Happy 250th Birthday, America!

Happy 250th, America! Here's a throwback post with a free concert!

To honor the Fourth of July, I am going to play a few patriotic songs on the piano for you. I rarely play any more, so please forgive any "errors" I might make.

A little background...

We have two pianos, much loved reminders of the time when all six of our kids (and I) were taking piano lessons and we needed more than one piano so that everyone could get their daily practicing in. We actually had three pianos back then - one in the living room, one in the family room, and one in the dining room. 

The "good piano" is now in our dining room - Craig bought it just after Lisa was born, taking a friend who was a professional musician with him to choose it. That was a very good idea - this piano has a beautiful sound.

Our second piano (and everyone's favorite) is in the living room. It has been dated to 1910 so it is an antique. A friend of ours, Bruce Newman, restored it. Long story short, he learned his craft at a school in Champaign, Illinois (where we were living at the time) that taught the repair of mechanical music-producing machines, and our piano was his student project. 

I'd say he passed with flying colors - that was at least 30 years ago and the piano still plays beautifully despite its age. I love both pianos, but not gonna lie, this one is my favorite and the one I am going to play for you.

(Interesting side note: the interior of this piano is cast iron. It is heavy. It took seven men to move it into our home.)

Anyway! Back to the "concert." I hope you enjoy it and don't mind that I chat at you as I play. Feel free to sing along!

Our first number? My favorite patriotic song, John Phillip Sousa's The Stars and Stripes Forever! (3:57)

Isn't that a fabulous song? And isn't it amazing that I can play without using my hands on the keys?

Next up , our national anthem, Star Spangled Banner (3:36)

Now, a Civil War era song, The Battle Hymn of the Republic written by abolitionist Julia Ward Howe in opposition to slavery. (3:51)

And last but not least, a family favorite, one that is sung any time we cross the border into Indiana. Back Home Again in Indiana. (3:14)

That concludes the Fourth of July Concert. I hope you enjoyed it. 

A little more about the man who restored our player piano...

After finishing restoring our piano as his student project, Bruce then married and moved to the west coast. He is now one of the world's premier restorers and repairers of mechanical instruments such as player pianos, pipe organs, and orchestrions. We feel lucky to have a piece of his work in our home.

Ever heard of an "orchestrian"? Here is a video of one that Bruce worked on that is playing Frosty the Snowman.

He has the outer case off because he was working on it and so that you can see all the elements as they work together to produce the music.

There is a fascinating variety of videos on his YouTube site that can be found here (DuoArtOrgan.) He has also restored calliopes, Wurlitzers, Fotoplayers, and more. Click on "Videos" and then scroll down. Jaw dropping.

Another time I'll show you just how a player piano works.

Happy Fourth of July!

A Concert (So to Speak) from Me

To honor the Fourth of July, I am going to play a few patriotic songs on the piano for you. I rarely play any more, so please forgive any "errors" I might make.

A little background...

We have two pianos, much loved reminders of the time when all six of our kids (and I) were taking piano lessons and we needed more than one piano so that everyone could get their daily practicing in. We actually had three pianos back then - one in the living room, one in the family room, and one in the dining room. 

The "good piano" is now in our dining room - Craig bought it just after Lisa was born, taking a friend who was a professional musician with him to choose it. That was a very good idea - this piano has a beautiful sound.

Our second piano (and everyone's favorite) is in the living room. It has been dated to 1910 so it is an antique. A friend of ours, Bruce Newman, restored it. Long story short, he learned his craft at a school in Champaign, Illinois (where we were living at the time) that taught the repair of mechanical music-producing machines, and our piano was his student project. 

I'd say he passed with flying colors - that was at least 30 years ago and the piano still plays beautifully despite its age. I love both pianos, but not gonna lie, this one is my favorite and the one I am going to play for you.

(Interesting side note: the interior of this piano is cast iron. It is heavy. It took seven men to move it into our home.)

Anyway! Back to the "concert." I hope you enjoy it and don't mind that I chat at you as I play. Feel free to sing along!

Our first number? My favorite patriotic song, John Phillip Sousa's The Stars and Stripes Forever! (3:57)

Isn't that a fabulous song? And isn't it amazing that I can play without using my hands on the keys?

Next up , our national anthem, Star Spangled Banner (3:36)

Now, a Civil War era song, The Battle Hymn of the Republic written by abolitionist Julia Ward Howe in opposition to slavery. (3:51)

And last but not least, a family favorite, one that is sung any time we cross the border into Indiana. Back Home Again in Indiana. (3:14)

(You will get to hear my family sing this song very soon. Stay 'tooned!)

That concludes the Fourth of July Concert. I hope you enjoyed it. 

A little more about the man who restored our player piano...

After finishing restoring our piano as his student project, Bruce then married and moved to the west coast. He is now one of the world's premier restorers and repairers of mechanical instruments such as player pianos, pipe organs, and orchestrions. We feel lucky to have a piece of his work in our home.

Ever heard of an "orchestrian"? Here is a video of one that Bruce worked on that is playing Frosty the Snowman.

He has the outer case off because he was working on it and so that you can see all the elements as they work together to produce the music.

There is a fascinating variety of videos on his YouTube site that can be found here (DuoArtOrgan.) He has also restored calliopes, Wurlitzers, Fotoplayers, and more. Click on "Videos" and then scroll down. Jaw dropping.

Another time I'll show you just how a player piano works.

Happy Fourth of July!

Jay - On the Cusp of His Future

(This is the second post of the day and non horsey. Scroll to the next one if you wish to skip this one.)

I love it when students stay in contact with me after they leave my classroom. After two years together, you become very close and care about them - deeply. When they leave in May at the end of the second year with me, it is a real wrench and I always have a good cry the last day of school.

Jay Thoennes is one of those students that I cried over when he moved on to 6th grade.

Jay and three other former students who were in my class at my surprise retirement party last May.

Jay and the entire Thoennes family (I taught older brother, Drew, too) have stayed in touch over the years. He is now a senior in high school and his future is very bright.

In 2015, Jay began a YouTube channel which has grown to nearly 64,000 subscribers. He is quite musical and has a beautiful voice. This exposure caught the eyes of some music producers in Los Angeles and Jay was invited to appear on The Voice. He and his family declined because, if Jay should happen to win, then he would be under contract to those producers for ten years, which was not appealing to them.

Jay continued putting out music on his YouTube channel, and he was contacted again by some more music producers in Hollywood. They were interested in bringing him out to L.A. and doing some demo tracks. After talking to my son Cole (who works in the Nashville music industry and could give the family some insight into contracts, agents, the legitimacy of the producers and their offer etc.), Jay flew out to L.A. last May, signed a contract, and went into the recording studio.

His first single is to be released soon (I think January 26 on Amazon, but I am not sure), and he is giving a kick-off concert next weekend. To my delight, I was invited to come as Jay's family's guest to the concert.

As you might imagine, I am very much looking forward to watching him perform. I wish Jay every success - he was such a nice 4th and 5th grader, and has grown into a wonderful young man.

And just maybe Jay will follow in the footsteps of Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin, and Shannon Hoon and be the next person from Lafayette to make it big in the music industry. (He's already up on the Famous Birthdays website due to his YouTube success.)

Regardless of how his recording career goes, I am happy for Jay and proud of him as well.