Web Piano Teacher Artist Series

Join the conversation Shawn and Shawna have about classical program music, show tunes, and where Billy Joel's Scenes from an Italian Restaurant find the point of intersection.  Scenes is an epic composition including rockabilly piano, New Orleans jazz, and  broadway styling that follows a classical structure and outline.  Inspired by the B side of Abby Road, Billy Joel set out to take the pieces of songs he'd written but not quite finished and weave them together into one theatrical song. He paints such a vivid picture, it's like you're reminiscing with him about friends you both went to high school with at your favorite spot in the neighborhood.     

As the title track for the album, Billy Joel shows us his depth by using poetic license to explain the 'shadow self'.  Perhaps the most exciting thing about Joel's music is he never limits himself by the basic structure of a pop/rock song.  Breaking all the molds with The Stranger, Joel mixes up the expectation of verse chorus verse chorus, and challenges our ear and mind to accept a song structured more like something Beethoven would compose. He even uses two different voicing styles, one the 'bad boy' during the verse and the other 'a nice guy' during the chorus. Which one is the stranger to Billy Joel, we might never know.  The interesting part is, much like ourselves, he's both and can probably easily toggle between the two within a matter of seconds.    

If this isn't your favorite song on the album, we suggest spending a little time with it, letting each unique part grow on you.  What's your favorite Billy Joel 'voice' - the bad boy or the good guy?

Billy Joel says he's never forgiven himself for not being Beethoven, but we believe just because Billy Joel can't do what Beethoven did doesn't mean Beethoven could do what Billy Joel does.  Journey with us as we dive into The Stranger, Joel's first commercially successful album, track by track.  Forty-five years after its release, The Stranger has stood the test of time by resonating with grandparents, parents, and children.  Why? Shawn will breakdown Joel's compositions and Shawna will talk about his ability to write lyrical stories that capture human nature at its core. When music crosses genre, has the complexity of a renowned classical piece, and tells timelessly relatable stories, it will settle deep into your heart, mind, and soul from one generation to another.  Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), sets up our thesis perfectly with the introduction of contrapuntal melodies reminicint of Bach.  Just like Homer's epic, Ulysses, Joel writes a lyrical coming of age story that touches on the internal struggle people have as life transitions from youth to adulthood.   

After listening to the Rumours album by Fleetwood Mac on repeat, Shawn and Shawna wrote an original song inspired by everything they learned.  Find out what songs from the album gave them their greatest inspiration and see how each of Fleetwood Mac's three distinct songwriting styles were woven into the lyrics, style, and composition.  This episode reveals some of the challenges song writing presents when you're pushed outside of your comfort zone.  

The final track on Rumours album, Gold Dust Woman, is written by Stevie Nicks.  Even though she wrote it before ever joining Fleetwood Mac, the song's vibe fit the band perfectly.  Stevie grew up immersed in fairy tale stories read by her mother, and experienced country music on the lap of her grandfather in honky tonk bars across the Southwest.  Just like many of her songs, Gold Dust Woman has a sound that's not quite country and not quite rock and roll which was a popular sound emerging out of southern California at the time.  In true Ken Caillat and Lindsey Buckingham form, this song is full of obscure "instruments".  Can you hear glass breaking throughout the song?  Mick Fleetwood was able to use his skill of rhythm on a whole other level for this song.  

Gold Dust Woman is quintessentially Stevie.  The lyrics are meaningful while somehow remaining mysterious, steeped in symbolism represented in little turns of phrases.   Later in life, Stevie gives more insight into the inspiration behind the words she wrote.  It's always interesting to recognize the initial inspiration of a song in the lyrics, but see that the artist doesn't keep a strict focus on just that one subject.  Perhaps that's why her songs are so popular, everyone can hear and relate to what they need to hear and relate to at any given moment in time. 

Most of the research for this episode was done by reading Ken Caillat and Steven Stiefel's book, Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album.  

Once again, Christine McVie, is the star of another track on the Rumours album.  She was writer, composer, and lead vocalist for Oh Daddy.  The song was partially about drummer and bandmate, Mick Fleetwood's pending divorce with wife Jenny, but also a little about the lighting engineer Christine was seeing while recording Rumours.  Producer, Ken Caillat, wanted to explore more of the erie, suspicious, dark sounds they used for Dreams earlier in their recording session.  Everything depended on Christine's organ, with the spinning Leslie speaker set on slow rotate, turning only a few times a minute.  

Once again, there's an interesting "mistake" intentionally left in the final edit of the song.  Why?  We have different opinions as to why. After listening, let us know your opinion.

Most of the research for this episode was done by reading Ken Caillat and Steven Stiefel's book, Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album.

Ever ask yourself how Bach and Fleetwood Mac are connected?  No...just us?  Bach makes an appearance in this episode, well his likeness and name make it into the conversation, and you'll be surprised to know that Shawn wasn't the one to bring it up.  Stevie Nicks gets credit for this song, but nearly refused to lay down her vocal tracks due to a difference of opinion.  Strong opinions, fueled by drugs and alcohol, flew freely in Studio B at Record Plant in Sausalito California.  (Here's a great article to read more about the current status of this historic studio.) 

Is our version of this song perfect, no.  Did we have fun trying, oh yeah! 

Christine McVie, keyboardist for Fleetwood Mac, delivers another hit song for the band with You Make Loving Fun.  Her distinct vocal runs, tone, and phrasing make it a uniquely Christine song while still maintaining the Fleetwood Mac vibe.  It's exciting to hear how the individual differences in style remain consistent to the whole.  After her recent breakup with bassist John, sharing inspiration for song ideas must have been awkward.  Christine, being focused on the goal of putting out a good album, knew how to spin the truth in order to move the process along.  Was this song really about her dog or was it about the lighting engineer she was seeing?  You tell me.  

Most of the research for this episode was done by reading Ken Caillat and Steven Stiefel's book, Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album.

Having the ability to write a sentimental love song like Songbird doesn't mean Christine can't write a song driven by anger and attitude.  She certainly delivers with The Chain, which was first titled Keep Me There.  This song is full of excitement and tension!  The tag-out after the final chorus is the band's collective release of nerves, tensions, and frustrations as they tried to get the ball rolling on recording Rumours.  Pressure to meet expectations was mounting as their previous album was climbing the American charts and their popularity amongst fans was skyrocketing. They had an unknown, and relatively new to the game producer named Ken who wasn't sure if he was up to the challenge of managing a complicated group of people with a lot to prove. Could they make it to the top, sensing they were so close to the pinnacle of success?

When you listen to The Chain, you're instantly transported to the recording studio in Sausalito California where tensions were mounting, frustrations were palpable, and everyone was wondering if they were going to make it. We wished there had been a full band in the room with us while recording this episode.  Every instrument and every voice adds to the overall feeling of this song and man, was it fun to pretend we had been in the studio back in 1976.  

Most of the research for this episode was done by reading Ken Caillat and Steven Stiefel's book, Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album.

Songbird was written by Christine McVie to convey her feelings toward recent ex and band mate, John McVie.  This song is tender, truthful, and touching and gives insight into the type of person we believe Christine is. There's a story in it's production too of how the environment and mood created by the producer effects the outcome of the song's tone.  Christine definitely delivered an emotional performance that "makes grown men everywhere cry", especially John.  

Since this song was recorded outside the studio with a more live setup, it has a different feel than the rest of the songs on the album. Does it change your overall experience of the album?  Initially this song wasn't one of our favorites, but in research and after listening to it alone, and not in succession with the rest of the album, it grew into something we loved.  Songbird also proves Christine can write anything...blues, pop, rock, ballads, she is a talented songwriter that can do it all!

Most of the research for this episode was done by reading Ken Caillat and Steven Stiefel's book, Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album.