Off the Wall School of Music loves learning and teaching fun music like this!  Yes, even silly songs can help you learn how to play the piano.

We all feel lazy sometimes. Maybe you’re having a day when you don’t want to practice but you know you should. What are you supposed to do when you feel unmotivated to do anything? Zenhabits talks about some great ways that you can keep at it and accomplish your goals! Just click the link below and read the 16 ways you can get motivated again.

16 Ways to Get Motivated

Now what are some ways you can apply this to your practicing? If you’re feeling like you can’t find the time, try and set aside a small amount of time every day and build on that time slowly to get a routine going. Also if there’s a specific song you want to learn, but you’re finding a section to be especially hard. Just work on that section, but don’t forget the rest of the song either!

Try to think of other ways you can make practicing fun and exciting.

Now go practice!

Taught to play piano, sing and harmonize at an early age, Patrick Fitzgerald began working the live music venues of the Philadelphia area while in high school. Famous for hauling his 400lb Hammond Organ to every gig, he quickly became a fixture on Friday nights at the local rock and blues clubs.

Serious Eduction:

Patrick attended the Berklee College of Music to gain a broader perspective on music and hone his skills. After majoring in piano performance at Berklee, he returned to Philadelphia to study composition at the University of the Arts, before being lured away to Brooklyn where he worked as a touring and recording musician.

Patrick loves teaching lessons at Off the Wall that are substantive but really fun.

Favorite Bands:

According to his iTunes Play Counter, The Roots, Steely Dan and The Who are tied for Patrick’s favorite bands.

The first rock gig Patrick ever played was at the Gryphon Cafe in Wayne, PA.

Of all the music lessons you can choose to take, voice lessons will surprise you the most! Not only is your voice completely unique, but your entire body affects your singing as well – from your toes to your forehead to your fingertips.

Mini singing lesson of the day: RELAX! Stretch, wiggle, think happy thoughts. Tension anywhere in your body (especially in your torso, shoulders, or neck… which are unfortunately common areas to carry stress) can impact the level of control you have on your breathing and sound production. It sometimes takes some mind-over-matter, but you can do it with a little practice and guidance. Take a deep breath. Drop your jaw and let the sound come out.

Relax.

A “cloaked” Jarrod Radnich plays the Harry Potter theme on this magical piano. “How does he do that?” you might ask. If you want to believe in magic (and who doesn’t?), stop reading this post now…

Alright, let’s talk about this high-tech piano! The piano in this video is a Yamaha Disklavier Mark IV. This instrument is a unique hybrid of an acoustic grand and digital piano. One of its functions recording what you play on it and reproducing your performance, pedaling and all. Imagine one of the old player pianos with the music rolls… then skip forward a hundred years or so. There are so many more features than just play-back, including tempo (speed) change, transposing (making it higher or lower), using headphones, adding recorded sounds from other sources (like singing), play pre-recorded songs, and more. Watch Bert Smorenburg demonstrating how the Disklavier works (with some beautiful playing, might I add).

Now, I’m not sure that this piano is magical; it’s got a pretty scientific explanation to how it works. But, I do know this… the way music IS… how it communicates with us, brings people together… how it can bring joy/wonder/sadness/anger/relief sometimes all at the same time… how it expresses our innermost thoughts when we lose the words… music itself might be magic.

It has been said that composer Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) had extraordinarily large hands. If you ever attempt to play one of his extremely difficult piano pieces, you might agree. He not only had little regard for any “normal” musician’s hand size, but also just loved ultra-fast notes in rich, multi-part textures that reflected his Romantic, mysterious, and dark moods.

And so, musical comedians often find various ways to make fun of Rachmaninoff’s music… and the brave pianists who try to play it! Here is a video of funny duo finding a way to adapt little hands to big music:

One more thing I need to mention… I went to the Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra’s Spring Concert on May 14 and was ASTOUNDED that they had a high school pianist perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, First Movement. Dong Won Lee did an amazing job with a WILD piece! Rachmaninoff had dedicated this piece for a friend who politely declined to perform it, saying it “wasn’t for him,” and that he was sad that he never tried this piece as a student, when he was “still too young to know fear.”

For some reason, it seems that hardly anybody knows the word “busking,” but everybody loves street musicians! “Busking” is performing for donations on the street, just like beloved Seattle pianist Jonny Hahn does.

Perhaps you’ve seen him around the Pike Place Market?

There are LOTS of fabulous musicians that perform around the Market – including some who go all out with their entertainment!

Once upon a time, there was a very talented singer/songwriter named Stefani Germanotta. At an NYU talent show on year, she played piano sweetly and sang a beautiful ballad
(in a lovely green dress) that transitioned into a rockin’ piece that the audience just loved! One of the women on the listening panel for this very special performance told Norah Jones to “Look out!” because this new performer was going to take over the piano-based singer/songwriter world!

Stefani Germanotta continued to perform, sometimes with her band . . .

. . . and sometimes solo at the piano.

Either way, she always ROCKED!

Then, one day, Stefani Germanotta adopted a new stage name – Lady Gaga!

The rest is history.

Okay, right, we KNOW that not everyone appreciates Justin Bieber. But … check out the mad drumming skills he had when he was only 3 years old!

And what about this very young drummer? He rocks, too!!

Rock piano / guitar / band + symphony = WHOA!

If you live in Seattle, you probably know how awesome our Seattle Symphony is! Not only do they perform masterpieces from Beethoven, Mozart, Handel, etc. etc. etc., but did you know they also have a popular music series with performing artists like Ben Folds, Brandi Carlile, and Rufus Wainwright?

The Seattle Symphony also has programs specifically for kids at the Soundbridge Music Discovery Center. For only $5 admission, you can experience musical storytelling, try out real instruments, play Wii Music, and more. Looks like fun to me!

Also, check out the Seattle Rock Orchestra! From Radiohead to Arcade Fire, they provide full orchestral backing for some of the best rock albums ever. Read about their upcoming Queen show.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was unable to speak for many weeks following a serious gunshot wound to the left side of her brain. But now, with the help of a music therapist, she is singing! Because music uses a different part of the brain than speech, music therapy can be extremely helpful in re-developing communication skills.

Here’s an article about the story.

Home Run for Music Education

Test your famous composer knowledge while you play Beethoven Baseball, or challenge your memory with Music Match! This website from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra has lots of kid-friendly Classical music info and activities.

Check it out!

Virtual keyboard

This cool virtual keyboard is not a substitute for practicing on a real piano or keyboard, but it’s fun anyway!

Classical is back!

The San Francisco Symphony has one of the most entertaining Classical music websites for kids, IMHO. Visit the “Music Lab” to play with tempo, rhythm, harmony, and even compose your own songs with the “composerizer” tool! What exactly is a glockenspiel anyway? Find the glockenspiel with its cousin, the piano, in the Percussion Family on this great website!

Piano-Jugglers are ridiculously fun!

Not only do these guys juggle (which is fun all on its own), but they bounce the balls on a unique keyboard to play famous tunes. The keyboard miiiiiight be pre-programmed to play the right notes whenever a ball hits it, but it’s entertaining nonetheless!

Check out Daniel Menendez from www.pianojuggler.com.

But, why stop there? Pianos and juggling can go together in other ways, too. Watch this fun performance by Vova and Olga, a young brother/sister act from Russia!

Vova still performs on his own: http://vova.galchenko.com/

Here is a great version of one of our favorite songs! I got a feeling is a great song to learn on any instrument, here is an example of a country band playing it!

What do Nicole and Skylar think about Off the Wall?

Off the Wall –

Just a quick shout out saying thanks for giving my kid the opportunity to perform a Beatles song – her first public performance on piano!

Hurray!

Jonathan S.

AND

Hi, Off the Wall –

Thank you for all the effort you went to to put on a fun, low-key recital for the kids. It was nice sitting at tables and around the piano, instead of in a stuffy auditorium. Special thanks to Jan for coming to play with Jamie. She had a good experience, and I’m betting she’ll want to do the “regular” recital with the older kids next time.

Best,
Sharon R.

Check out what Stephanie and her son, Jake, said about the No-More-Snow Show at Bad Monkey Bistro!

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