Park Street, Sketch Piano Composition, 2006.

Park Street is one of Boston’s best-known and most historic streets.1 The street stretches from the Massachusetts State House down to Park Street Station and abuts Boston Common. It features major landmarks like the Park Street Church.2

This short, lighthearted, and playful solo piano sketch features a bright, lyrical melody in the right hand, supported by rolling arpeggios and rhythmic chord accompaniment in the left hand. The tempo shifts give it a whimsical, folk or theatrical feel—reminiscent of silent-film accompaniment or ragtime composition. Overall, the melodic mood is optimistic if not cheery.

The sketch is partially inspired by compositions by the French composer and producer Yann Tiersen3 and, in particular, his well-known instrumental waltz La Valse d’Amélie,4 first released on the soundtrack of the acclaimed film Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain5 (2001), directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.6 The sketch may also reflect my nostalgic fondness for Vince Guaraldi’s7 compositions.

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Footnotes

  1. See: “Park Street (Boston).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Mar 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Street_(Boston). ↩︎
  2. See: “Park Street Church.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 July 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Street_Church.  ↩︎
  3. “Yann Tiersen.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 June 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yann_Tiersen. ↩︎
  4. “La Valse d’Amélie.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 June 2026, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Valse_d%27Amélie. ↩︎
  5. “Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 July 2026, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Fabuleux_Destin_d’Amélie_Poulain. ↩︎
  6. “Jean-Pierre Jeunet.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 July 2026, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Pierre_Jeunet. ↩︎
  7. “Vince Guaraldi.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Aug 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Guaraldi. ↩︎

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