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Seeking Inspiration from Erick Clapton’s Life

Born in March 1945, Erick Clapton became one of the greatest guitarists to emerge from the United Kingdom. He focused on blues and rock music. Currently, he is a three-time inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Clapton is the only person to have achieved this status in history. Consequently, many musicians refer to him as the most influential guitarists in history. He also ranked at number two on Rolling Stone’s list of the top-100 guitar players of all time. Gibson and Time Magazine ranked him at number four and five respectively in their list of the most influential guitarists in recent years.

Background History on Erick Clapton

Despite his success, Clapton was a humble person. He even cited various musicians as some of his most significant influences. They include Freddie King, Albert King, Muddy Waters, and Buddy Guy. He singled out Robert Johnson as his most notable influence. He even released DVDs and CDs for Robert Johnson. These records featured covers of Johnson’s songs. Clapton played those songs using acoustic and electric guitars.

Perhaps his humility stemmed from his humble background. Born in a small town in Surrey, England known as Ripley, he thought his grandmother and her husband were his parents. His mother, Patricia Clapton, had him when she was sixteen years old. His father went to war and then went to live in Canada. As a result, his grandmother took responsibility for raising him.

Seeking Inspiration from Erick Clapton’s Life and His Instrument

Humility is vital when it comes to achieving success. Clapton was a humble individual. He learned from others, and he recognized people who were great at doing what he would love to do. Clapton did not change his perception of them as his talent exploded. Instead, he played songs in their honor. You should do the same. Learn from your music teachers as much as you can. Remember these teachers when you succeed. Recognize their contribution to your success and honor them if you can. Additionally, learn from your contemporaries rather than competing with them. Being humble will help you succeed as it did for Erick Clapton who is now a popular guitarist.

Keep reading: “Inspiration from the Life of Mauro Giuliani”>>

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For more questions, contact us at info@willanacademy.com or 646-838-3990. Willan Academy of Music offers piano lessons, singing lessons, and more in NYC, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

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Seeking Inspiration from Arthur Tatum’s Life

Born on 13 October 1909, Arthur Tatum Jr. was one of the most influential jazz pianists in the 1900s. He recorded his music commercially for 24 years. More specifically, Tatum did so from 1932 until his death in 1956. In fact, he recorded 68 tracks for Norman Granz in less than two days. Tatum made three of these tracks in one take. That is how remarkable he was. Other labels he worked with included Brunswick, Decca, and Capitol. His style influenced many jazz pianists including Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Chick Corea, and Billy Taylor among others. Taylor even said that Tatum could make a damaged piano sound good.

Background History That Shaped His Love for Music

Unfortunately, many people believe that Tatum’s rise to fame was an ordinary experience for him. Consequently, they do not draw as much from his pursuit of music as they should. For example, many people do not know that his father was a guitarist and his mother played the piano. Some musicians acknowledge that he suffered from visual impairment, but many of them do not realize that this problem started when he was an infant. At this stage, cataracts affected his eyes leaving one of them blind while the other one had limited vision. He underwent surgery to improve his condition, but he endured an assault in 1930 that eroded all the improvements made through surgery. He was 21 years at the time of the unfortunate incident.

Seeking Inspiration from Tatum’s Life and His Instrument

As a child, Tatum could not see well, but his hearing senses were perfect. Therefore, he learned to play the piano by ear. In 1925, Tatum got a chance to go to the Columbus School for the Blind. Here, he learned Braille and studied music. One of his teachers was Overton G. Rainey who suffered from visual impairment as well. In this school, Tatum perfected his skills. He became as master of what he did as described by Billy Taylor and others. You can also become perfect at playing music. Nothing can prevent you from being one of the best pianists in the world. Draw inspiration from the life of Arthur Tatum who learned to play this instrument even when he could not see the piano he was playing. Become a popular pianist as he was.

Keep reading: “Interesting Facts About The Piano That You May Not Know”>>

Read on: “Inspiration from the Life of Ludwig van Beethoven”>>

For more questions, contact us at info@willanacademy.com or 646-838-3990. Willan Academy of Music offers violin lessons, guitar lessons, and more in NYC, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

Home > Guitar Lessons > Blog

Inspiration from the Life of George Harrison

George Harrison was an English guitarist born in 1943. He died in 2001. He was also a songwriter, singer, and music and film producer. He was the lead guitarist for the Beatles. Fans of this music band referred to him as the silent Beatle. You should note that the band’s albums from 1965 onwards consist of at least two songs from George. After the breaking up of the Beatles, George Harrison managed to produce several solo albums that had a number of bestselling songs. He was also ranked at number 11 by the Rolling Stone magazine in their list of the “Top-100 Guitarists of All Time.”

Interesting Facts about the Life of George Harrison

Despite being referred to as ‘the silent Beatle,’ one of his friends said Harrison was the best person to hang out with at any time. His friend could not imagine Harrison as a quiet person because the guitarist never kept quiet during these hangouts. In the summer of 1963, Harrison was confined to a hospital bed. He wrote his first song, “Don’t Bother Me,” during this trying time in his life. In the same year, he became the first Beatle to perform at a show in the U.S.

How the Guitar Changed George Harrison’s Life

George Harrison joined the Beatles in 1958. His passion for playing the guitar took him to unimaginable heights socially and financially. He became one of the most successful lead guitarists in history. Even after the band broke up in 1970, George managed to stand on his two feet. In fact, he produced several albums after the breakup. At the time of his death, Harrison was worth over £100 million.

How the Guitar Can Change Your Life

As a music student with a passion for playing the guitar, you can use this instrument as a tool that would guarantee you fame and fortune. For instance, imagine that you know how to compose a song but you do not have confidence in your voice. How do you succeed in such a scenario? Well, you can produce instrumental records and people will receive them as well as they do receive vocal records. In other words, you do not have to hold on to a band, a singer, or anything else as long as you love what you are doing.

Keep reading: “Inspiration from the Life of Mauro Giuliani”>>

Read on: “How to Utilize the Learning Style of a Child to Your Favor”>>

For more questions, contact us at info@willanacademy.com or 646-838-3990. Willan Academy of Music offers piano lessons, singing lessons, and more in NYC, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

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Inspiration from the Life of Claudio Arrau

Claudio Arrau was a Chilean pianist widely recognized for his profound interpretation of baroque music and for his 20th-century repertoire. His expertise with the piano earned him praise among his contemporaries. They considered him as one of the greatest pianists of his time. Claudio Arrau was born in 1903 and he died in 1991. He started his career in music at an early age growing up as a child prodigy. He received a 10-year-long grant by the Chilean government to study in Germany when he was 8 years old. He received numerous awards in subsequent years.

Interesting Facts about Claudio Arrau

Professional piano players normally have someone in the family who played the instrument or any other instrument professionally. That was not the case in Claudio’s family. However, that did not stop him from learning to read music before he could read books. At the age of four, he was fluent in reading the Beethoven sonatas and when he reached six years, he presented a piece for the President of Chile.

How the Piano Improved the Life of Claudio Arrau

After his presentation before the Chilean president, Claudio was offered a scholarship that took him to Germany. In Germany, he got a chance to study under Martin Krause, a former student of Franz Liszt. He learned how to deliver full Beethoven sonatas among many other recitals. His skills made him famous in different parts of the world and he was widely celebrated.

How the Piano Can Improve Your Life 

Knowing how to play the piano can open up opportunities for you. Additionally, being a master of the instrument can help you stand out within your family. In other words, you can create your own legacy. Finally, it is possible to learn from other people and cultures as long you stay dedicated to the passion that is driving you to excel. Claudio was able to learn German, Italian, French, and English despite having no formal education.

Keep reading: “Interesting Facts About The Piano That You May Not Know”>>

Read on: “Inspiration from the Life of Ludwig van Beethoven”>>

For more questions, contact us at info@willanacademy.com or 646-838-3990. Willan Academy of Music offers violin lessons, guitar lessons, and more in NYC, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

Home > Singing Lessons > Blog

Inspiration from the Life of Ray Charles

Ray Charles was an American songwriter, singer, composer, and musician who lived between 1930 and 2004. He became blind at the age of seven. The world remembers him as one of the greatest pioneers of soul music. More specifically, he started combining rhythm and blues, blues, and gospel music in the 1950s to produce a new brand of songs. He also integrated country music, pop music, rhythm, and blues in the 1960s. Ray Charles was the first African-American musician to gain artistic control from a conventional record company.

Interesting Facts about Ray Charles

Ray Charles suffered from glaucoma as a child. He became blind at age seven because of this condition, but that did not stop his passion for music. Instead, Charles became a musical genius. He released several hit songs that earned him many followers including Richard Nixon, a former US president. The Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him twice within its top 10 artists that were part of the ‘100 Greatest Artists of All Time.’ He also ranks at number two in the magazine’s ‘100 Greatest Singers of All Time.’

How Music Changed the Life of Ray Charles

Charles used his talent in music composition and singing to create a new brand of music that people loved with all their hearts. Despite living in abject poverty during his first year in Orlando, Charles later managed to make it big by playing piano for other people as well as singing whenever an opportunity came along.

How Singing can Change your Life

You will overcome any obstacle on your way to success as long as you still have your voice. Hard work and endurance is also critical. You can also explore other fields within the music industry such as playing particular instruments to complement your singing talent. Finally, be creative and come up with your compositions. Doing so will earn you a good wage and it will catapult you into a life of fame.

Keep reading: “3 Famous Musicians You’ve Got To Know: Classical Singers”>>

Read on: “Inspiration from the Life of Ludwig van Beethoven”>>

For more questions, contact us at info@willanacademy.com or 646-838-3990. Willan Academy of Music offers violin lessons, guitar lessons, and more in NYC, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.