There are some aspects I enjoy, such as how well the whole music is done. But the main thing to me is the rhythm of it all. It’s very slow and steady, and it is almost reminiscent of dancing on a train, I think.
As a student of Waltz, what were some of your teachers and musical influences?
The one person I’ve taken from the greatest to least is my piano teacher in the early 1980s, Dr. James A. Rucker. I’d say he was my second teacher, but I could probably say the same about anyone. His teaching method was very similar to Waltz, in that most of your movements are done in the same hand each time, and you play with the same fingers. I really appreciated how he taught me to play with just a few notes. He also taught me to feel how the music moved through my body and that my body got more and more comfortable with each note. Also, my music teacher Dr. Robert Dallek was always very helpful. Dr. Dallek is a pioneer of modern music. It had a lot to do with his work with students, as he would talk about their musical talents, and how each individual talent was a unique combination of the other individuals’ talents. He was also a master of the piano. One of my favorite songs to hear now is, “Ella Mae,” by Mr. C.J. Cook. Dr. Dallek was a very knowledgeable person, and made the time and effort to help me practice, and to provide me with music.
Do you still have your old piano?
The one that I used to play with my mother. I can’t remember what I’m doing on it now.
The album “The Best Thing You Got” from 2010 also uses the Waltz theme. How did you get involved with that?
It was another example of how Waltz has had a wide range of influences throughout the decades. It is very much a Waltz-inspired song. As far as music itself, many of the songs do not have a Waltz influence. They are songs that I had made in the past, but I’ve taken them up a level because I was really enjoying how the Waltz movement came alive within them. There was a song that I wrote for the soundtrack of the film, called “All Night, All the Time,” It was a very “waltz” song.
What do you think about the modern Walt
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