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Show ,(l like to play sweet music" r v -:y00H ; ' - "-, . ' ... . f "tV " - l- ' "''u'. w .... V - '- f ? ' - WALT DANIELS The moment Walt Daniels siis down and begins playing the piano, it takes only a few minutes to realize that he has played the piano for a long time during his life. And he has 67 years to be exact. Wall is currently playing at the Claimjumper's Down Under, and judging from crowd reaction, he's a hit. The 75 year old Kamas resident is an old friend of Claimjumper proprietor pro-prietor Lloyd Stevens who knew Walt when he was a student at South Summit Elementary Ele-mentary School. After years and years of playing, Walt seems to play one song after another with effortless ease. He said there is basically only one reason he continues to play piano: he enjoys it, and the more other people enjoy it, the better. "I sit down and enjoy myself," my-self," he said, "and if people act like they enjoy it, I forget all about time. I can go all night." Walt was born in Payson, Utah and when he was only eight years old. he began playing piano. "My sister got a job working at the telephone company, and one day she came home and told dad she got a piano," Walt remembered. "She paid S175 for it and old dad nearly passed out. My sister didn't take to the piano very much, and mother said it shouldn't go to waste. I was the only one around. I took lessons for about three years." In 1918, while Walt was in high school in Payson, he formed a four-piece orchestra as well as a little dance band that lasted until he graduated. "In 1923. the bank went broke and I lost every nickel I had," he said. But he never lost his interest in music; in fact, he gained over the years a teaching knowledge of manv instru ments, but he said he plays only the piano. He continues to teach music today in Kamas and taught at South Summit High School for fifteen years. He wrote the school song for the high school in Kamas. Walt has traveled extensively extensive-ly during his life, having been around the world twice. He attended ten universities studying study-ing mostly music, but also Economics and Sociology. He attended such schools as Columbia Col-umbia University, Julliard School of Music, UCLA and Brigham Young. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from the University of Hawaii. "I went to school for things I wanted to go for; to heck with the sheepskin," he said. Walt is married and has one son and three daughters. His marriage turned out to be one of the ramifications of his interest in music. "I married the first saxa-phone saxa-phone player in my high school band," Walt smiled. Walt's musical taste varies from classical to old-time big bank tunes. He also ';kes march music, particularly John Philip Sousa. "I like to play sweet music. Country music is alright; it has it's place. I really like the old bands, Guy Lombardo and Glenn Miller, the bands that were great in the 30's and 40's." While attending UCLA in 1930-31, Walt played piano with a 15-piece band. Before that, he worked in the banking business for three years in Los Angeles. "The depression hit," Walt said, "and I worked in several states. I played in dance bands on the coast and in Provo (Utah)." This week at the Claim-jumper Claim-jumper Walt will certainly play in a few medlies of Christmas songs, intermingled with a selection of many other songs he has memorized over the years. Besides being an excellent excel-lent piano player, he is also a very good entertainer. And rie seems to add to the ambience of the Festive Down Under. "I enjoy working with Lloyd. He's sure been swell to me," said Walt. After talking for a while with the Record, Walt sat down and began doing what he does best, playing piano. "It's surprising to me when I stop and think I'm still doing this kid's stuff," Walt laughed as he began a medley of Christmas songs. Walt will play at the Claim-jumper Claim-jumper through Saturday from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. |