Today on Captain Phil's Planet welcome Jeff Beal, composer pianist as he talks about his new work NY Etudes Vol 2 aned his struggle with MS. Join me will be Kathleen Kate Valerio of Health Matters,
WUSB Stony Brook 90.1 fm and 107.3 fm and streaming at www.wusb.fm
March 26-27, 2026
JEFF BEAL
New York Études, Vol. II (World Premiere)
For two nights only, we have the incredible privilege of welcoming Five-time EMMY® winning composer Jeff Beal to the Crypt, to perform the World Premiere of Volume II of his acclaimed New York Études for solo piano. These intimate, reflective works were born from Beal's experience of living with the chronic illness Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and the performances will take place during MS Awareness Month in March. Beal will release the recording of New York Études, Vol. II on the Platoon label.
When Beal was first diagnosed with MS, he began searching for ways to push back against its effects on both body and mind. He learned how deeply piano playing engages neuroplasticity - the brain’s ability to rewire around areas of damage - and the New York Études grew out of that commitment: to stay mentally agile, physically present, and creatively alive.
Each Étude captures a fleeting state: the passing of a season; the fatigue that settles into the body without warning; the discipline of persistence; the choice - daily, deliberate - to meet uncertainty with gratitude rather than despair.
This music speaks not only to Beal's personal struggles and triumphs, but to the universal experience of finding hope in times of darkness, and strength in our deepest moments of vulnerability.
https://www.deathofclassical.com/.../new-york-etudes-vol...