It has to be said, I’m a huge music fan.
I listen to music more than I watch tv, even sitting at work with my headphones on.
I love going to see bands, I admire the talents of anyone who can cut it live and I love feeling the bass in my chest and the sound of the crowd rise around me.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to dance and lose myself in the music, its part of who I am.
I’ve been learning piano the past 10 years and play every single day, but I’m still learning.
Around 10 years ago, I was at a party, it was at the house of a friend of a friend who I had only met a few times. It was around Christmas time and when he sat down and played a few christmas Carols and had everyone singing along I thought .. thats cool!
So I bought my first keyboard and a couple of songbooks, Beatles and Sinatra, because I couldn’t read music but I know all the tunes so I thought I’d figure it out.
I did, l learned chords, progressions and inversions and could immerse myself for hours trying to get the timing and the accents right on some song or other.
But after two years, I hit a plateau, I wasn’t getting any further.
I needed some lessons.
So I went online and got in touch with a guy called Tony who teaches piano for adults, people of a certain age who don’t want to do grades and just play a few tunes.
I went over for a trial lesson and we get on like wildfire, it helped that I knew all the basics and he could teach me more advanced techniques.
As I mentioned earlier, I play every day, it moves me, being able to listen to some tune and then play my version thrills me.
If anything, it makes me appreciate music more because I realise the complexities of writing a good tune and making it sound simple and natural.
It appeals to my creative side, how wonderful a gift is it to be able to create music that moves people?
Today, I woke up feeling like shit, I had no energy and the bug that had been working me over the past few days had taken hold.
So I skipped work and lay on the couch drinking tea, watching tv and sleeping .. not all at the same time.
Anyhoo, I came across this documentary on the wonderful Nile Rodgers, the main man not only behind Chic and Sister Sledge but of so many hits including Bowie’s Let’s Dance and the current No.1 Get Lucky by Daft Punk.
Music of my life time, and as a boy who loves to dance, he has my admiration.
The most interesting fact of the documentary was at 2:40. Niles plays a 1959 Stratocaster which has been responsible for over 2 billion worth of hit music.
Wow!
Whether you love rock, pop, soul, funk or jazz that demands respect.
Another interesting fact from that documentary amongst many is that Niles learned to play his instrument of choice by learning Beatles tunes.
Check out the video below, trust me, you will love it!
If you fancy listening to what moves me, then check out my last.fm profile
http://www.last.fm/user/dancingbhoy
Or on Spotify DancingBhoy
https://open.spotify.com/user/dancingbhoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGUAiAxpu3E
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Or if you fancy a listen to my average amateur piano playing then you can find me on SoundCloud at the link below –
https://soundcloud.com/user-535339296
