The Piano Men.

Tonight the Amsterdam and I put in another appearance at Symphony Under the Sky! I'm sad to have missed last night's program of John Williams, but I've heard the symphony do those pieces several times and I had other plans.

Was very pleased to be back tonight with their program, The Piano Men. Jim Witter was leading the charge on songs by Elton John and Billy Joel.

I've actually seen both Elton John and Billy Joel live before (not together at the same time). This is going to sound awful, but I actually like Jim Witter more than the real Elton John. When I saw Elton perform he seemed really surly and impatient. There was zero talking in-between songs and no attempt to engage the audience. Maybe he was having a bad night? He just hammered through his set list as fast as he could and then left the stage. Despite the careless performance, people still seemed to dig it. I guess when you're that famous you can get away with it.

Billy Joel was much more fun. He was a good sport and took requests and seemed to actually enjoy himself.

Tonight's concert was livelier and more cheerful than either the Elton or Joel experiences I've previously had. Witter and his band had a great sense of humour and the guy can really belt out a tune.

Before the performance began I went to get my mini doughnuts. The kids operating the booth were very endearing.

Volunteers were asked to help sing the "Nananas" to Crocodile Rock? I think that's the name of the song.

People were digging it in a big way. Waves!

Clap clap clap.

I know I keep harping on the cold, but it's true! I wore a blazer tonight and halfway through the first set I had to put my cape over top.

Lots of people were sporting hats to keep their heads warm. It's where you lose the most heat.

Here is Jon.

Anonymous plaid-cap man.

Cap girl.

More plaid.

And more caps with Glen.

I think the Edmonton Symphony really attempts to portray the symphony's versatility over the course of this little festival. There is something for everyone, with repertoire ranging from Classical and 20th Century to the crowd-pleasing stuff like John Williams and tonight's Piano Men.

A lot of people may forget how prominent symphonic music is these days because it certainly doesn't get as much media coverage (or the same kind of media) as whatever is in the charts. Maybe the symphony needs some auto tuning?

Fact is, symphonic music is all around you. Movies and TV shows alone rely heavily on symphonies to bring soundtracks to life. I just love the idea that a big group of people produce one sound. I'm sure those of you who have played in a band or any kind of ensemble get how great that feels.

I've always thought that music has been the most enjoyable when I get to play with other people. My best memories of piano have been playing concerto with my old teacher. All that solo stuff? So much pressure and so much work. That's the one sad thing about playing piano as your instrument. You always end up practising alone and you often end up playing alone, unless your job is to accompany, which I find even worst. You have to be perfect and nobody appreciates the crazy amount of work it takes to be perfect.

This is just my own personal experience. I've always been lazy about the technical side of piano so being a perfect accompanist has always been stressful for me. And I don't really have the particular music-ego that is required to be a great soloist. When it comes to music and piano I play quite well, but my greatest strength is teaching.

Oh, the pros of playing piano as your instrument is that it's super versatile. You can play melody and harmony at the same time, and you have to get your instrument tuned, but you're not directly responsible for tuning each and every time you sit down.

There are so many people in the orchestra and each one of them has their own story, experiences, and opinions about music. The thing I really love about going to the symphony is seeing how all these individuals come together to create something whole. It's very impressive.