Tinkering on the ivories in the EMU is a favorite diversion from classwork for some students. For other individuals, playing the piano is more than “Heart and Soul.”
John Maggi spends an occasional afternoon in the EMU lounge, at the Carson dining hall or in dorm lounges adding to his passion.
“It is my chance to make music,” said Maggi, a sophomore music education major. “I spend all my days making music at the School of Music, and it’s a real ego boost to be able to impress the people around me.”
Although his main instrument is the French horn, Maggi started playing the piano under his father’s influence 13 years ago. Maggi said he does not bring music to practice from, he just plays from memory.
Making music “is an extension of the body,” Maggi said. “You need skills in art and dance, but with music you don’t necessarily need training — anyone can sing ‘la, la, la.’”
He practices the piano 15 to 20 minutes a day, which he does not consider “hard core.” However, he devotes more than two hours daily to the French horn.
“It would be the coolest to win an Oscar for Best Original Score, but in reality, I will probably become a high school band director in a large suburban area,” he said.
Maggi composes his own pieces with improvisational skills and experience. His ideas are spurred from arrangements he enjoys, such as the “Feather Theme” for “Forrest Gump.” He also relies on music as a motivation while studying.
“Music keeps my mind going,” Maggi said.
Music education major and freshman Jennifer Gilding said she enjoys Maggi’s music.
“He can play the piano, and I can’t, [but] I know what kind of talent it takes,” Gilding said.
While the pianists get their kicks, students milling in the lounge also benefit from the tunes.
“This [EMU lounge] is a good place to study,” junior history major Larry Platzke said, as he listened a recent musical offering. “The people who play here are not typical. I’m from Alaska, so I listen to a wide array of people, and sometimes I’ll hear something really amazing.”
Music business major Jose Amado Correa is an exchange student who came to the University from Mexico. On his breaks from working in the kitchen at Carson dining hall, Amado spent time entertaining the people who came to eat meals. Eventually, he was hired to play the piano in Carson dining hall Monday through Friday at dinner time.
“I really need the money, and it’s great that they can pay me for doing this,” he said. “It’s much better than dicing tomatoes in the basement.”
Amado has been playing the piano and studying vocal singing for five years. He was 18 when he touched the piano for the first time. Because he started at such a late age, Amado compensated by taking piano lessons and practicing frequently.
“I wish I had started studying music when I was 6 years old,” he said. “Music is like a language, the younger you study it, the easier it is. It was not until three years ago that I really decided to learn English and come to America.”
Amado said he wants to graduate and then work for a record or opera company. He said he thinks he will have more success as a singer than as a pianist.
“The piano, for me, is mostly for fun, as a complement for my studies,” Amado said.
Amado said the rewards of the job are what keep him playing, and he occasionally receives tips and compliments from listeners. He said he constantly keeps his listeners in mind while playing.
“It makes me nervous, and I make mistakes sometimes,” he said. “But I will get use to it. This was my first week.”