The Piano Has Been Drinking
In 1976, the gravel-voiced American singer-songwriter Tom Waits unveiled one of his strangest and most memorable songs: The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me). It…
Who Has Inspired the Most Songs? The Surprising Answer
For pianists who want to combine their playing with singing, the repertoire is practically endless. Tens of thousands of songs, across a wide range of…
Women at the Piano: Talent, Barriers, and Breakthroughs
For centuries the piano has been a testing ground for brilliance. Its 88 keys offered endless possibilities, but not always equal opportunities. Many women pianists…
George Michael, John Lennon’s Imagine Piano, and the Journey of Peace
Some pianos hold more than melodies; they hold history. Few capture this as powerfully as the modest walnut-finished Steinway upright on which John Lennon composed…
The Great Piano Hoax: Joyce Hatto, William Barrington-Coupe, and the Biggest Fraud in Classical Music
In the long history of the piano, there have been prodigies, virtuosos, and visionaries. But there has also been one of the strangest scandals the…
The Brill Building : How Carole King’s Piano Helped Shape Pop History
Carole King’s Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow is now regarded as a classic, forever tied to her piano, her voice, and her moving performance…
Keys to the Game: How the Piano Found Its Place in Super Bowl History
Every February, the Super Bowl explodes onto screens with music, fireworks, and football drama. And while guitars, dancers, and fireworks grab headlines, the piano has…
Marilyn Monroe’s White Baby Grand: A Love Story In Ivory And Song
On a crisp October day in 1999, the auction room at Christie’s in New York hummed with anticipation. Lot after lot of Hollywood history passed…
The Fabulous Baker Boys: When Jazz, Sibling Rivalry, and a Red Dress Meet a Piano
Some films just have a piano. Others make the piano the beating heart of the story. The Fabulous Baker Boys is one of those rare…
Good Grief and Great Music: How the Piano Brings Peanuts to Life
If you grew up with Peanuts — whether it was reading the comic strip in the newspaper, watching the animated specials on TV, or catching…
