For this blog post, we interviewed Carl R.! Carl has lived in Florida (USA) for years, and has been a musician even longer. Keep an eye out for more Q & A blog posts like this one: we enjoy hearing from students, and we want you to be able to read about their story with Piano in a Flash too!

Q: When did you first learn about Scott and Piano in a Flash?

A: I learned about Scott maybe a year ago. I saw an advertisement on the computer, and I followed up and discovered Piano in a Flash. After thinking about it for maybe six months, I decided to do it. It was kind of on a whim, but I have a piano in the house and decided it was time to play. My daughter, who is now 25, I started her on the piano when she was 7 or 8. She is now a concert pianist.

Q: Do you play for others? If so, in what settings? Church? Family parties?

A: I don’t play for anyone except myself. I still have lots to learn!

Q: Did you have any prior musical training? Do you play any other instruments?

A: I started with lessons when I was about seven years old. My parents had a piano in the house, we lived in New Hampshire at the time. When I was a Boy Scout, I was going to go to camp, but we couldn’t afford it. Then, I found a help wanted advertisement for positions at the camp. I bought myself a $10 bugle, taught myself the calls for camp and eventually got the job… but not before waking up the troops at the nearby camp every morning. Ha!

Q: How was learning piano with Scott’s method, versus learning other instruments?

A: I taught myself entirely by ear when I was young, I had to really know the song I was trying to play. I was fortunate enough to know the songs well, because my mother was always playing the radio.

I got into radio when I was in my thirties. I was living in Colorado at the time, and became a DJ for a radio station. I stayed in the industry for ten years, but I still do voice-overs periodically. Now, I have a show called “Music of History” where I play the top songs of a certain era and talk about them and the songs’ history. I’m hoping I’ll get to share it with the world soon.

Q: How did all of this lead to piano?

A: I’ve always had a long, deep desire to learn piano. I can remember wanting to play since I was around seven. I started lessons, but then they took me off lessons because I got sick.

Q: Has playing piano helped you in other areas of your life?

A: It has helped me to relax, even though I’m still in the learning stages. I’m having such a fun time learning, too.

Q: What’s your next music-related goal?

A: I have a Christmas song I’m trying to write. It’s about… , and I have a melody of sorts figured out, but I need a little help when it comes to things like chords and a beat.

THANK YOU Carl for sharing your story with us! I really enjoyed hearing how you came to find Piano in a Flash!

If you’d like to learn more about Piano in a Flash and how Scott teaches online lessons, click the link below to sign up for a webinar!