things i love

Vday - you hurt me and I hate you songs

2012-02-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

Gearing up for VDay, I gave you my list of sexy songs, so here are "you hurt me and I hate you songs" for those who are definitely not celebrating. Sometimes it's just good to shake it out. Even though I am happily married and purring most of the time, these songs certainly bring back happy memories of my angry bitter days. Enjoy.

Joan Jett - I Hate Myself for Loving You

The Eurythmics - You Hurt Me And I Hate You

J. Geils Band - Love Stinks (Thanks to my friend Roger Cox!)

Shanice - You Ain't All That

Nancy Magaril - This Morning I Hate You,

This is my good friend Nancy Magarill, who is a brilliant writer and singer, you can buy her music on itunes. I happened to witness the birth of this song and the man who inspired it. He was a sexy artist in Williamsburg, when there were still sexy artists in Williamsburg. Think Viggio Mortensen in that Gwenyth Paltrow movie. I loved him to pieces but hated when he was a butthole to Nancy. She finally gave him the boot and I'm sure she has a song about that. Check her out on itunes.

Turntable Tuesday

2012-02-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

~ Ted Ganung

For this week I bring an absolutely beautiful tune 'light up (the world)' by the rising British Pop Star, Yasmin. Yasmin is a very interesting artist because she started as a DJ and than later launched her career as a vocalist. Her voice is absolutely stunning and her beats are raw & outside the box, considering the usual pop formula. 'Light up the world' was produced by the iconic British DJ Shy FX, who basically defined the genre know as "Jungle" by mixing elements of reggae infused with breakbeats. The video was filmed in Cuba and sets the perfect backdrop to this uplifting tune that mixes culture, style & sophistication into a 3 minute song.

top 10 sexy songs

2012-02-05T16:09:00.000-08:00

So we are on a countdown now for Valentines Day and I would like to share some of my favorite picks for sexy songs. These are not to be confused with romantic songs, and usually my criteria consists of mid to slow tempo with moody chord changes and possibly steamy lyrics. Enjoy.

1. So my first pick is of Polish pianist Leszek Mozdzer covering Nirvana's TEEN SPIRIT. I love performing this version at some of our events, discretely slipping it in when I think no one is listening. But it always garners attention and gets a thumbs up.

2. The next song I think is so classically sexy is Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire". Tori Amos does a version that makes me melt.

3. Melissa Etheridge's "I'm the only one" is super swampy.

4. The Adagio from the Rodrigo Guitar Concerto. I heard this for the first time when I was in Madrid accompanying Kent Jordan (CBS artist) in the Reina Sophia competition. I was mesmerized.

5. For those who want a taste of "Madmen" sexy vibe

Julie London singing "Wives & Lovers"

6. Such a simple arrangement, but super sexy. Babyface "When Can I See You Again"

7. Classic & always sensual The Bee Gee's "How deep is your love" from Saturday Night Fever. Definately one of the sexiest moments in film watching John Travolta take that midnight subway ride with this song underscoring. Lord, he was awesome.

8. Arthur Rubinstein playing Granados - Goyescas No. 4 La Maja y el ruisenor. I was also exposed to Granados during my visit to Madrid and feel in love with this peice. I have performed this as well as other pieces from this suite inspired by the paintings of Goya.

9. My friend Jonathan Spottiswoode and his Enemies featuring Tony Lauria on accordion- In the Pouring Rain - Very sweet sexy

10. "Leave your hat on" Joe Cocker. How could we not include this?

Turntable Tuesday

2012-01-31T16:42:00.000-08:00

~ Ted Ganung

For this edition of Turntable Tuesday I bring a beautiful Liquid Funk tune filled with rolling beats, soulful vocals, and jazzy guitar to create a new dimension within music somewhere between a vintage rhythm & blues sound and modern drum & bass. Currently climbing it's way to the top of the Beatport Charts, "Soul Drops" was the debut release from the brand new Athens, Greece based Drum & Bass label "Liquid Drops."

valentines day picks from Houzz

2012-01-29T10:04:00.000-08:00

Here are some great VD idea's from Houzz.

tulle is kulle

2012-01-21T09:43:00.000-08:00

I have to admit i love sparkles, i love glitter and i love tulle. We have some tulle skirts that we wear for our events (see Ariana below) and I've found it is best to put a corset on top that covers the waist so that it doesn't look too bunchy.

I think it's a really fun & economical way for the bride to change dresses for dancing and you can find all kinds of tutu's on http://www.etsy.com/.

It's also a gorgeous way to dress flowergirls and junior bridesmaids. They come in peices and who wouldn't wear this over and over? I also love the wings for a whimsical garden wedding and even little sparkly venetian eye masks

martin luther king, jr

2012-01-16T20:10:00.000-08:00

It's already been a busy start to the new year, but it is always meaningful to put on the breaks and reflect on the profound words of MLK as we celebrate his life today.

My favorite speech of his still remains "a knock at midnight". I have a cherished out of print copy of the book "A Knock at Midnight" that I keep nearby in my library when I need a little extra grounding, but please take a moment to revisit his timeless words with this link below.

We heart you MLK.

http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/kingpapers/article/a_knock_at_midnight/

Turntable Tuesday

2012-01-03T16:06:00.000-08:00

~ Ted Ganung

For this edition of Turntable Tuesday I bring you a video clip of my most recent House Record "You Send Me," an uplifting blend of deep and tribal house. The release is set for early 2012 forthcoming off "Open Bar Music," one of the stables to the New York City Deep House Scene. The EP will also feature a vocal mix with Afro-Cuban Singer "Tesa" and a Re-Mix from The Open Bar crew. The video was recorded a few weeks back when I played the Wobble Party at Cielo. Wobble Music is one of New York City's top electronic music events with an uncompromising focus on Musicality.

Chelsea Boys

2011-12-22T18:15:00.000-08:00

My friend Jonathan Spottiswoode and his band "Spottiswoode & His Enemies" have a gorgeous holiday CD & video CHELSEA BOYS. It features the yummy Tony Lauria on accordion (also a member of my band ILA'S DRESS as well as a guest on our debut release KYRIE)

To purchase "Chelsea Boys": http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/chelsea-boys/id274861760?i=274861880

Video & illustrations by Maria Eugenia, http://www.mariaeugenia.com/

Anytime you can check them out on tour or locally, you will not be disappointed.

Enjoy.

Turntable Tuesday

2011-12-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

~ Ted Ganung

For this edition of Turntable Tuesday I bring you my latest production work "Weight of the World," set for release next Monday off the label Liquid Brilliants! A smooth and soulful Drum & Bass track that was a huge collaborative process inspired by the current global situation. The guitar and keyboard parts were originally recorded in Honolulu by Blaise Nako of the band Dirty Genes. The beautiful & sultry vocals were recorded in only a one hour improv session at The Sound Machine Studio, with engineer Mike Machinist. Mariella literally came into the studio after coming back from an out of town gig tired & worn out and some how came up with this beautiful idea on the spot that she executed perfectly!

www.facebook.com/tedganungmusic
http://www.facebook.com/mariellamusic
http://www.facebook.com/dirtygenes

Debut Release of our CD Kyrie is now on itunes!

2011-12-01T12:09:00.000-08:00

http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/pilley-bianchi-musica/id484817509

Our commercial CD "kyrie" is finally released today on itunes. It is the organic result of the search to redefine my musical self after the demise of my last record deal in 2001. It was a bloody battle and I needed some time off. It was the perfect opportunity to have a baby, (my beautiful son Aidan) and buy the last available house in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The Gods were throwing me bones. I was very happy being a mom, decorating my house and completely ignoring music.

Then, through a willy-nilly way, I wound up in the event industy. (Too long a story to share)

I had a bride approach me that was getting married at the Four Seasons in Miami. She wanted something totally different for her ceremony. So I immediately thought of my friends, violinist Deni Bonet who was touring with Cyndi Lauper, cellist Stephanie Winters who was touring with Richie Havens, Evan Toth on guitar/vocals from "Tony & Tina's wedding" with myself on piano. This client loved each element and gave me complete license to produce the music for her ceremony. We brought our experience as soloists and contemporary performers to her wedding ceremony, which allowed us to create the ultimate"goosebump" moment for her entrance as she walked down the aisle.

Bingo. My musical happy place.

Such was the birth of "Bianchi Musica". Combining my classical roots with my love of popular music & fashion. For the past 2 years, I have been gifted with performing private events with my gorgeous & talented string quartet; Ariana Rosen, Kate Mollica, Hannah Hens-Piazza and Lauren Riley-Rigby. As a constantly working chamber ensemble, we have learned to aniticipate each other's musical moves and breath together. It's been an extraordinary experience.

Kyrie is a hybrid of classical music, pop & southern rock. There are 11 pieces, 7 covers and 4 originals. The title track kyrie is an original composition and the Greek word for "lord". It appears in countless sacred works ranging from Bach, Beethoven & Mozart, all the way to contemporary composers. We have been fortunate to play in some of the largest and most renown cathedrals, churches and synagogues in the world, being inspired by all things heavenly and ethereal.

The repertoire on KYRIE has grown organically out of unusual requests from our clients, many of whom have granted us creative license to push the envelope for chamber music in private settings. However, the most courageous and greatest collaborative influence has been Jung Lee at Fête in NYC. (www.feteny.com) She is flawlessly fearless in her design and vision and has allowed us to take great creative leaps whether they were on a beach in St. Barts, a garden in New Orleans, or the alter of St. Bartholomew's Church. Her support has been formidable in developing our signature sound. A romantic mixture of fairydust & drama.

Additional players are the uber talented & handsome Tony Lauria on accordion and the beautifully gifted Christiana Liberis on violin. My husband & partner in crime Jay Bianchi produced & co-arranged this work. Sometimes wrangling 5 estrogen driven musicians was like herding cats, so we love and thank you Jay!

We hope that you enjoy.
xox Pill

Liner notes:

Pilley Bianchi - Piano/Vocal
Jay Bianchi - Producer/Arranger
Ariana Rosen - Violin
Kate Mollica - Violin
Hannah Hens-Piazza - Viola
Lauren Riley-Rigby - Cello
Tony Lauria - Accordion
Christiana Liberis - additional violin

Songs:

Kyrie - written by Pilley Bianchi
Boys of Summer - written by Don Henley & Mike Campbell
I feel Like Someone Else - written by Pilley Bianchi & Maria Gentile
Hallelujah - written by Leonard Cohen
Pretty Good Year - written by Tori Amos
Not Gonna Think - written by Pilley Bianchi
Iris - written by Johnny Rzeznick (GooGoo Dolls)
Can't You See - written by Toy Caldwell (Marshall Tucker Band)
Lipstick & Cream - written by Pilley Bianchi & Nancy Magarill
On Golden Pond - written by Dave Grusin
Moonlight Sonata - written by Beethoven, arranged by Pilley Bianchi

vintage holiday shopping in williamsburg

2011-11-16T17:57:00.000-08:00

I am always looking for affordable, extraordinary & meaningful gifts for friends, family and colleagues, especially with the holidays approaching. We have the grooviest vintage shops here in Williamsburg, just a short L train ride under the East River. I recently had my grandfather's Rolex tweeked right here in the hood by Leo De La Cruz right on N. 7th street. He has a GORGEOUS selection of vintage watches that are guaranteed to run like new. 1:46 Watch Repair & Designer Collective 146 N. 7th Street

Also, for fashion/shoes/tea on Sunday at 4PM with AMAZING baked goods by the owner herself, stylist Malin Landeaus 155 N. 6th street @ Bedford Ave

My favorite Street Vendor on N. 6th and Bedford, she has THE BEST prices for vintage jewelry and always fabulous finds.

Bedford Cheese Shop of course is amazing for the absolute best cheese, salami's, chocolate and everything yummy. Amy's baguette is a favorite as well as the Napoli Bagette for just $1.50

more to come on Ugly Luggage, Amarcord, Whisk & Moon River Chatel.......

Turntable Tuesday

2011-11-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

~ Ted Ganung

For this week of Turntable Tuesday I bring you one of my favorite Tech House tracks that is one of the most beautiful electronic music compositions I have ever heard, Callisto (Joris Voorn Remix.) The uplifting synth has so much feeling and emotion that it reminds the listener how much of the human element can still be captured within electronic music. The composition makes you feel as though every element within the track is so organic that it is not just a sterile loop, but each beat and accent is subtly changing as though performed live. Each layer adds more texture and movement as though it was originally written out on staff paper. The "Synthapella" (the synth with no beat) was later released and still charted as a top ten song because it is just so moving. Of course the song begins with a very simple two minutes of just beat, like most house tracks, this is part of the arrangement that gives the DJ time to properly blend two tracks into one. So for our purposes you may want to start the song at two minutes to skip the intro.

the jersey shore

2011-11-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was picture perfect for our ceremony at Bonnet Island Estate on the Jersey Shore. The location was rustic and chic to fit this lovely bride & groom from Brooklyn. The boathouse where the ceremony took place was completely infused with the scent of fresh lavender.

Their ceremony was classic with a little whimsy.

Groom & Bridal Party - Dream a little Dream

Bride - Moon River

Special Meditation - Morning Has Broken by Cat Stevens

Recessional - Sweet Child of Mine by Guns & Roses

The quartet - Ariana, K8, Hannah & Lauren

Hannah & Lauren, with a little fan. :)

Ariana & K8

We heart the jersey shore.

Turntable Tuesday

2011-11-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

- by Ted Ganung

For this edition of Turntable Tuesday I bring you one of may favorite Technicolour & Komtaic collaborations, "No Evil." A beautiful liquid drum and bass track filled with smooth rolling basslines, tasteful melodies, and pristine production. Released in August by the cutting edge drum & bass label Rubik Records, the release is available at all major digital distributors. Technicolour & Komatic are currently two of the top upcoming drum & bass producers from London. They are known for their smooth style of drum and bass filled with great musical ideas and ultra clean production.

To listen to more from these artists..

Komatic

http://soundcloud.com/komatic

Technicolour

http://soundcloud.com/technicolour

Halloween and Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain"

2011-10-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

Halloween is the perfect time for Modest Mussorgsky's (1839-1881) Night On Bald Mountain. (composed in 1867) Most of us can recognize it from Walt Disney's FANTASIA in the video below.

Many people have grown accustomed to hearing Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain during Halloween - it's definitely a dark piece of music. Rightfully so, the story behind Night on Bald Mountain is not one of light nature. Inspired by a short story by the Russian writer, Nikolai Gogol, in which witches would gather on Bald Mountain and hold sabbath, Mussorgsky was able to create a dreadfully haunting piece of music.

Almost none of the compositions by which we best know Modest Mussorgsky is played today in its original form. From the masterly Pictures at an Exhibition, originally for solo piano, to the opera Khovanshchina and the Songs and Dances of Death, the music of this erratic Russian genius has been subjected to all manner of arrangements and orchestrations. Rimsky-Korsakov tells us that Mussorgsky's original versions of the work that he was to arrange as Night on Bald Mountain were impractical. This is only his opinion; one of these quite viable originals has in fact recently been revived and recorded. If he was not one of the great masters of instrumentation, Mussorgsky seems at least to have known the sound he wanted. But it is Rimsky's admittedly excellent orchestration of Bald Mountainthat continues to live on in the concert hall.

First composed in 1867, the work whose Russian title translates St. John's Eve on the Bare Mountain underwent two subsequent adaptations by the composerâ€”first as part of the opera-ballet Mlada, and finally as a sort of ill-fitting "dream-sequence" in his Gogol-based opera Sorochintsy Fair. After Mussorgsky's death in 1881, Rimsky-Korsakov took portions of all three versions of the St. John's music to create his orchestral tour de force.

"At first I could make nothing of Night on Bald Mountain," Rimsky wrote in his autobiography. "Mussorgsky had planned the piece originally in the 1860s (it was then called Midsummer's Eve), under the influence of Liszt's Totentanz, and then left it lying for a long time." After describing the other versions, Rimsky-Korsakov concludes that "none of these as a whole was suitable for publication and performance. Consequently I resolved to make a purely orchestral piece from Mussorgsky's material and did my utmost to keep all the best and most connected parts without change, and to put in as little as possible of my own." Rimsky-Korsakov's reconstruction was published in 1886.

Inspired partly by a Gogol tale, Mussorgsky's Bald Mountain depicts a Witches' Sabbath on a Ukrainian mountain-top. Rimsky described his version thus: "Subterranean sounds of unearthly voices. Appearance of the Spirits of Darkness, followed by that of the Chernobog [â€˜Black God']. Glorification of Chernobog and celebration of the Black Mass. Witches' Sabbath. At the height of the orgy, the bell of the little village church is heard from afar. The Spirits of Darkness are dispersed. Daybreak."

Turntable Tuesday

2011-10-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

- by Ted Ganung

This week I bring a truly beautiful tune "Les Violons Ivres" by Agoria. The song begins with a very smooth beat and builds into the perfect marriage of luscious synth lines and an evolving string part. The minute the strings kick in the listener feels a sense of bliss that will remain even after the song has finished. Originally released as a vinyl in June 2007 by Different Records, a French Record Label that specializes in Electronic Music, the song has been charted by some of the top DJ's in the industry, including German icon Paul Kalkbrenner.

Soho House

2011-10-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

It's been a total "Sex & the City" fall between our wedding at the New York Public Library and last evening at the Soho House. The Soho House is a hip members only club that you might recognize from their pool, seen on "Sex & the city".

I played solo piano for a very chic engagement party on their beautiful in-house steinway grand. Everything about this celebration was casually sophisticated with large doses of warmth and grace on every level.

Bravo & Brava to the staff and to my lovely clients. I can't wait for the wedding.

http://www.sohohouseny.com/

Turntable Tuesday

2011-10-18T15:12:00.000-07:00

This in from Ted.....

For this edition of Turntable Tuesday I bring you one of my own recently released productions, "Love it was Dub." Filled with a deep sub bass, filtered chords, and hypnotic vocals, the song is perfect for the dancefloor as well as your ipod. Some of the vocals were from a previous recording session I had done while working and studying in London, while the rest of the song was recorded here in New York. The song was signed to Pesto, a Record Label out of Germany that specializes in House & Deep House and was released as a Beatport Exclusive September 28th. Currently, the song is available in all the major music stores.

- Ted Ganung

Moonlight Sonata

2011-10-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

We are finishing up mixing our first commercial release, scheduled to drop 12.01.11. 10 songs, 5 are cover's and 5 are originals. Featuring myself on piano and vocal, Ariana Rosen & Kate Mollica on violins, Hannah Hens-Piazza on viola and Lauren Riley-Rigby on cello.

Here is a sneak peek of Moonlight Sonata. It's our version.

Turntable Tuesday

2011-10-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Today marks the first blog contribution of our newest producer Ted Ganung. His finger is on the pulse of what is current as well as up and coming in the electronic music scene. Groovy, vibey music that will contribute hipness to any event..

Take it Ted.

This week I bring a super smooth and chilled out tune released from Parisian Record Label, Because Music. "I Walk Alone" by Greek Producer Billa Qause has so much soul and feel that it immediately grabs the listener. It makes you feel as though you are reliving a beautiful moment in the past with a touch of longing for something that is no longer there. The perfect blend of 50's swing and a MPC, this song is certain to catch listeners across the board and remains one of the Top Ten on Beatport's Chill Out chart. I also love the youtube video because it shows a photo of Chinaman's Hat, which reminds me of growing up in Hawaii and driving around the east side of Oahu.

~ Ted Ganung

Zac & Caroline

2011-10-11T14:25:00.000-07:00

We were thrilled to be part of the wedding of Hair Icon/ Tony&Guy Creative Director Guy Mascolo and his longtime sweetheart/mother of his children Caroline DeSousa.

Tony&Guy posted this video of their wedding. You can see us at about 2:05 performing the ceremony at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. They were so beautiful and uber-hip. Thanks to Fête once again for bringing us on board.

We welcome Ted Ganung to Bianchi Musica!

2011-10-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to introduce our new producer Ted Ganung. Ted is our in-house sound designer as well as my liason for our clients and resources. He brings another level of artistry and perspective to Bianchi Musica being entrenched as an artist in the electronic music scene in NYC and abroad. You can check out a brief background of Ted below. Ted will be contributing to our blog with all things current in EDM. (Electronic Dance Music) So look out for those new posts!

Ted is a DJ/Producer and lover of all things music. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii Ted grew up playing various instruments in island reggae bands. His father bought him a electric guitar in the first grade and taught him how to improvise over chord progressions, using pentatonic and diatonic scales. Throughout high school he began to study classical guitar in preparation for University.

At the University of Hawaii Ted would be the Hawaii state finalist for the John Lennon Songwriting Competition two years in a row. Graduating from the University of Hawaii with a B.S in Music and Management, he spent almost half his studies overseas earning credits for his degree. He then spent time studying electronic music and composition in London while under the guidance of avant-garde composer Alan Stones which would greatly influence his musical style and ultimately change the way he produced music. In the summer of 2009 Ted was accepted to the Hiroshima and Peace program and took a small brake from music to spend the summer in Japan studying the history of Hiroshima and Nuclear Weapons. As a capstone for his degree, Ted moved to New York City to spend a year as a Marketing intern for Atlantic Records.

Now with NYC as his home, Ted has released over three EP's of Original Music with Kraak Records based in Athens, Greece; a record label that specializes in all things Electronic. His debut EP "The Grass is Always Greener" was featured on Itunes as News and Noteworthy for over a month. Ted is beginning to be noticed by some of the legendary New York DJ's and has aided in production work for some of the most prolific artists. His latest track "Love it was Dub" came out September 28th featured as Beatport Exlcusive, on the german Deep House label, Pesto.

Welcome Ted!!!

Our March bride featured in Martha Stewart Weddings Fall 2011

2011-09-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

The fall issue of Martha Stewart Weddings is out and I must say, the most beautiful photos are of our March bride, couture wedding designer Annie Sullivan!
http://www.annie-sullivan.com/

Read and see more about Annie & Oliver's exquisite wedding

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/photogallery/annie-and-oliver

Photo's courtesy of Weddings by Two
http://www.weddingsbytwo.com/

Annie & Oliver

Annie designed the dresses for her sister and her mom.

Kate Berry - Style Director for Martha Stewart Weddings

Loved the girls, again Annie's design

Matthew Brookshire who we accompanied for the Processional "The Very Thought of You". He was awesome!

rehearsing

To see all the vendors including ourselves

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/photogallery/annie-and-oliver#slide_31

Queen

2011-09-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

This month we actually have a couple of our clients requesting music by Queen. We have been busy arranging and rehearsing "Somebody to Love" along with "You're My Best Friend " for our wedding this weekend at the Mandarin Oriental. I have to confess, I was not familiar with alot of Queen outside of their huge hits like Bohemian Rhapsody and initially I was a little unsure about their choice and how it would translate to piano and strings.

But once I started playing the songs, I couldn't get over how musical they were and how they were so beautifully conposed. There are some songs that are just a chore to learn and others that just take you by the hand and lead you through the music like you are an old friend. They sound awesome and effortless for piano and quartet, which shouldn't be a surprise to me, considering how "orchestral" Queen was. I can't wait wait to perform this timeless material this weekend.

Queen rules.

Battery Gardens

2011-08-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Another amazing garden wedding this summer was at Battery Gardens in Lower Manhattan. Tucked away at the tip of Battery Park, Battery Gardens is a fresh taste of country in the city.

Our bride and groom were a power couple with incredibly busy careers and had a refreshing relaxed attitude in their approach to their nuptuals. Perfectly matched to the location. Sophisticated but chill.

For prelude music as guests entered we had harp amidst the flowers.

As guests came upstairs to enjoy the panaramic view of NY Harbor our "Silhouette" quartet played romantic classical music and for the processional we performed the following:

I Can't Help Falling in Love - Groom and Bridal Party

Simple Gifts by Aaron Copeland from Appalachian Spring - Flower Girls

All I Want Is You by U2 - Bride

Viva La Vida - Recessional

Lauren, Hannah, K8 and Ariana

Lauren looked perfectly etherial against the window with the light pooring in.

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

2011-08-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

Continuing our garden series of events, we did an electic ceremony this summer for an uber-hip international couple from Brazil and London at The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. The weather was picture perfect and we set up our 8 peice group under the trees beside an open field.

This groovy couple chose "As My Love Is For You" by FIVE DAY WEEK STRAW PEOPLE for the groom and bridal party, "Over the Rainbow" Jason Castro version for the children and "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver for the bride. We performed our rendition of this repertoire with string quartet, piano, acoustic guitar, percussion and vocal.

The recessional was an upbeat, foot-stomping version of Ray Charles' "Halleulujah, I Just Love Her So."

Once again, huge hugs to Jung Lee & Josh Brooks at Fête for bringing us in on this groovy collaboration!

gardens

2011-07-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

This summer has been totally off the chain for us with weddings and special events, so I have sorely neglected our blog. I finally have had a chance to come up for air before our next wedding and want to give you a glimpse of the gorgeous gardens we have performed in this summer. Ranging from the tip of Manhattan's Battery Gardens, to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens up to the private estate in Greenwich CT. Below are shots from a stunning birthday party in Greenwich.

The pool house was our "green room"

Annie Sullivan's dress

2011-05-31T20:16:00.000-07:00

As promised here are a few shots of Couture Bridal designer Annie Sullivan's own gown from her March wedding at Alder Manor. Everything about her wedding was sublimely chic and romantically sophisticated. She was so stunning, I just kept staring at her.

We love Annie and her gowns.

http://www.annie-sullivan.com/

Jimmy Lafave

2011-04-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered the amazing music of Jimmy Lafave. His voice is off the chain.

http://jimmylafave.com/

i love brian dorsey studios

2011-04-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

Photography to me is an art form that provides unending inspiration. If my husband and son would let me, I would spend hours just looking at photographs; which is what I like to do late at night with my favorite moody music playing, the room dark and just a splash of light on the photo or computer screen.

Which brings me to a part of my job job that completely humbles me.......getting to work with unbelievably talented vendors. Brian Dorsey and his award winning team are one of my fav's. American Photo calls him “One of the Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the World." Without a doubt. http://www.briandorseystudios.com/

Doing a photo shoot is one thing (and I'm certainly not diminishing the complexity of a shoot) but having to weave in and out unobtrusively at a wedding, and immortalize those least expected magical moments, is a completely different beast which requires a cocktail of skill, intuition and talent. Not to mention, a great event photographer must be a master at arm-wrestling fate & time to capture the perfect shot.....all night long. Brian & his team rock this ability with seemingly flawless ease.

Which is not easy at all. This is why you should always hire the absolute best photographer your budget will allow.

The following photos of us are provided by Brian from a recent event that we shared at one of the hippest Catholic Churches in NYC, St. John Nepomucene. http://www.stjohnnepomucene.org/

Thanks Brian!

i love the brooklyn museum

2011-04-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

We did another wonderful event with Jung Lee and her amazing team at Fête http://www.feteny.com/ at the Brooklyn Museum. What a fantastic space for a wedding. Amidst the soaring glass ceiling at the entrance to the museum, we performed a very personal ceremony for this "classic with an edge" couple. Jung timed this event perfectly to the sinking sun, so that the view of the sky was stunning as Katie & Andrew said "I do."

Andrew choose to walk down the aisle to "Just the Way You Are" by Billy Joel. The flowergirls danced into "My Favorite Things" which alone is very magical, but we arranged it for the girls to have a little added whimsy. Katie walked in to one of her father's favorite Roy Orbison's songs, "All I Have To Do Is Dream" and they broke the glass to "All You Need is Love."

We heart Brooklyn.

i love annie sullivan & alder manor

2011-04-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

We did a very sweet romantic ceremony at Alder Manor this past month for couture bridal designer Annie Sullivan. The photo here is one of Annie's designs and she promised to forward us photos for our blog of her stunning gown when she returns from her honeymoon in Morocco. http://www.annie-sullivan.com/

We will also keep you posted as Annie's wedding is being featured in MARTHA STEWART WEDDINGS.

Alder Manor remains one of my favorite wedding spots with it's gorgeous grounds and shabby chic mansion, that boasts over 70 rooms plus an indoor pool. It was used for location shoots of "A Beautiful Mind", "The Royal Tanenbaums", "Mona Lisa Smiles", "Crododile Dundee" and a 2009 Victoria Secret's Shoot!

Annie's romantic, retro style was perfect in this setting and she walked down the aisle to our arrangement of THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU with string quartet, ukelele & voice. Her good friend Matthew Brookshire was featured on ukelele and vocal. It was a pleasure to work with Matthew who has an amazing voice and who you all might know from his alt-hit song "I can see Russia from Alaska (when I look in your eyes)" http://www.matthewbrookshire.com/music-8.html

I can't wait for Annie's photos! Here are mine in the meantime.

i love Roma

2011-02-25T10:09:00.000-08:00

We were thrilled to have the opportunity to perform in Rome this past weekend. The newly married Mr. & Mrs. Isaaco Azra invited us to play for their beautiful wedding at Casina di Macchia Madama. http://www.vanni.it/home.html

We performed a concert for the dinner portion of the evening and could not have asked for a more appreciative, gracious bride & groom. (Not to mention gorgeous as well!) Rome was picture perfect and we had an opportunity to visit the Vatican as well as indulge in wonderful persecco's, espresso's and pasta.

We heart Isacco and Barbara and their beautiful city of Roma!

Hannah Hens-Piazza (viola)

Kate Mollica finding her roots! (violin)

Ariana Rosen (violin) and Hannah

Pilley, Ariana & Kate at the Vatican

Swiss Guard at the Vatican

Pilley at St. Peters

St. Peter's Square

Ariana & Lauren Riley-Rigby (cello) having a cappucino

i love Central Synagogue

2011-02-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

We just did a wedding at Central Synagogue and were honored to accompany Cantor Angela Buchdahl. She has the voice of an angel! They also have a great grand piano and a wonderful team of technical staff to amplify the music so that it soars around the synagogue. We did a custom arrangement of Mi Ma'makim by Idan Raichel that Angela sang as well as Dodi Li, using a 6 piece chamber group of piano, string quartet, flute and voice. We were also excited to meet Sandra Day O'Conner who was a witness to the Katubah signing.

i love the Church of Notre Dame

2011-02-25T09:32:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've blogged. We hit the ground running for 2011 and have been swept away by weddings, performances and new recordings!

Our first wedding of the year was in January at the Church of Notre Dame. It is such a gorgeous church and the music director there is Chris Mueller. We were fortunate to actually play with him for during the service and for the recessional, which was the Nigel Hess "Jubilate Deo". We had an 8 piece ensemble which consisted of string quartet with vocal quartet.

i love chaser & nova

2010-12-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

Pictured below is my father's dog Chaser with the host of PBS's NOVA beta, Neil deGrasse Tyson (and Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History)

Chaser is being featured on NOVA, February 9th with my father, Dr. John W. Pilley, Jr's ground breaking research on canine intelligence. Chaser has a working vocabulary of over 1000 words which is demonstrated on the show. Plus, she's just so cute and ultra fun to play with.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/how-smart-dogs.html

i love santa

2010-12-22T07:13:00.000-08:00

I was asked to write and perform an alternative holiday song for an event at ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and the irreverant product was "Santa, where's my stuff?" It won best holiday song and performance on Garage Band and might bring a giggle to your day.

I wrote it to the chord progression of Heart & Soul by Hoagy Carmichael, so that everyone could play it. It's available at itunes and CD baby under "pilley & ila's dress".

I hope you enjoy!

I love Kathleen Battle during the holidays

2010-12-21T17:35:00.000-08:00

At this time of year there is so much seasonal music that I love. Listening to holiday music brings me back to earlier moments in my life that seem to be frozen in time. I would drive from NYC back to my parents home in the south and listen to CD's of Kathleen Battle singing holiday songs.

And of course no holiday season is complete without something from The Messiah.

I love Idan Raichel

2010-11-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we did a wedding at Central Synagogue. The bride & groom requested we do an Idan Raichel song Mi Ma'amakim, which means "from the depths." We arranged it for piano, string quartet, flute and we were honored to accompany Cantor Angela Buchdahl who has a voice like rich velvet. It's a gorgeous love song.

From the depths I called to you, come to me
With your return the light in my eyes will return
[It's] not finished, Your touch does not leave
May it come and give light what one hears in your laughter
From the depths I called to you, come to me
By a moon lighting your way back to me
Spread and melted with the touch of your hand
A questioner whispers in your ear

I love St. Bartholomew's Church

2010-11-12T10:23:00.000-08:00

We were very fortunate to perform a gorgeous ceremony at St. Bartholmew's Church this past month. The music director there is William Trafka who is without a doubt one of the finest organist's in the world. It is an understatement to say we were thrilled to work with him. http://www.stbarts.org/organ.asp

The organ itself is spectacular and for over ninety years St. Bartholomew’s Church has been an important factor in American church music with a large professional choir, active music program and one of the largest pipe organs to be found in an American church. Over several decades, the choir's repertoire grew to include many oratorios and other large works, and the organ was enlarged through successive rebuildings to become of an exceptional instrument for choral accompaniment, for the leading of congregational singing and for the performance of a broad spectrum of organ literature. The Organ comprises 168 stops, 225 ranks and 12,422 pipes throughout the church. You can easily take advantage of this amazing music each sunday for free.

In addition, we performed with Anthony Morgan's Inspirational Choir Of Harlem with a special guest appearance by Davell Crawford. http://davellcrawford.com/ Talk about raising the roof. They gave us goosebumps.

Pilley with William Trafka & The Rev. Lynn Sanders going over the processional

Pilley & Davell Crawford

It was a musical high for us on many levels merging all of these different elements for a truly personalized and emotional ceremony.

and more nigel hess!

2010-11-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

Now 2 of my favorites, Nigel Hess with Joshua Bell. This is from Ladies in Lavender. We are performing this on Saturday and sooooo looking forward to playing it.

i love nigel hess

2010-11-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

Continuing on my choral quest is this gorgeous composition by Nigel Hess. It's the Jubilate Deo for choir and organ. Since we don't always have a choir available, we have transcribed it for quartet and piano.

So amazing....

I love In Trutina

2010-10-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a while because our schedule has been so busy. We've been performing at some amazing Cathedrales in NYC that I will feature in the next few weeks. Since we've been on sacred ground, I've been exploring lesser known classical works that have been approved by the church. One of my new favorites and now a staple in our repertoire is "In Trutina" by Carl Orff.

"In Trutina" originates from the song cycle Carmina Burana. Carmina Burana, latin for "Songs from Beuern" is the name given to a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts written by medieval monks at a monastery in Benediktbeuern from the 11th or 12th centruy. Carl Orff (1895 - 1982) wrote a secular cantata, titled "Carmina Burana" based on the poems from the manuscript but did not use any of the original melodies. It is gorgeous as an instrumental or with Soprano. We have been performing it in both formats with our own arrangements. Enjoy.

In trutina mentis dubia
Fluctuant contraria
Lascivus amor et pudicitia
Sed eligo quod video
Collum iugo prebeo
Ad iugum tamen suave transeo

[English translation:]

In my own wavering balance
Desire fluctuates with modesty
But I choose what I see
I bow my neck to the yoke
For the burden is sweeter after all
And so I take it upon me

i love angel orensanz

2010-08-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

Last evening I did a gorgeous, intimate ceremony at Angel Orensanz. Because only immediate family was in attendance, Jung Lee http://www.feteny.com/ filled the space with hundreds of votive candles so that the entire room glittered. She also brought in a beautiful black baby grand for me to play Chopin & Debussy for this quirky & sublimely elegant European couple.

It's a fantastic & magical space, but you will definately need a great designer/planner.

http://www.orensanzevents.com/

i love south carolina

2010-07-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

This month I was invited to perform in my childhood town of Spartanburg, South Carolina. I had not been back to perform since I was 16 when I played the Schumann Piano Concerto with the Spartanburg Philharmonic. Keith Plumley orchestrated the entire event which was at the beautiful Unitarian Universalist Church where he is Music Director. We did a program with 2 pianos (supplied by Case Brothers Pianos, mmmmwwaahhhh) violin & cello. My husband Jay Bianchi accompanied me on piano as well as Bonnie Lee Mizzell on violin & Ted Luckenburg on cello. They did an incredible job!

Local writer, Janice Baynes wrote a wonderful article promoting me which you can find at http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100715/ARTICLES/7151006/1097/entertainment?Title=Renowned-pianist-Bianchi-returns-for-rare-performance Thank you Janice!

The audience was generous & incredibly appreciative. It was truly a magical musical experience for me. I sang mostly covers with our own interpretation and chose the songs to reflect the southern rock/pop music that I grew up listening to. The Marshall Tucker Band is from Spartanburg, so I did a swampy, ethereal version of Toy Caldwell's CAN'T YOU SEE. This song is a beautiful & haunting composition that The MTB made famous with their jangly guitars, earthy vocals and jazzy flute. I was a little nervous about presenting it in such a stripped down, exposed manner, but it was received with open arms & enthusaism from this gracious southern audience.

I can't wait to come back again and play. I heart Spartanburg.

i love the manhattan penthouse

2010-07-31T17:05:00.000-07:00

I just had a walkthrough today for one of our August brides and I adore the Manhattan Penthouse, located on 5th Avenue at 14th Street. http://www.greenmansionscatering.com/penthouse.php?p=reception

The views are incredible and the architecture is classic New York. Perfect for the DIY bride and more intimate events. They are also one of the very few locations that maintain their lovely grand piano, which sounds fantastic in the space. For performing ceremonies and cocktail hours, it is a musician's dream come true.

i love perlman

2010-07-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

I'm preparing for some solo concerts with orchestra and scanning my favorite film score music. I always come back to Itzhak Perlman's recording of the Theme from Schindler's List. It's so melodic and heartfelt. Perlman's performance just drips with emotion.

I was fortunate during my studies at The Eastman School of Music to meet and play for Perlman.

What an artist's artist.

i love christian oth photography

2010-07-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

This photo is from the studio of Christian Oth of the New Orleans wedding that we did together. We end up on many of the same events and their photos are always fresh & stunning. They are one of my favorite photo studios ever. http://www.christianothstudio.com/

i love joshua bell

2010-06-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

For one of our August brides, I was searching for new inspiritation with Puccini's O MIO BABBINO CARO . I stumbled across this version performed by Joshua Bell.

In the words of Rachel Zoe.....

I die.

i love Jungle Design

2010-06-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

During the summer in my neighborhood of Williamsburg, they block off Bedford Avenue and have all kinds of street vendors set up. One of the local garden deigners JUNGLE set up patches of sod featuring & sharing their beautiful potted plants for the weekend along with vintage chaise loungers. We had a lovely picnic on the grass right in the middle of Bedford Avenue!

Thank you JUNGLE!!

You must visit their beautiful design shop at 61 Kent Avenue (N. 10th & N. 11th Streets) http://www.jungledesignnyc.com/. They have amazing artistry with their greenery & remarkable prices. If you are a DIY bride or simply want help with your garden, you must pay them a visit.

i love gerald finzi

2010-06-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

While we were in New Orleans, I got to visit with a very good friend of mine, an enormously talented flutist, Kent Jordan. We hadn't seen each other post Katrina, so we had alot to catch up on. My first evening there, we spent a good part of the evening listening to new music together and he introduced me to a composer that I cannot believe I was not familiar with, nor is he on the must study list of 20th century composers. Gerard Finzi.

We are very excited to perform his Eclogue for Piano & Strings this summer. Please check it out below. His music is cinematic and breathtakingly poignant.

i love poetry by john korduba

2010-06-07T13:04:00.000-07:00

There was a Ukranian street fair in my neighborhood this weekend, with local writer John Korduba signing/selling his collection of poems entitled "Everybody gets lost in Brooklyn."
The book is a glorious, easy, inspirational read that you can just pick up and leaf through or get lost in the entire collection cover to cover. An excerpt:

HUNTER

In my pursuit of love

I wildly fling arrows

for which later

I will comb the ground

hoping

to come up

one short

Grab a copy of the book as a gift for a loved one or for love of oneself. www.johnkorduba.com

i love castles

2010-06-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we performed at Oheka Castle and it's always a slice of a fairytale come true. The weather was completely perfect for a garden wedding, romance was in the air and we kept the processional equally as romantic and sweet. The bride is a writer, so even though the repertoire was instrumental, the lyric content was very important to her. She chose:

Bridal Party - Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flats

The Bride - From This Moment by Shania Twain

Recessional - I Can't Help Falling in Love

i love new orleans

2010-05-24T11:08:00.001-07:00

Our event in New Orleans this past weekend was completely magical. I'm not even sure where to begin. The people, the food, the weather, everything was picture perfect. The church, St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian, was acoustically a dream with the soaring ceiling, stone walls & floors and a concert grand Steinway. La Sorelle quartet (Ariana, Hannah, Kate & Lauren) sounded fantastic with elegant arrangements of Amazing Grace for arrivals, Moonlight Sonata & That Next Place for the bride. I also sang "Down to the river to pray" from "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" for the service which was very fitting for this southern setting.

There were mounted police that escorted the guests to the bride's family home, right down the street for the remainder of the evening which was drop dead drippingly beautiful. Jung had a sleek & sophisticated Steinway grand set up for me to play & sing cocktails with La Sorelle in the front garden. The groom's only request were a few Grateful Dead songs, which we arranged and performed with our own "stamp". "Fire on the Mountain" is now one of my personal favorites as it is deceptively simple & lyrically a profound work. Rather haunting. I now understand the whole Grateful Dead phenomenon, which I must admit, I never "got" before this event. The songs are so well written and just really fun to play. They are a wonderful addition to our repertoire.

At any rate, we were totally charmed by this graceful southern city that has endured so much. New Orleans is an amazingly spirited town and if you haven't visited, you must go.

We heart New Orleans.

i love palestrina

2010-05-14T19:25:00.001-07:00

I have a couple of clients that are having ceremonies in beautiful cathedrales but want something a little different than the standard repertoire and we have to keep in mind that the music still needs to meet the guidelines of the church.

I absolutely adore music in latin and it has sent me on a search in quest of angelic holiness.

I've renewed my love for Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. (1525 - 1594) An Italian Renaissance composer of sacred music. His Sicut Cervus is literally devine.

i love film score music

2010-05-13T06:33:00.000-07:00

It's a busy May, we've had some beautiful weather and have a packed calendar this month. We have a wedding in New Orleans next weekend and the bride Florie Claire has chosen some film score music for her procession.

It's "That Next Place" from Meet Joe Black written by Thomas Newman and we've transcribed it and arranged it for string quartet and piano. It's now one of my favorite compositions! I was initially introduced to it by one of our brides in January, Sarah Charlotte.

I can't seem to find any recordings other than the Youtube video which I'm posting. However, we are in the studio this month recording it and if anyone needs the music, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy.

I love case brothers in south carolina

2010-05-04T16:20:00.000-07:00

The beautiful weather we have been having is making me reminiscent of this time 2 years ago when my new piano was delivered. My search began 6 months earlier. I'd had a very busy career since moving to NYC as a rock keyboardist & singer and our Baldwin baby grand had sufficed as an acoustic instrument amidst the many & varied keyboards I used for touring and recording. The past few years have found me rediscovering my classical roots and the need to really step it up a notch in regards to a beautiful piano finally caught up with me.

While at the Eastman School of Music during my undergraduate training I yearned for a German piano. A Bosendorfer or German Steinway, but as I had always known, once I started researching, I quickly discovered that the german instruments I loved cost as much as a new house and the ones in my price point (which was not a small amount of money) were non-existent. I couldn't believe it.

I looked at piano's all over the east coast. I wanted an older instrument as I lusted for the real ivory keys (now illegal) and the sparkle & depth that came with a piano at least 7 feet in length. I became a regular at all the piano boutiques in NYC and combed the tri-state area for months. At the beginning of my search, however, my first phone call was to Keith Plumley at Case Brothers Piano & Organs in Spartanburg SC, where I bought my very first piano as a child. (and also the largest Steinway dealer in the Southeast) When I was growing up, they had a special room that I could view only from behind a velvet rope. In in it there were beautiful & formidable European instruments. I wondered if they still had them.

When I spoke with Keith he cheerily informed me they had indeed 3 German pianos, 2 of which I actually knew the previous owners. I was so excited. A Bosendorfer, a Feurich and a Grotrian. All creme of the crop. All with wonderful stories. I knew it would take me a couple of months to get there with my schedule, so I was 2 months into my search when I finally made it down to see the instruments.

To make a very long story short, after 2 trips to SC, 6 months & hundreds of piano's later I bought my dream instrument at Case Brothers, the very place my dream began to become a pianist. It was delivered by the owner himself, Tom Case, his wife Ginger and his gracious southern team of Reggie & Levar. They were enhanced with 3 bruisers from New Jersey who carried the 750 lb. piano up a flight of stairs to my studio. (Another story unto itself) A gorgeous 1981, 7 1/2 foot Grotrian. Because the piano was a trade in and because we had history together, they dramatically manipulated the numbers so that I could realize my dream of owning a beautiful German piano.

They are a family owned business of 3 generations, highly skilled with mountains of integrity in a world where there is no honor among thieves and absolutely hands down, the best in the business. If you are searching for a piano, search no further. http://www.casebrothers.com/

I love Case Brothers.

i love bach & glenn gould

2010-04-26T17:56:00.001-07:00

There is nothing holier than Bach. I love the Aria from the Goldberg Variations. Glenn Gould is heavenly.

i love april in the springtime

2010-04-24T19:51:00.001-07:00

It's been a crazy April and now I can't believe the month is almost over. In addition to our wedding at the Foundry (which we will feature next month when the bride Sherrie forwards some photos) we had events at Angel Orensanz (gorgeous, gorgeous wedding by Jung Lee and Fête), Capitol Theater, The Museum of Natural History, the 21 Club and our artist series at Caffe Vivaldi.

Caffe Vivaldi was wonderful (above photo) and it was standing room only. We were completely overwhelmed by the response and will be doing it again this summer. So thank you to everyone who came out to listen and support us!

i love the foundry

2010-04-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

I had a walk through today for one of our April brides at the Foundry in Brooklyn and repeatedly fall in love with the amazing architecture and sheer beauty of this chic industrial space. I'm so happy that our Manhattan brides are traveling to Brooklyn!

Sometimes we perform on the balcony overlooking the main space. It is acoustically and visually gorgeous. Other times, with weather permitting, we perform on the terrace that has amazing views of the 59th street bridge.

It's definitely worth the cab ride to check out. http://www.thefoundry.info/

i love crazy love

2010-03-31T19:16:00.000-07:00

I was practicing for our wedding in St. Bart, and was learning Crazy Love by Van Morrison. I had edited the lyrics a little bit to fit the occasion and didn't realize how universal the song was until my son came up and asked if I wrote the song for him. I was a little perplexed and flummoxed and asked him why. He said, "because I give you crazy love Mommy!"

As a songwriter, it's always a rare gift from the Gods to write a song that is universal and speaks to listeners on many levels. I think Crazy Love does just that and I was inspired to create a slideshow to my arrangement, to honor little ones that give us their unconditional crazy love. It is kinda crazy.

i love tori

2010-03-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

We have been rehearsing for our upcoming performance at Caffe Vivaldi on April 15th and we're doing a combination of cover songs and original songs, most of which I am singing on. (Yes, alot of people don't realize I've had a career as a singer/songwriter and can check out my original music at www.myspace.com/pilleybianchi)

But back to the point, we're doing our arrangement of "Pretty Good Year" by Tori Amos and it prompted me to revisit her video from her 1994 release "Under the Pink". I could just watch it all day long, it's so beautiful from every perspective. The music, the cinematography, the choreography, hair/make-up. It's totally timeless and such a little vignette of art. She's a total goddess of the piano and voice and if you have a moment, check out the video.

i love the french caribbean

2010-03-16T15:34:00.001-07:00

I had a wonderful time in the french Caribbean in St. Bartholemy last weekend performing for Karen & Buck's wedding at Hotel Christopher. (Directly above) It was breathtakingly beautiful and I had a blast exploring the small island in my little rental jeep. I admit I was a little nervous at first, but my french slowly started coming back to me along with my skinny hair-pin turn mountain driving skills. I became quite acquainted with Maya's, the yummy gourmet deli and stocked up my little refrigerator at my Villa overlooking the sea. It was fantastic sipping rich bordeaux, with creamy brie & crusty bread watching the sunsets overlooking the cove above.

Karen & Buck's wedding was elegantly casual and chic. They had wonderful ideas for music choices that were a little retro and completely matched the setting. They were an inspiration to work with. The bridal party & Buck entered to "59th Street Bridge Song", with the children walking to "Linus & Lucy" from Charlie Brown. Karen was a vision when she appeared to Van Morrison's "Crazy Love" which I arranged and sang for her. Their recessional was happy & fun loving, just like them to U2's "Sweetest Thing". It was the sweetest thing as the sun slowly dipped over the Caribbean.

i love phish

2010-03-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy March with some very different wedding locations and super fun, creative clients. Our first couple this month was Ronit & Adam, who got married at a sweet, intimate bed & breakfast. They love everything Phish, so we added 2 new Phish songs to our repertoire per their request. Ronit walked down the aisle to the quartet playing "The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday". So sweet and pretty. For cocktails we added "Let me lie" and "If I Could" to our existing arrangement of "Wading in the Velvet Sea." Both are beautiful compositions that naturally lend themselves to orchestration. Trey Anastasio did a performance of "Let me lie" with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra that is gorgeous. Please check it out below. We transcribed and arranged this for string quartet and are so loving adding this piece to our repertoire. Thanks Ronit & Adam! They will be sending us photos when they return from their honeymoon and I'll give you info on Ronit's gown.

i love Jung Lee & Fête

2010-03-02T15:59:00.000-08:00

I absolutely adore and love working with Jung Lee & Josh Brooks at Fête and their amazing team. (www.feteny.com) Their TV show "Wedded to Perfection" on TLC is airing this week Monday - Thursday at 11:30AM. For the weddings featured on Monday & Wednesday we were very excited to provide the ceremony music.

Jung has exquisite taste and I not only love her musical suggestions, but I always look forward to meetings in her office to see what she is up to with her designs. There is always some new gorgeous color scheme, beautifully set tables, exotic chandeliers sitting about amidst beautiful flowers and lush fabrics. I feel like I am entering a candy shop that is always evolving.

And on the day of the event, arriving amidst the creative chaos that magically comes together at the perfect moment, it is like being on a movie set that on cue delivers the perfect amount of fairy dust for the one and only take.

She's just amazing.

i love William Henry Channing

2010-02-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

I came upon this beautiful quote from William Henry Channing and it sums up everything my graceful, southern parents embody. If I come away with half their grace, I will be greatly blessed.

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable; and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly...to listen to stars and buds, to babes and sages, with open heart; await occasions, hurry never...this is my symphony."

i love finding the perfect fit

2010-02-11T18:16:00.000-08:00

We all love finding the perfect fit. Whether it is a shoe, jeans (I'm always on a quest for the perfect jeans!) partner, accessory, hairstyle......you get the idea. I find it equally satisfying and absolutely love the challenge of finding the perfect choice of songs/repertoire for our brides. That perfect combination of personality of the couple (which can greatly vary considering their tastes & styles) with the spirit of the location.

I met with one of our upcoming brides today, whose wedding is in St. Barths, (Designed & planned by the uber-amazing Jung Lee and her team at Fête, www.fêteny.com) and was really inspired to go in search of the perfect song for her to walk down to. Something beautiful, but not too heavy, lyrical but not sappy, romantic but on the sweeter side to match that gorgeous expanse of blue, french caribbean. I haven't found it yet, but I'm loving the search. I'll keep you posted.

i love Lauren & our new artist series

2010-02-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

Lauren, our very own cellist, is the first featured artist in our Artist Series at Bianchi Musica. She is an amazingly beautiful player and highly intuitive. (as a side note Mystic, one of my cats below, who is never too adventurous with guests, always sits on Lauren's lap during rehearsals; she's attracted to Lauren's natural warmth) I was incredibly flattered when Lauren recently asked me to perform her original composition "Untitled" with her in her Doctoral Recital at NYU. It is a hauntingly gorgeous piece that takes the listener on a soundscaped journey of emotions. After the performance she was asked by filmmaker Cathryn Davis to record some beautiful tone poems by John Cage along with her own material for the film FULLY AWAKE, which in turn inspired us to create or own collection of improvisations. Please check out Lauren's blog for more fascinating info on her approach to music, food and wine! She is also the goto source on everything Tori. http://foodwinecello.wordpress.com/

The Artist Division is dedicated to performance oriented music, sometimes a little left of center, available for salons and concert series. All of the artists featured, are the talent in the studio of Bianchi Musica. We are expanding this division rapidly, and we will be launching our new performance series at CAFFE VIVALDI on April 15th.

FULLY AWAKE is a film by Cathryn Davis and a wonderful piece about Black Mountain College in Ashville, North Carolina. Fully Awake reflects on the unique educational style and long-term significance of the school using archive photography, interviews with students, teachers, historians, and current artists, and narration. While popularly known as the location for such events as Buckminster Fuller's geodesic dome, John Cage's first 'happening' and the publishing of the Black Mountain Review, the film focuses on the unique educational approach of Black Mountain College to balance academics, art, manual labor and communal living to educate the whole person--head, hand, and heart. http://www.ibiblio.org/bmc/bmchomepage

i love my beethoven sonatas

2010-01-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

I love my Harold Craxton editions (underneath my cat Mollie who loves to sit on them) of the 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas with commentaries and notes by Donald Francis Tovey. The actual manuscripts are beautifully printed with linen covers from The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in London. The notes and comments by Tovey are wonderful and beautifully notated. Each sonata is dedicated by Beethoven to a Count, Countess, Baroness or Archduke, etc. They were commissioned pieces by royalty or high society and quite simply the way Beethoven paid his bills.

Beethoven is a very passionate composer, however not the most romantic, so we don't use him too frequently in ceremonies, however my favorite Beethoven selection from the 32 Sonatas is the Adagio Cantabile from the Pathetique Sonata #8 in C minor, Op. 13. Daniel Barenboim's interpretation below is sublime.

Billy Joel used this in one of his songs (that is now escaping me) but it is gorgeously lyrical & romantically melodic. Perfect for a processional. A great recessional of Beethoven outside of the obvious choral finale of the 9th symphony (also referred to as Joy) is the 1st movement from the Pastorale Symphony. It feels like anything and everything is possible with the light-hearted & magical melody of the opening phrase.

i love Kristen and her VW Fairy Dust gown

2010-01-28T17:41:00.000-08:00

We love Kristen and her September 2009 wedding in the Hamptons. She is breathtaking in her Vera Wang gown, just perfect for an indian summer wedding. Here is Vera's description of her gown which was so appropriately called "Fairy Dust":

"INSPIRATION
This collection, as a whole, was inspired by the idea of fairy tale princesses. This wedding dress, in particular, captures the nymph-like innocence that threads through the collection. The words I chose to describe Fairy Dust were carefully chosen: incandescent and magical. In design, I envisioned this as a wedding dress that casts a spell and transports you to another world. The cascading silk organdy pleats of this wedding dress swirl, like dust, when the bride walks. I love this movement, which I find to be uplifting." - VW

Everything about Kristen's wedding was sweet and elegant with a little whimsy, including her ceremony which was a flute trio featuring Tia on flute, Lauren on cello and Kate on violin. The processional was rustically romantically with her choices of "Kiss from a Rose", "Bless the Broken Road" and a recessional of "Sunshine of my Life". Her smile above just breathes sunshine!

i love our very own k8

2010-01-24T17:34:00.000-08:00

Our very own violinist Kate got married this past August to her husband Mark, in Harrisville, New Hampshire at his parents' cottage on Silver Lake. The lakefront cottage was bought by his great great grandfather and has been in their family for over 100 years. (Where it will remain for generations to come)

To match the rustic elegance of the lake, she wore a gorgeous, strapless mermaid gown by Nicole Miller which she found in a small boutique in Park Slope.

Kate's husband Mark is an amazing professional musician as well, and she asked Mark to surprise her with the song that she would walk down the aisle to. (Unlike me, who had to dictate every note the musicians played at my wedding, but that's another story) They had agreed that his friend would sing/play whatever he picked on guitar, but when it was time to walk down the aisle, she saw Mark at the end of the aisle, playing a song he'd written for just for her. He simply calls it 'Processional'. How romantic is that?

i love the children of haiti

2010-01-22T14:53:00.000-08:00

There is a wonderful orphanage that lost it's buildings from the earthquake. The children are beautifully spirited and primarily HIV+. The money contributed goes directly to fund the new orphanage of these extraordinary children desperately in need. http://www.wecanbuildanorphanageblog.com/

i love yo yo ma

2010-01-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

I love anything and everything Yo-Yo Ma. His version of "Here comes the sun" with James Taylor is stunningly beautiful. We have arranged it for string quartet and it's so sweet and fresh. Perfect for children walking down the aisle.

i love Gillian's Wedding

2010-01-20T17:30:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited to be posting my first blog. I have the dream job of providing beautiful music for wonderful brides in New York City and other exotic locations. This past Sunday was Gillian Dinstein's wedding to Alan Kessler at Gotham Hall in NYC. Her choices of music were romantic and gothic to match the location and her killer Monique Lhuillier gown.

We custom arranged all the music for string quartet with piano. It is one of my favorite ensembles. Kate, Ariana, Hannah & Lauren performed with me and we wore ivory to match Gillian's winter wedding decor.

i love beautiful things

2010-01-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

I've always loved beautiful things. Little things, big things, intangible things. I love this picture of Laura's cello (taken by my sister Robin.) It's hundreds of years old and so graceful and lovely.