with a musician that plays carillon today and they explained leaving 30-60s between pieces on a concert because "nothing flushes out the system except for time" and like woah. What a saying 😳

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Just got an ad on YouTube for Music Notes telling me I can "master the music faster" lmfao It's like the infomercials for 30 min abs. Why would I want 30 min abs when I can get 10 min abs? Or better yet 5 min abs!

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

There's a credit card presale access period for Mitsuko Uchida at Carnegie Hall??? I thought that kind of thing was only for big pop stars.

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Got to see #HerbieHancock tonight in Philly. He and his band sounded great! 86 years young! #DontPlayTheButterNotes

Herbie Hancock and his five person band onstage at the Kimmel Center. He's playing a keytar. No butter notes are in this photo

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

#LebronJames if you want piano lessons in Philly hit me up!

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Last night's stress dream had me freaking out about a piece of music for my recital except it was something I played on my undergrad program 15+ years ago and not the one in less than three months. Come on brain!!

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

We checked out the new #BruceSpringsteen museum in NJ last week and it's great. Even if you're only tangentially a Bruce fan, you should go. As far as white guys in their 70s go, Bruce sets the bar pretty high musically and politically. He seems like a nice dude too. 10/10

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Back in Feb I started working on the Sofia #Gubaidulina Chaconne and it's kicking my butt. I'm planning to perform it on my grad recital this fall. I suspect it may not be the best piece on the program but I've recently hit a point with it where I feel it'll still be cool and def worth the effort.

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

"Remember, artistic progress is not linear" is something I've heard, read, and told my students many times. Getting my brain to avoid falling into a trap of that thinking is quite hard though.

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

I guess Sir Stephen Hough sounds good here but why did he make this? I suspect you couldn't put this on when a kid wants to hear the Frozen soundtrack. Some number of parents are prob too sick of these songs. For pianists, there are much cooler arrangements out there. youtu.be/d24uky-4aFQ?...

youtu.be

Do You Want to Build a Snowman? (Arr. Hough for Piano) (From "Frozen")

YouTube video by Stephen Hough - Topic

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

My piano teacher hosted a studio hour last night and we all got to share our summer works in progress. It felt great to nerd out on piano stuff for an evening

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

I'm glad Vladimir somewhat rode the success of his "Stars and Stripes" to more artistic freedom. But omg what a needlessly difficult arrangement of a not great piece of music. #Horowitz There are much more interesting pieces to practice your octaves and big chords! youtu.be/j3i1mVkqI34?...

youtu.be

Sousa-Horowitz Stars and Stripes (Horowitz)

YouTube video by ardiem

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

There's a scene in #DisclosureDay where the characters are in a cargo train that is shipping grand pianos. The instruments are are all strapped together with their lids off so you can see the strings. Neat visual but I have questions for Steven.

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Does anyone have a favorite recording of the Bedrich Smetana Piano Trio?

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Went to Wizard of Oz with the Philadelphia Orchestra last night. Fantastic!

The Kimmel Center stage with pride lights on either side of the organ. Some orchestra members are packing up and the projector screen shows the title slide for Wizard of Oz

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Niche post but around 3:20 in Beyoncé "Get Me Bodied (Extended Mix) when you realize it's the extended mix is the same energy as when you realize a pianist is playing the Mompou Chopin Variations or the Volodos Turkish March. #ExtendedMixVibes

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

I have a piano student working on the Gershswins' "The Man I Love" and I keep mixing up the title with Olivia Dean's "The Man I Need. They're both great songs

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Oreo greeted me at the door today with a playful bark and wagging tail! Maybe my voicings are getting better??

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

There's not precise reporting on this but I suspect Wemby could reach a 12th/13th on the piano. He can palm a basketball with only two fingers. Some repertoire would be a disaster but think about the voicings he could play without needing to roll the chords!

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Just met with my teacher for an almost two hour piano lesson. My brain and fingers are cooked!

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

I've been asked to give a toast at an upcoming wedding. I'm nervous (and already had a stress dream about it) but writing it and practicing it out keeps putting me in a good mood. The couple is fantastic so it's easy :) Do we think five minutes is too long?

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Patrick @patrickfinkmusic.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Turned pages for this last night in Weill recital hall. Lots of new music!!

The cover page of a recital program titled "Resurgence 3 New works for cello and piano" with Ovidiu Marinescu and Carl Cranmer.

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