Better Than Billy Joel?
Perhaps the most interesting “news” item I’ve read all month is the story of “Piano Man” who, since being in the custody of a British mental ward for the past six weeks, has not spoken a single word but has composed music on manuscript paper, played the piano for several hours without stop, and has made an extremely well-crafted pencil drawing of a grand piano.
Either this is all an extremely brilliant PR stunt, worthy of a George Antheil or John Cage or one of their latter-day accolades like Paris-based American pianist Guy Livingston, or it is further proof that music transcends language. I just hope someone in the ward has the smarts to record one of his performances, although anyone attempting such a venture might be scared off by possible patient’s rights lawsuits which are an even bigger legal Tower of Babel than today’s intellectual property battles.