1. 80% of students normally quit before they reach level 2 lessons, usually denoted by playing a simple song with both hands simultaneously.

2. Professional pianists practice 8 to 10 hours per day.

3. Most teachers start their students out by having them practice the C major scale.

4. To aid in conveying proper technique to the student, the teacher refers to each finger as a number...1 through 5 starting on each thumb.

5. The average beginner piano lesson lasts one half hour and costs $30.00.

6. The common exercises done to gain and maintain speed and finger independence are the Hanon and Schmidt exercises.

7. It is generally easier for a jazz pianist to switch over to classical music study than vice versa.

8. For beginner's, practicing 15-30 minutes each day between lessons is more beneficial than cramming all practice time into hours on end.

9. The two most popular songs beginner pianists learn before they take formal lessons are Heart and Soul and Fur Elise.

10. Over 95% of piano music does not call for the use of the middle "sostenuto" pedal which only sustains notes already being held with the hands as the pedal is pressed.

Not only can robots play according to a strict set of instructions, they also can be fitted with the ability to hear harmony and correctly play their own solo line over it as an improvisation.

This video shows how robot can faithfully reproduce a transcribed saxophone solo.

It could be that I'm just very partial to owning a hard copy of all my music, that I enjoy looking at the cover art, or skimming the liner notes, but I love my CD's. Even with iTunes and the availability of mp3 downloads, the first CD release is and will always be the artist's second birthday. When you look back at cassettes and vinyl, it's obvious why they didn't stand the test of time. Audio degradation with each play would ruin the music, but CD's can practically last forever if handled properly. There is no physical friction that wears any surfaces down, just a reflecting laser beam. An mp3 file doesn't age. It's case doesn't crack from being opened too many times. It's label doesn't start to peel away and you never feel it in your hands or see it sitting on top of your stereo. Fans will always want to feel connected the to artist by holding the album in their hands. That's real ownership.

I'm really on the hunt for a keytar! I want to bring this awesome instrument back to the forefront of stages throughout the city. For those of you who don't know what it is, it's a small keyboard you throw over your shoulder like you would a guitar strap. What's awesome about it is it let's you share the front of the stage with the lead guitar so you aren't stuck behind a big synthesizer. The audience goes nuts whenever a good keyboardist gets on the keytar, no matter what style of music is being played. You should check out Patrice Rushen's YouTube videos and old Steely Dan clips to get a good sense of how it's done right!

In the jazz world, there have been few innovators like Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock, Charlie Parker, and Wayne Shorter. These guys kept the music fresh, and others still love playing their songs. They'll never die. It's now time for some new artists to step up to the plate and give this next decade, still young, it's signature sounds. It's up to all of you to discover them and give them a chance. There are only 12 tones in our chromatic scale. That's it! What's been done with them over the past few hundred years is breathtaking, and what lies ahead is exciting, uncharted territory! If you can't find musical talent within yourself, find it in others.