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.

When producer Ken Caillait heard Go Your Own Way for the first time he thought it was a "stinker of a song". Call it diligence or call it stubbornness, in the end, their dedication to working and reworking this song made it the second single released from the Rumours album and the band's first top 10 hit in the U.S. Can you guess which line Lindsey wrote that nearly caused Stevie to refuse laying down any vocal tracks? Listen to the story behind the creating and recording of this iconic song. 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.

The thing we love about Fleetwood Mac is their ability to create songs as a full band, as soloists with a backing band, and as a duo with harmonies so tight they are almost indistinguishable. Never Going Back Again is an example of Lindsey Buckingham stretching his solo ability to write and compose. Never going back again is a compilation of 5 different guitar parts, all played by himself, and a bass part played by John McVie but written by Lindsey. Call it a my way or the highway attitude, or call it extreme focused vision - either way, Lindsey Buckingham knew what he wanted with this song and wasn't going to compromise. In this episode hear all about the interesting way this song came to be and maybe learn from Lindsey how to deliver bad news with a delightful tune. You'll also learn how Shawn translated this acoustic guitar driven song to piano. Shawn shares a few tips and tricks for recreating guitar technique and sounds on a piano throughout this episode. We hope you enjoy. 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.

British - American rock group, Fleetwood Mac, released one of the most popular albums of all time in 1977. Rumours solidified the band as a force to be reckoned with and the song Dreams, reminded everyone that Stevie Nicks has a genius for writing simple yet profound songs. Her signature vocals, along with the innovative production of Ken Caillat, made this song the only #1 single from the album. By listening to this episode, you'll find out how they embellished a simple, two chord song, into the thing you'll be humming for the rest of your day. It's a great song to learn if you're a beginner on the piano. If you're a pro - Shawn added the other instruments into his arrangement. Video tutorials and downloadable sheets can all be found on Web Piano Teacher. 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 wonder what it's like to work with your ex? The lyrics from every song on Rumours might give you a little insight. Apparently, Lindsey kept the lyrics to the third track, Secondhand News, all to himself until it was time to lay down the vocal tracks. He knew what Stevie's response might have been, and he wanted to avoid a blowup. Other than the drama his lyrics may have created, there's a treasure trove of hidden sounds in this song. We highly suggest listening with good headphones. Fleetwood Mac's Rumors album, released in February of 1977, created a tidal wave of enthusiasm for the band following the earlier release of their self-titled album in 1975. Still fresh to America, with the addition of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham; Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and Christine McVie started feeling the pressure to meet the expectations of their new fans. Most of the research came from Ken Caillat's book, Making Rumors: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album

Fleetwood Mac's Rumors album, released in February of 1977, created a tidal wave of enthusiasm for the band following the earlier release of their self-titled album in 1975. Still fresh to America, with the addition of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham; Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and Christine McVie started feeling the pressure to meet the expectations of their new fans. In this episode of Web Piano Teacher's artist series we will break down the first track of Rumors and try to answer why this song is great and what it's contribution was to one of the greatest albums of all time. So much to discuss with this album. Most of the research came from Ken Caillat's book, Making Rumors: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album.

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What a great song! Web Piano Teacher was built on Billy Joel's Piano Man, as one of our very fist lessons to film and upload. This song is great not just for it's superb quality as one of the best sing alongs of all time, but the timeless story and soaring chorus, will keep people listening for generations to come. Listen along as Shawn performs Piano Man from start to finish. Most people know about this song, Joel himself talks about its origins often, but reminisce with us on this awesome piano classic.

What is the intrigue of Joni Mitchell's music? Certainly her pitch perfect, beautifully controlled vocals have something to do with it, but is there another reason? We think there is. Listen to us perform (or attempt to perform) and dialogue about why her music grips so many people's interest. Check out Morning Morgantown on Joni Mitchell's Ladies of the Canyon album released in 1970.

Does the mention of the Goo Goo Dolls bring up nostalgic memories of your teens or twenties during the 90's? It does for us, but we have very different reactions. What memory is dragged up for you when a song by the Goo Goo Dolls shuffles through your playlist? Listen with us to the Goo Goo Dolls iconic hit, Name from their first commercially successful album, A Boy Named Goo. Can you help us answer a couple of questions? Is the Goo Goo Dolls a band for soccer moms, and just how far did they fall from their original roots? For all things Web Piano Teacher, visit webpianoteacher.com and sign up for a free membership. You will find lessons for this song as well as many other favorites across all genres and skill levels.

In this week's episode, listen with us to Hugh Laurie's version of Swanee River from his 2011 Blues album, Let Them Talk. Shawn and Shawna perform the song as arranged by Hugh, and discuss a brief history of the song itself. If you're interested in blues piano, Shawn has some great tips on how to get started. Before working on this song, we had no idea that actor Hugh Laurie was a musician - and an accomplished one at that. We hope you enjoy listening to and learning about this song as much as we did.

In this episode of Web Piano Teacher's Artist Series Carole King's compositions, musicality, and creativity is highlighted through her most popular album - Tapestry. Shawn identifies five distinct characteristics of King's music that give her the signature sound we all know and love. Once again, the music and life of Carole King inspired an original song titled "She Goes Before". This was our most collaborative song to date and in this episode you can hear all about the approach we took in attempt to mirror and honor her legacy of songwriting. Our whole family got to know the Tapestry album and I'll always hold dear the memory of watching my daughter in the rearview mirror of our car sing her heart out to "Beautiful". Our hope, is that you will listen to King's music with a new curiosity for all the musical gems she weaves into each and every measure of her songs.

In this episode of Web Piano Teacher's Artist Series we turn all our attention to the life and songs of Willie Nelson. Willie Nelson, the ultimate story-teller, uses his unique resonate voice to weave timeless stories we not only hear, but feel as if he wrote it just for our life too. After reading his memoir It's A Long Story, we were struck by his strong poetic prose in the re-telling his life story. Shawna imagined the recollection of his memories as a beautiful song and tried to honor the foundational relationship between him and his sister Bobbie. This episode focuses more on the storytelling, which we believe is Willie's signature sound. Learn how Willie came up with a few of his most popular songs and why writing a Willie Nelson style song proved to be more difficult that writing an Elton John style song; imagine that.

In this episode of Web Piano Teacher's Artist Series the spotlight is on Elton John's music. What makes Elton John's music distinctly recognizable as something that keeps generations of people interested and intrigued? After learning about his unique song writing technique with Bernie Taupin, we decided to put ourselves in their shoes and write a song separately together. Throughout this episode you'll hear a live performance of an original song written in the style of Elton John as well as examples of his techniques and genius played on the piano by Shawn. In the end, we hope you learn something new about Elton and walk away with a better understanding of his music with a fresh appreciation for his God-given talent.