In addition to playing the piano, Sharon is also known for stringing together words about playing the piano (and music in general, and art, and life, and a lot of things, actually—apparently Sharon has many thoughts about a great many things) and there are many places where you can read these words.
Newsletter
At the Other Keyboard
Sharon’s weekly newsletter, featuring progress notes on projects long before they’re announced, thoughts on music-making, and musings about interesting reads and whatever Sharon is listening to in any given week. Optional paid subscriptions (starting at $1/month) are the primary source of funding for Sharon’s studio recordings, and readers who subscribe at over $20/month receive monthly handwritten snail mail.
Writing
VAN Magazine
The editors at VAN Magazine either made a very good or a very bad decision when they asked Sharon to write for their publication. (Her first piece, a satire of most classical music profiles, ended up being VAN’s most-read article of 2021.)
Bylines:
- The Price is Wrong (February 2024)
- Off Key (February 2022)
- Meet the Pianist Revolutionizing Classical Music (December 2021)
Doodlyroses.com (Blog)
The original blog, updated whenever Sharon deems it (in other words, infrequently). Posts are often music-related, but not always. Sometimes there are gifs.
The Crowd-Pleasers
Some of Sharon’s writings are favorites among the music crowd and have now taken on a life of their own. Here are some of her most popular pieces.
The “Key Playerson” Article
A satirical profile that fooled quite a few people, this piece written for VAN Magazine takes aim at all the classical music tropes in the book.
Adventures in Fear and Discovery
A humorous, gif-laden account of the disappointments and surprises that accompany venturing into new territory. This two-part series was deemed “illuminating ” by Anne Midgette, former classical critic for the Washington Post, and is now assigned reading in some university classes.
What we’re really saying when we criticize Yuja Wang
Inspired by one of the dumbest non-controversies to hit classical music, this essay looks at the double standard applied to female musicians, as well as some of the nonsensical criticisms commonly thrown at performers. This piece was covered and quoted in an issue of the National Sawdust Log Newsletter.