Happy Sunday Everyone!
I hope you've all had a great week....mine was stellar! Something fun happened....Billy Joel dropped a new single for the first time since 2007 on Thursday, February 1. I loved it immediately, so I challenged myself to learn it well enough to make a YouTube performance cover in time to release the same day. Luckily, because of the method I teach all of you, I had a BIG head start and I found the chords and good rhythm patterns within minutes....and then I was off to the races just running through it enough times to sound familiar and confident when I turned the camera and microphone on.
Well, after a few takes I had something I was pleased with, sent it to my friend Robb to mix and master it with tasty reverb and EQ, and he had it back to me by 7:00 pm that night. I got it uploaded right away to my YouTube channel....and it EXPLODED! I had 2,300 views in the first 24 hours, and over 15,000 after 48! And now it's over 23,000 and steadily growing because of how many people are searching that song title due to the recent release.
I only tell you that story because of how much fun it was to fall in love with a brand new song I'd never heard before, and then be able to share my own performance of it with people around the world just a few hours later....and it wouldn't be possible without having learned the method and techniques I try to pass along to all of you in my paid and free teaching videos. I didn't have to wait for someone to put a notated arrangement out....and within minutes I was playing it well enough to enjoy it even if I wasn't ready to perform it yet. This is just the latest in 10,000 wonderful moments that this method I call the Piano Man Approach has created in my life, and I sincerely hope it is helping to facilitate joyful moments for you around music, whether they are private moments you enjoy in solitude or shared moments with family, friends, or kind strangers in the form of an audience.
I've included my cover performance video of Billy's new song below in case you want to check it out now that you've heard the story, along with my regular #SoloTuesday, #FreeLessonFriday, & #SundayJamz videos. I ended up doing Billy Joel songs this week for ALL the performance content (I was in the mood LOL), but we're touching on "Ragtime Piano" in the #FreeLessonFriday video. There's no #SundayFunDay by request live stream show this weekend because it's #SuperBowlSunday, and I'm going to spend it with my parents eating delicious food and bonding with my Dad over a sport we both love. I'll be back with more free goodies next weekend!
Have a great week gang....enjoy the freebies! ;-)
This week's free content is below:
#SoloTuesday
"And So It Goes"
(Billy Joel)
Or if the video doesn't display here, simply click THIS LINK to view it on YouTube!
#FreeLessonFriday
Easy Ragtime Piano Rhythm Patterns for All Levels
***Special Note****
(This lesson was prepared at the direct suggestion of one of my long time paid subscribers, George in Pittsburgh, PA. It was a great idea, and I welcome any and all of you, whether you've purchased a course or not, to let me know what topics you might like to see covered or songs you'd like to see "Demonstration Videos" for. You can email me at [email protected], leave comments on my YouTube Videos, or simply leave suggestions in the comments section below here on the blog posts. I can't promise I'll be able to deliver every suggestion, but I will certainly do them whenever I can!)
Or if the video doesn't display here, simply click THIS LINK to view it on YouTube!
#SundayJamz with the YouTube Music Mafia
"Don't Ask Me Why"
(Billy Joel)
Or if the video doesn't display here, simply click THIS LINK to view it on YouTube!
***Special Extra Solo Performance of Billy Joel's New Single from February 1***
"Turn the Lights Back On"
(Billy Joel)
Or if the video doesn't display here, simply click THIS LINK to view it on YouTube!
Have a great week everyone....and remember, if you're not having fun when you're making music....you're doing it wrong! :-)
Piano Man Steve