November 2021 Member Spotlight - Frank Scaccia

[Katie Rushing]

Hi PWJ Members! 

This month's spotlight goes to..........

Frank Scaccia!    @Frank S

Please join me in congratulating him!

Where are you from?
I'm from a suburb outside of Syracuse, NY called Liverpool.  I remember as a child hearing that the Beatles were from "Liverpool" and I thought they were from my town, LOL.  I've been living in S. Florida since 2004.
 

When did you start playing piano?
I can remember always being drawn to the piano whenever I was in a home that had one.  I couldn't play a thing but I remember having a fascination with the piano.  I believe I was 18 or 19 when I first began to try and learn to play. 
 

What got you interested in learning music?
I can remember just having an urge to go out and buy a keyboard.  Within a day or two of me doing that, I saw an infomercial "Play Piano Overnight" by Patty Carlson I think it was.  Without hesitation, I ordered the program and anxiously awaited the arrival of the VHS tape (lol).
I was thrilled when it arrived because it was not about reading music, it was making music at the keyboard and explained in a way that easily clicked with me.  There was a vol. 2 called "Play the Blues Overnight" and I couldn't believe the serendipity.
 

What is your favorite style of piano music?
It's got to be New Orleans Rythm and Blues.  Specifically, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, James Booker, Jon Cleary just to name some of my absolute favorites.  Blues in general though is high on my list.
 

Do you have any favorite pieces to play?
For the longest time, I mostly played an improvised blues shuffle that I developed over the years from the "Play Overnight" series and a few local piano teachers I met back in Syracuse.  Both were in bands and I learned some good stuff at the keyboard with them as well.  Since joining PWJ, Bernie's Blues was my first love.  Now I'm knee deep in the 1950's Rock 'n Roll course.  It is really fun to play and quite challenging.  I'm really loving it!
 

What has most helped you most in improving as a pianist?
I believe I have improved more in the past 10 months than I have in the previous 30 years.  I let a lot of good years go by without taking learning to play piano seriously.  Sure, I would play quite often during those years but I didn't buckle down and really learn what I was doing.  Making the decision to join PWJ has clearly the catalyst to my improvement these past 10 months.  Additionally, I have created some very powerful habits/disciplines that are really making a difference.  I have been an early riser for many years.  5 or 5:30AM was not unusual for me to wake up.  In the past 6 months or so, I have begun waking up at 4AM and going right to the piano (after my coffee was done brewing, of course 🤣)  I have found that this is a great time for me to practice.  My wife and kids are not up at that time and I can get at least 90 of practice before anyone else gets up.  
 

Do you have any tips for other PWJ members?
Pay attention to what part of the day you are most alert and available to practice.  I have found that my practice is typically not productive if I try to practice at night when I come home from work, but I wake up excited and eager to practice first think in the morning.  I don't think everyone will feel the same about that but I think it would help each person to find the zone that is right for them.  Then be consistent with practice.
 

What is your favorite part of the PWJ Membership?
Wow, what a difficult question!  There are so many wonderful parts of being a PWJ member.  The course curriculum is AMAZING!  Jonny is a genius when it comes to not only playing, but TEACHING others!  Being great at something doesn't always translate into being able to transfer that knowledge or ability to others.  Jonny's method really works, in my humble opinion.  I think what may be my favorite part and what was the most unexpected was the community of people I have had the pleasure to interact with through the member's private Facebook group.  There's something special about this community.  It truly is the friendliest and most supportive group on Facebook.  At least out of any that I have ever been a part of.  My hat is off to the PWJ staff for cultivating this amazing community.  It's really a blessing that I have stumbled upon this outstanding group of members!
 

What are your future music goals?I want to continue to make up for lost ground over the past 30 years.  I want to have a better understanding of music theory.  Usually when I hear/read people talking music theory, I'm completely lost!  It's as if it were in Chinese.  As a matter of fact, the first few times I logged into a Question/Answer show on the PWJ site, I was afraid to ask any questions because I didn't want to look like an idiot.  I'd like to learn at least a half dozen songs that I could play very confidently in front of others.  I've had this fantasy of being somewhere where there's a piano and I get people to bust into a "Piano Man" sing along!  One day that's gotta happen. 😜

 

Do you have any words you try to live by or a favorite quote?
Being a martial arts educator, I have loads of quotes bouncing around in my head.  It's so hard to come up with a favorite.  There's a few that I think could serve us all well, if we were to really embrace them:

"You can always do more than you think you can."

"If I can't then I must, and if I must then I will."

"Self-discipline is doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, even if I don't feel like doing it."

[Christopher B]

What a great interview! I loved hearing about Frank’s journey and his appreciation for this community - which I believe to be truly unique in its shared sense of discovery in music, and just wanting to learn and do more. Thanks, Frank, for sharing your time and talents with us - look forward to seeing and hearing more from you and, as a fellow martial artist - OSS!!

[Frank S]

Thanks, Christopher! I appreciate your kind words. That’s cool that you’re also a martial artists 👊🏼 OSS!

[Elisa]

Frank! I finally found the time to watch your interview -- so thoroughly enjoyed it.  I love how you wake up early, eager to get to the piano. No wonder you're making such great strides (no pun intended lol). I also love it that you don't read music and you still do so well -- gives me hope as a really bad reader of music. It was so fun when you mentioned my version of Bernie's Blues 🙂  One of my great accomplishments in life was inspiring you! Thanks for sharing your story and your enthusiasm for piano with us.  --Elisa

[Sharon Kae D]

Hi Frank

I just saw your interview and I so enjoyed it.  I could really relate with those early tuggings at your heart for the piano. Like you, I never had any lessons or training, but when I was around seven, I found an old upright piano that was stored in a shed on our property.  I have no idea whose it was or why it was in that building, but I would go in there, squeeze my way past lots of boxes and junk, to get to those dust covered keys, and plunk away.  In our home I would lay on the  carpet next to our stereo player and listen to Roger Williams, and dream about how someday I would play like that.  For my college graduation, my parents who were totally unmusical but recognized an unfulfilled passion in me, gave me a lovely console piano for a gift.  I could hardly play at that time, but I took the dive, and dabbled at it for years.  Skip ahead about forty years, after raising a large family of six children, and here I am into my second year of Piano With Jonny, and loving it all.  The exciting thing is seeing the progress in just a short time. I love improvisation ( especially the jazz ballad)  and original composition, and now I am seeing many of the techniques that Jonny teaches being applied to so many of my own songs plus the great jazz and blues tunes I enjoy playing I love the ballads from the 30's and 40's; the stuff that made Frank Sinatra and so many others! Thanks, Frank, for sharing your story!  I love your passion for the piano, and your passion for moving forward little by little!  I have never been someone who wanted to be on FB, and know I am missing out on so much from the PWJ community that shares that platform, so who knows, maybe one day I will take that plunge too. You've certainly made me rethink that.  Best wishes in all your blues pursuits!

[Frank S]

On 12/8/2021 at 8:19 PM, Elisa said:

Frank! I finally found the time to watch your interview -- so thoroughly enjoyed it.  I love how you wake up early, eager to get to the piano. No wonder you're making such great strides (no pun intended lol). I also love it that you don't read music and you still do so well -- gives me hope as a really bad reader of music. It was so fun when you mentioned my version of Bernie's Blues 🙂  One of my great accomplishments in life was inspiring you! Thanks for sharing your story and your enthusiasm for piano with us.  --Elisa

Thanks, Elisa!  Glad you saw the interview, especially since you were my first inspiration from PWJ members!  Looking forward to another year with PWJ 😃

[Frank S]

On 12/11/2021 at 4:11 PM, Sharon Kae D said:

Hi Frank

I just saw your interview and I so enjoyed it.  I could really relate with those early tuggings at your heart for the piano. Like you, I never had any lessons or training, but when I was around seven, I found an old upright piano that was stored in a shed on our property.  I have no idea whose it was or why it was in that building, but I would go in there, squeeze my way past lots of boxes and junk, to get to those dust covered keys, and plunk away.  In our home I would lay on the  carpet next to our stereo player and listen to Roger Williams, and dream about how someday I would play like that.  For my college graduation, my parents who were totally unmusical but recognized an unfulfilled passion in me, gave me a lovely console piano for a gift.  I could hardly play at that time, but I took the dive, and dabbled at it for years.  Skip ahead about forty years, after raising a large family of six children, and here I am into my second year of Piano With Jonny, and loving it all.  The exciting thing is seeing the progress in just a short time. I love improvisation ( especially the jazz ballad)  and original composition, and now I am seeing many of the techniques that Jonny teaches being applied to so many of my own songs plus the great jazz and blues tunes I enjoy playing I love the ballads from the 30's and 40's; the stuff that made Frank Sinatra and so many others! Thanks, Frank, for sharing your story!  I love your passion for the piano, and your passion for moving forward little by little!  I have never been someone who wanted to be on FB, and know I am missing out on so much from the PWJ community that shares that platform, so who knows, maybe one day I will take that plunge too. You've certainly made me rethink that.  Best wishes in all your blues pursuits!

Hi Sharon,

Glad you enjoyed the interview 😊  You know, you could just create a facebook account and not friend anyone and only go on the PWJ members group.  I think you would enjoy the interaction with the other members.  Thanks for sharing your comments. 🙏🏼😃

[Vince P]

Nice interview

[Thomas J]

Just saw this, Frank. Congratulations on this, and the Christmas Show Award. Very good interview. I'm wondering, if you don't mind, what branch of service was your dad in? I played drums in the Navy (bootcamp) Drum and Bugle corp. That was in San Diego in 1968. It was only for a few months.