The prolific Canadian pianist, Glenn Gould, was immersed in music early on in his life. Even before Gould’s birth his mother, a musician herself, played him music during her pregnancy. When he was still an infant he was known to hum along to music and wiggle his fingers in apparent chord patterns, leading a doctor to say he would end up ”either a physician or a pianist”(Ostwald 40). When Glen was three his mother realized that he possessed tremendous musical talent, including absolute pitch as well as the ability to read staff music notation. Gould was taken to his first live musical performance, a concert by pianist Josef Hofmann. As Gould described the experience in a 1959 CBC Radio Broadcast: “...it was a staggering impression. The only thing I can really remember is that, when I was being brought him in a car, I was in that wonderful state of half-awakeness in which you hear all sorts of incredible sounds going through your mind. They were all orchestral sounds, but I was playing them all, and suddenly I was Hofmann. I was enchanted”. This performance clearly had a lasting impression and led him to study at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto at age 10. While there he studied music theory, organ, and piano.
Around that time Gould injured his spine in an accident, He began playing with an adjustable-height chair built by his father, a chair he would famously use for the rest of his life. The chair was designed in such a way that Gould could have a
In 1965, professional musician and composer, Glenn Holland takes up a position teaching music at John F. Kennedy High School in an attempt to enjoy more free time for composing a piece of orchestral music. Soon after he starts his new career, Holland discovers that he will have less free time than he had imagined. He also discovers that teaching a class full of teenagers is much harder than he originally thought. He eventually wins over the class by using rock and roll as a way to make classical music more accessible to his students. When his wife Iris becomes pregnant, he uses the money he had saved for producing his orchestra to buy a house for his family. Once school resumes and his son Cole is born, Holland is drafted into being in charge
Derek became an acclaimed concert pianist by the age of 10. His longtime piano teacher, Adam Ockelford, explains his student’s unique relationship to music. Adam encouraged his obvious musical interest and ability, although it was obviously natural. Adam gave him lesson as child understanding
began to play the piano as a child his mom played that piano as well.
Jelly Roll Morton was one of the greatest most talented mans to play the pianist at the tempo he plays it’s at. After sitting and listening to for an hour and a half I realized what a great pianist was. I was exotic when I heard him playing; it was nothing to do but flow with the music after hearing it. It really lit a fire under me to actually enjoy music with a nice pitch and a definite tone.
Sammy Goldstein was born and raised in Paris, Tennessee by his parents Ernie and Jerri Goldstein. He was sent to take piano lessons with his siblings as children and never truly got into it until his later years. In his earlier career he performed as a musical, comedy actor during the summers with such pieces as “Fiddler On The Roof”. By the age of twenty he took off
what he became and did not let anything get in the way of becoming a musician. In this
While vacationing in Asbury Park, Duke heard of a good pianist named Harvey Brooks. At the end of his vacation Duke sought Harvey out in Philadelphia where Harvey showed Duke some pianist tricks and shortcuts. Duke now had a real yearning to play when he got home. Soon later Duke’s music career started.
When Still graduated from high school, he attended medical school at Wilberforce University, in Ohio. He conducted the university band, learned to play many types of instruments, and started to compose and to do orchestrations. He was awarded a scholarship to
Percy Aldridge Grainger was born on the 8th of July 1882, in Brighton, Melbourne. As an only child of John and Rosa Grainger he began learning music at the age of 5 with his mother Rosa. Grainger’s music studies many aspects of life and artistic persona, making him a unique Australian musician. He had a diverse musical career including pianist, composer, folklore collector, musical arranger, ‘free musician’ and inventor, making him one of Australia’s greatest musicians of all time. Whilst living in Australia Grainger came before the public eye as a pianist at a concert at Melbourne’s Masonic Hall during 1894. His life intention was to communicate every feature of his life to the public and soon after his creative achievement was seen
Ever since his father began teaching him as a child to play the violin and clavier, any keyboard instrument such as the harpsichord, Ludwig van Beethoven has been amongst the most renowned and influential composers of music. Despite the harsh punishments and mistreatment Beethoven suffered through while practicing with his father, he still managed to become a “prodigy” at a rather young age, having his first public recital at around seven years old. After his first recital role music played in his continued to grow, and soon after dropping out of school to pursue music “full time” he published his first composition.
As a result, Moran was honed with a broad musical foundation that shared elements of his predecessors. Oscar Peterson, as a child, would listen to recordings of Tatum’s “Tiger Rag.” When he learned that Tatum played the entire piece all by himself, Peterson became so intimidated that he did not touch the piano for several weeks. However, Tatum’s influence was not only limited to jazz pianists. He was also an inspiration to other instrumentalists, including the legendary alto saxophonist, Charlie Parker, and bassist, Charles Mingus.
musical talent came honestly. His father was a mellophonist and his mother was a pianist.
A big fruity pie that just simply doesn’t bake. Is this how we describe one of the greatest albums of all time, from one of the greatest musicians of all time? Has this only been said because he’s gay, or because he doesn’t conform to his gender stereotype? Nevertheless before we come to our own conclusions we must first get to know the man.
With his first piano lessons, his teachers discovered his unusual talent of ‘playing out of the boundaries.’ After his dream, becoming a piano virtuoso sink, he leaned more on to his composing skills.
Hans Zimmer was born in Frankfurt, Germany in September 12, 1957. As a child, he began playing piano since he was three years old. Although he was receiving piano lessons, he quickly became uninterested after only two weeks of piano lessons. Even more astounding he decided to become a composer at age six. His father died when he was six and that is when he decided to become serious about music, because it was his refuge as he quotes, “It was my way of calming the demons in me or at the same time sometimes letting them roar, letting them rip, letting the monster out and seeing that it wasn't so scary being able to look it in the eye," (International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers 2).