Beginner Piano Lessons Haiku |
| piano lessons now my mind is in right focus einstein would be proud tones appear sweetly first lesson begins |
Tag Archives: music
Video – Randy Newman Live Performing Louisiana 1927 on Piano
On this video from 2006, Randy Newman performs on the piano and sings at a festival in Stuttgart Germany. “Louisiana 1927” is about the flood of that year that destroyed many homes and left 700,000 people without shelter. The song was composed in 1974 and is one of Newman’s most popular and emotional songs.
Randy Newman’s music accomplishments are huge. He is a singer, pianist, songwriter, composer for film, and arranger. He has written many songs and written the soundtrack for almost 30 movies. His unusually lyrical style and keyboard playing, makes him a one of a kind performer.
Newman was born in 1943 in Los Angeles. He lived for a while in New Orleans. He took piano lessons as a child, and also as a young adult. At the age of 17 he had already begun his career as a songwriter. He cites Ray Charles as having the biggest influence on his music. After the terrible devastation from Hurricane Katrina, “Louisiana 1927” was played often on the radio and it boosted Newman’s popularity.
Randy Newman has won many awards from the Academy Awards, Grammy, Oscars, Emmys. He is a wonderfully talented artist that has contributed greatly to many areas of music and film in the U.S.
Partial List of Randy Newman’s Albums
Trouble in Paradise (1983)
Land of Dreams (1988)
Randy Newman’s Faust (1995)
Bad Love (1999)
Harps and Angels (2008)
Live in London (2011)
Partial List of Randy Newman’s Film Scores
Cats Don’t Dance (1997)
A Bug’s Life (1998)
Babe: Pig in the City (1998)
Pleasantville (1998)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Meet the Parents (2000)
Jurassic Park 3 (2001)
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Seabiscuit (2003)
Meet the Fockers (2004)
Cars (2006)
Leatherheads (2008)
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Video – Great Piano Jazz Solo on Keyboard – Terrific Improvisation Style
This is a wonderful jazz piano solo played on a keyboard. It’s a complicated and advanced example of what hard work can accomplish. The piano player shows us how the jazz art form combines exemplary playing skill with the ability to create music on the spot.
Here in Portland, at my studio, my piano lessons and keyboard lessons students learn a number of different piano skills. For some, one of those is jazz piano. Playing to play jazz piano can begin with a basic introduction to the genre. We often begin with a round of blues improvisation to get students started with the technique of developing improvisational skills. Developing a students ear to be able to play jazz is very important, and there are a number of ways to accomplish this. Whether students play at home on a piano or a keyboard, the music and teaching method is the same.
Jazz is probably the most American style of music of all. It’s a method of playing any song by developing new voicings for the chords, and variations of the melodies. Jazz can make any kind of music exciting and fresh to listen to.
Increase Your IQ – Piano Lessons For Children & Adults
Piano teachers have always known that people who take piano lessons or keyboard lessons tend to have better cognitive skills that increase their success at school, at work, and in daily challenges. Recent research has quantified this with some statistical results.
Although most people think of IQ as a trait you are born with, studies now show that it is not static. IQ levels can change over the years and increase when people are given just several weeks of cognitive training. One study showed scores increasing over 15% for some students. Researchers have drawn a strong connection between music lessons and IQ level. Glenn Schellenberg, psychology professor, University of Toronto, has demonstrated that music lessons result in a higher IQ throughout one’s life. Six years of music lessons can markedly increase a child’s IQ score by an average 7.5 points.
In one recent study, researchers found that musicians that are active 10 years or more continue to show higher IQs beyond the age of 60. IQ scores fluctuate during a person’s life. Learning new skills stimulates the brain the most. People can increase their IQ by engaging in activities that are intellectually challenging. Complex school studies, work, relationships, and problems solving will result in increased IQ.
Video, Chick Corea Akoustic Band Piano Solo “Spain”, Montreal Jazz Festival 2004
This is a fabulous live piano solo of Chick Corea playing “Spain”, his classic tune, at the Montreal Jazz Festival 2004. Chick Corea’s music has a very distinctive percussive style, and is often accented by unison playing. His legendary playing is also noted for his fresh melodies and ethnic influences.
Chick Corea is an American jazz pianist, and composer. Corea began piano lessons at the age of eight and also began composing early in his career. His influences include bebop artists Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, and Horace Silver. He has recorded both on acoustic piano, electric piano, and electronic keyboards. Many of his songs are now considered jazz standard and have been performed by numerous musicians. Chick Corea is considered a jazz luminary, along with Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner and Keith Jarrett. His is one of the most influential jazz composers of the last 40 years. During his career he has been nominated for 51 Grammy Awards and has won 15.