httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bFwDkh3sW0
For some reason I was thinking back on when I used to play piano at Knott’s Berry Farm in the Calico Saloon (and sometimes subbing at the old Bird Cage Theater melodramas). We did short Old West themed shows and in the summer the Can Can show. The piano style was so much fun. Barrelhouse and Scott Joplin style music. Lots of improvisation ham.
When you play the ragtime style several hours a day on a regular basis it’s a wonderful feeling. Really gets the chops in place. Add to that the camaraderie and competition of the other pianists doing the same thing in different shifts – and you really get in the zone for that style.
I remember at the time I lived in the California High Desert and was playing a lot of country music. I would show up to work in my cowboy boots, cowboy hat and vest – then put on my show outfit which were dress shoes and spats, bowler hat and vest. Basically the same outfit I wore anyway at the time.
Playing at the Calico Saloon for about three years. I would do gigs at night in Southern California (mainly country saloons) then get up early in the morning to do shows at Knott’s Berry Farm. Then would sleep between the shows. This must have been around 1994 or 1996 because I remember writing songs for one of my first CD releases during that time.
I can distinctly remember playing with a band in Vegas and sitting in the hotel room after a show. I felt this impending doom that I would spend the rest of my life playing in Las Vegas bar bands, get old and die. I remember scouring for any job openings and saw the pianist opening at Knott’s Berry Farm. My Vegas gig ended at 4am and the Knott’s music audition was the same morning around 9am. I hired a friend to drive me from Vegas to Buena Park, CA after the gig so I could audition. At the audition they wanted us to play a prepared piece. I hadn’t prepared anything because I thought it was a sight reading audition. I remember each pianist getting up and saying “I am now going to play blah blah piece comp0sed by blah blah comp0ser”. So when it was my turn I made up a song name and comp0ser name – then improvised a ragtime piece with a deliberate opener and closer so it would sound composed. Anyway, that was a very fun experience. They hired me and I loved working there, The other artists were so much fun.
I also remember that many of us that worked at Knott’s had the dream of working at Disneyland. I remember the other piano players telling me how difficult it was to get a piano job at Disneyland because the piano players never leave.
So today I was searching YouTube just to listen to Disneyland pianists and found all these videos of Rod Miller. He’s so fantastic and I wanted to share some of those videos with you here. My understanding is that he’s retired now but I did find some CD’s of his that you can order online if you search.
Rod Miller is such a true master. Really incredible work. Hope you enjoy the videos and reading about him.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpPXjzUVto4
If you’ve been to Disneyland you might have had the experience of walking down Main Street and hearing the sound of the live piano slowly coming into range. There’s the excitement of having just entered Disneyland and then the uptempo piano – such a great memory for so many people.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQzxgztUv44
ROD MILLER – DISNEYLAND PIANIST
Rod Miller’s exuberant renditions of favorite rags and popular standards have been delighting audiences at Disneyland Park for over three decades. Raised on a farm in Staples, Minnesota, Rod arrived in Southern California in 1966, and worked as a graphic artist while pursuing his dream learning to play ragtime piano. Having saved enough money to purchase an old-time player piano, he learned the complex rhythms of ragtime.
Rod slowed down the piano rolls and rehearsed two or three measures at a time until he mastered the music. Practicing two to six hours a day, it took him three months to learn his first piece, “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.” Soon Rod had developed his signature up-tempo style.
In 1969, a Disneyland Park talent scout was searching for a ragtime piano player for the famed theme park. After hearing Rod’s energetic style at the Maple Leaf Club, the scout recognized this unique talent. Since that time, Rod has entertained and charmed many of the more than 200 million visitors who have strolled past the Coca Cola Refreshment Corner on Main Street U.S.A. Rod’s exhilarating style continues to attract audiences of all ages.
