| Show SLATES SLA YES MR PIANO OCT 7 AND 8 Roger Williams is a great pianist with more than a touch of ham in him That's one reason hes he's proud of the title Mr Piano which he won by playing concerts all allover allover over the world and selling seIling over 10 million recordings more than all other living pianists combined His Born Free and Theme from Dr Zhivago are currently at the top of the popularity popularity popularity pop pop- polls Its It's also why for Roger Roger Roger- who plays in concert October 7 and 8 at Valley Music Hall the show must go on Smash his Steinway while moving it on stage in Washington Washing Washing- ton DC D.C. and hell he'll wait for an ancient piano to be moved from the basement and tuned on the stage then play one of the finest fi finest finest fi- fi nest concerts of his career Rain him out in an open air concert and hell he'll move piano and all to the nearest shelter and play until midnight for anyone anyone anyone any any- one who will stay to listen He even played the piano at athis athis athis his own wedding Actually its it's 10 per cent ham hamand hamand hamand and 90 per cent determination Its It's the same determination that drives him to practice for eight hours a day every day The determination that saved his career when his hand was smashed in an accident during his World War II Navy career A heavy cannon breech snapped back as he was loading a shell and the Navy surgeon told him hima a finger would have to be am am- He pleaded until the surgeon agreed to try to save it then exercised and massaged his hand for months until it was to full use His determination also carried carried carried car car- ried him through the lean years when he and his wife shared aone aone a aone one room flat fIat with a grand piano while he studied music at atthe atthe atthe the Juilliard School of Music in New York We stuffed the piano with blankets so my practicing would not disturb our neighbors he recalls This was after he had already earned a bachelor of science degree degree degree de de- de- de gree from Idaho State University University University sity and graduated from Drake University's Conservatory of Music Roger learned to play 13 musical musical musical mu mu- instruments before he was 12 years old and decided on the piano when he was 11 My parents took me to a concert and when I saw the audience stand up and cry bravo I exchanged Babe Ruth for a new hero His repertoire runs from the classical vein to progressive jazz and he has an appreciation tion for all kinds of music I eel get angry with people who say any hy one kind of music is bad Even rock n roll is mu mu- sic Theres a place for all kinds of music but no place for musical musical musical mu mu- snobs |
