1. WILLIAM “Billy” Joel the piano man
A look at his life, achievements, and music.

2. History Birth date: May 9, 1949
Parents: Howard and Rosalind Joel (later divorced)
Born in Bronx, New York
Raised in Hicksville, New York on Long Island
Started learning and playing music at a very young age—mainly classical
Not long after his birth Joel’s parents moved the family to Hicksville, New York. Not long after, Joel’s father moved out and his parents got a divorce. His first encounter with a piano was at the age of four. He started with classical music and still loves the genre to this day.

3. Musical Influences The Beatles Ray Charles Paul McCartney
Rolling Stones
BIGGEST INFLUENCE WAS THE BEATLES
Many artists have influenced Billy Joel through out his life, but the biggest influence were The Beatles. Billy watched them on the Ed Sullivan show and realized that they were just like him—young, long haired boys who loved to play music. It was after watching them that he realized he could do that too. Ray Charles, another big influence is who he named his only daughter after (Alexa RAY).

4. Personal Influences Experiences with depression/suicide
-attempted twice in his life (age )
Personal relationships
-married three times
-Daughter Alexa Ray
His upbringing in Long Island, New York
-wrote many songs about the city and state
In an interview in 1985, Joel talks of his struggles with depression and attempted suicide. After the experienced he faced he wanted to help other teenagers, and others who struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts, by using his gifts. He wrote the song Second Wind “Only Human” – a song about someone talking a teenager out of committing suicide.
His personal relationships influenced his song writing as well. He’s been married three times. Most publicized were marriages with Christie Brinkley (mother of Joel’s only daughter, Alexa Ray), and supermodel Katie Lee (recently divorced). His upbringing in New York is written and sung about in many of his songs.

5. Recorded/released 19 albums. Recorded mainly with Columbia Records.
Albums Released
Recorded/released 19 albums.
Recorded mainly with Columbia Records.
Piano Man (1973)
Street Life Serenade (1974)
Turnstiles (1976)
The Stranger (1977)
52nd Street (1978)
Glass Houses (1979)
Songs in the Attic-Live (1981)
The Nylon Curtain (1982)
An Innocent Man (1983) Cold Spring Harbor-rerelease (1983)
Greatest Hits Volume I and II (1983)
The Bridge (1985)
Kohuept-Live Concert in Russia (1987)
Storm Front (1988)
River of Dreams (1991)
Greatest Hits Volume III (1986)
Billy Joel 2000 years Millennium Concert (1999)
Opus 1-10 Fantasies and Delusions- Music for Solo Piano (2001)
All My Life (2007)
Joel has recorded about 20 albums in his lifetime/career. His albums recorded/released through Columbia records are the ones listed.

6. Innovative Albums Top 10 on the Billboard Charts:
-The Stranger -52nd Street
-Glass Houses -Songs in the Attic
-Nylon Curtain -An Innocent Man
-River of Dreams
Number 1 position:
-52nd Street -Glass Houses
Kohuept, live album recorded in the Soviet Union
Songs in the Attic and Nylon Curtain tie him with
The Beatles
The albums listed were the albums that were significant in Joel’s career—ones that made it to the top of the billboard charts and held number one positions. Kophuept is significant because it’s what marks Billy Joel being the “first U.S. Pop Artist to bring a full rock production to the Soviet Union. Albums Songs in the Attic and Nylon Curtain tie him with the Beatles for the artist with the most multiplatinum albums—Joel has tied with his greatest musical influences'.

7. Awards Grammys: -Record of the Year -Album of the Year
-Song of the Year
-Best Male Vocalist (two times)
-Grammy Legend Award
Cashbox:
-Best New Male Vocalist
AMA:
People’s Choice Award:
-Favorite Male Pop Performer
Songwriters Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Music Cares Person
Other awards of Billy Joel include ones stated above.

8. Other Notable Accomplishments
Performed with Artists:
-Sting
-Paul McCartney
-Cindy Lauper
-Steve Winwood
-Ray Charles
-Don Henley
-Elton John
Produced Broadway Musical “Movin’ Out”
Voice in and musical artist of Disney’s “Oliver and Company”
Other notable accomplishments of Joel are performing with artists like Sting, Paul McCartney (his greatest influence), Cindy Lauper, Ray Charles (who he named his daughter after and who also inducted Joel in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), Don Henley, Steve Winwood, and Elton John. John and Joel have gone on tour together a couple of times through out their career. Joel helped produce the Broadway Musical titled “Movin’ Out” based on his music. He was the voice for a Disney character in “Oliver and Company” for which he wrote the song “Why Should I Worry?”

9. It’s hard to just pick 15 minutes worth…
Composition History
In this presentation we will look at the history of the following works:
-Piano Man
-New York State of Mind
-Lullaby (Goodnight my Angel)
-You’re Only Human (Second Wind)
It’s hard to just pick 15 minutes worth…
Joel has many songs worth knowing!
We will discuss the history of the songs listed above. The history will involve the influences for writing the piece, who performed with him, and who produced/recorded the song. It’s hard to pick just 15 minutes worth! I highly suggest listening to lots of Joel’s songs because the ones that are most popular are only a glimpse of his talent. Many songs are worth knowing!

10. Piano Man Influences: experiences working in a piano bar in L.A.
Album: Piano Man
Musicians: Joel and his band
Produced by: Columbia Records
*First single to reach the Top 20 on the Billboard Charts (1973)

11. New York State of Mind Influence: love for his home state and city
Album: Turnstiles
Musicians: Him and his band
Produced by: Columbia Records
*Most known performances are those performed in New York.

12. Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel)
Influences: Daughter Alexa Ray
Album: River of Dreams (1991)
Produced by: Columbia Records
Musicians: Joel and band plus orchestra instruments
*Wanted a song dedicated to her to help her through life when he isn’t there anymore
This song was written for Alexa Ray when she was just a baby/toddler.

13. You’re Only Human (Second Wind)
Influence: Personal struggles with depression and attempted suicide during his twenties
Album: Greatest Hits Volume I and II
Produced by: Columbia Records Musicians: Joel and his band
The website above describes the times he’s been through attempts of suicide and depression and when he decided to write You’re Only Human (Second Wind). When he was in his young twenties he attempted suicide by drinking a bottle of furniture polish and another time overdosing on pills. He wanted to write a song that would give people with these same temptations a sense of hope and comfort, the feelings he came to have after spending time in a rehab center after one of his attempts.

14. Listening Guide Section
In this presentation we will discuss the music of the following songs:
-Piano Man
-New York State of Mind
-Lullaby (Goodnight my Angel)
We will focus on:
Form
Melody
Harmony
Rhythm
Dynamics
Timbre
Texture

15. The form is in the classic form of most popular songs:
-Introduction
-Verses
-Chorus
-Bridge
Piano Man
0:00—Song starts -Texture: Piano and harmonica (very simple/bar-like) *Instruments also make up the melody, harmony, dynamics, rhythm, and timbre. 0:30—Verse 1 starts -Vocals join along with the bass, accordion, and drum set making up all attributes of musical form 1:26—Chorus begins 1:56—Verse 2 starts (same as verse 1 except with different lyrics) 2:43—Verse 3 starts (same as verse 1 and 2) 3:26—Bridge/Piano Solo -Instead of having lyrics in the bridge like a lot of songs do, the bridge focuses on the piano. 3:41—Chorus 4:11—Verse 4 starts -Different dynamics than in previous verses 4:57—Chorus -Much bigger dynamics than previous -Texture becomes more simple towards the end when bass and drum leave and the piano, harmonica, and accordion take over the texture, timbre, melody, harmony, and rhythm. 5:38—Song ends
The form of “Piano Man” is a classic form for popular songs. It starts out with an introduction, consists of four verses, with the chorus and bridge sung between them.
0:00 Introduction: The piano starts off with setting a rhythm and harmony for the harmonica that takes the lead on the melody. After the initial piano introduction played mezzo forte, the harmonica joins in to increase the volume to about a forte. The rhythm starts out slow and then speeds up to what sounds like six counts per measure. The timbre is made up of the piano and the harmonica. The texture consists of the piano playing the harmony and the harmonica playing the melody.
0:30 Verse 1 begins: The melody is replaced with vocals instead of the harmonica with the piano, bass, and accordion playing the harmony. The drums take over to carry the rhythm/beat. The introduction leads into the first verse with a softer volume but as the verse progresses the volume increases to emphasize the lyrics. The timbre consists of the piano, the harmonica, vocals, the bass, the accordion, and the drum set. The texture is made up of the piano, accordion, and bass giving the harmony with vocals and harmonica giving the melody, and the drum set establishing the beat/rhythm.
1:26 Chorus: The melody continues with vocals and harmonica with the piano and bass holding the harmony. The accordion is not used during the chorus. The drums continue holding the beat/rhythm (which stays the same the whole time). The volume increases from the first verse to the chorus to add emphasis. The timbre consists of the piano, harmonica, vocals, bass, and drums. The texture is made up of the piano and bass giving harmony with vocals and the harmonica providing the melody. The drums keep the beat/rhythm.
1:56 Verse 2 begins: The musical form of verse2 is the same as verse 1 bringing familiarity back to the listener. I feel an important note to make is that he chooses not to do the chorus after verse 2. He instead goes into the 3rd verse with a lead on the piano, the same lead as he goes into the chorus from verse 1 (the progression of the piano after the ‘La dee dah’s’), giving the listener another familiarity to know that the verse is changing into another verse or into the chorus.
2:43 Verse 3 begins: Verse 3 is again the same as verse 1 and 2.
3:26 Bridge/ Piano Solo: Instead of having lyrics in the bridge like a lot of songs do, Billy Joel had the bridge be a focus on the piano. The melody is carried by the top hand of the piano and the harmony is carried by the bottom hand of the piano and the bass. The rhythm was set by the drums. The dynamics are pretty constant until the lead into the chorus. The timbre consists of the piano, bass, and drums. The piano has the melody and harmony (accompanied by the bass) and the drums hold the rhythm. The texture consists of the piano, bass, and drum. By the end, going into the chorus, the harmonica joins in as part of the melody.
3:41 Chorus: The chorus is repeated like the first time it was sung. The dynamics decrease going into the 4th verse.
4:11 Verse 4 begins: The fourth verse is played in the same way as the first three except that the progression in dynamics has a bigger contrast compared to the other verses. To the listener, we feel more emotion because of the intensity of volume emitted by the instruments and vocals.
4: 57 Chorus: The last chorus is sung with the same melody and harmony as previously performed except that the dynamics are much bigger to reach the climax. Towards the end the texture breaks up by dropping the bass and drums and leaving just the piano, harmonica, and accordion similar to how the song started drawing the song to a close.
5:38 Ends

16. New York State of Mind
Form is unique! Consists of: Verses Bridge Instrumental
NO CHORUS
0:00—Introduction begins: All aspects are made up just the piano (1 whole minute of piano) 0:56—Verse 1: Vocals come in taking over the melody 1:33—Verse 2: Violins and saxophone join in adding to the texture and timbre. 2:10—Bridge:Rhythm continues being sustained by the drum set. 2:43—Verse 3: Same as verse 1 and 2 (besides lyrics) 3:19—Instrumental: Melody is carried by the saxophone 3:54– Bridge (repeated): Melody carried by vocals changes slightly 4:30—Verse 4 (lyrics to verse 3): Changes are bigger emphasis on beats and vocal melody 5:06– Coda: Line from first verse “I’m just taking a greyhound…” is repeated bringing the listener back to the beginning— familiarity. 6:05—Song ends
The form on “New York State of Mind” is different compared to most popular forms of popular songs. Instead of having a chorus the song is made up of just verses, bridges, and instrumental. If to get really technical, the line “I’m in a New York state of mind” would be considered the chorus because it’s the only thing that is repeated like a chorus would be, but I didn’t count it as a chorus because it is attached to the verses as if it’s a part of them.
0:00 Introduction: The melody and harmony are made up of only the piano. The rhythm is a steady four counts per measure. The timbre consists of the piano. The texture consists of the piano playing the harmony, melody, and rhythm. The dynamics build and decrease through the solo.
0:56 Verse 1 begins: Billy comes in with vocals, which take over the melody, and the piano then takes the harmony. The rhythm is sustained by the piano. The dynamics stay constant in pitch throughout the verse. The timbre consists of the piano and vocals. The texture consists of the piano (harmony and rhythm) and vocals (melody).
1:33 Verse 2 begins: The melody continues with the vocals and then by the end the saxophone. The piano is joined with string instruments (violins) to make up the harmony. The rhythm is carried by the drum set. The dynamics increase and decrease to add emotion to the song depending on the lyrics. The timbre consists of the vocals, the piano, violins, drum set, and saxophone. The texture is composed of the vocals and the saxophone with the melody, the piano and violins with the harmony, and the drum set with the rhythm.
2:10 Bridge: The melody continues to be the vocals with the piano and violins composing the harmony. The rhythm is sustained by the drum set. The timbre consists of the vocals, piano, violins, and drum set. The texture is made up of the vocals with the melody, the piano and violins with the harmony, and the drum set with the rhythm. The rhythm slows down and speeds up to give more texture throughout the song.
2:42 Verse 3 : Verse three has the same form as verse 1 and 2 (with a change of lyrics). Verse three leads into the instrumental portion of the song.
3:19 Instrumental: the melody within the instrumental section is carried by the saxophone. The piano and violins make up the harmony and the rhythm is kept by the drums. The dynamics of the harmony stay constant throughout, but the dynamics of the saxophone increases and decreases.
3:54 Bridge (repeated): The bridge is performed the same as before by the instruments, except with a slight change in the melody. The melody is still carried by the vocals except that it goes higher than previously sung in some parts.
4:30 Verse 4 (lyrics to Verse 3): Verse three is repeated making up verse four. Slight changes within the verse though are the bigger emphasizes on the beats within the drumming and the slight change in the vocal melody. The rhythm also slows down towards the end to lead into the ending phrases.
5:06 Coda: The line from the first verse, “I’m just taking a greyhound on the Hudson River line… I’m in a New York State mind” is repeated with changes to the harmony and definitely the speed of the line. Piano segments are added to slow the song down to lead to the finale of the song where all the instruments come together once again to bring the song to a close.
6:05 Ends

17. Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel)
Form is similar to
New York State of Mind—
This form, in my opinion, gives
The song a more serious feeling
(helps portray the message)
Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel)
0:00—Introduction: Texture consists of the violins and piano on the harmony with the piano playing the melody while keeping the rhythm *Very soothing (like a lullaby)
1:01 Verse 2 Begins: “…like a boat out on the ocean…” includes the French horn. Sounds like a boat horn
1:51—Bridge/Instrumental: the violins and horn play the harmony; piano plays most of the melody
2:17—Verse 3:Violins come in about half way through to add to the texture
0:13 Verse 1 Begins: Piano and vocals make up the timbre.
2:56—Verse 3 add-on: Dynamics decrease as song gets closer to the end
3:33—Song Ends
The form of “Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel)” is similar to “New York State of Mind” where it does not contain a chorus. It has been my observation that not a lot of popular songs written today have this form. I think that this form, in this case, gives the song a more serious feeling and helps portray what the message of the song is about.
0:00 Introduction: The melody is played the top hand of the piano while the bottom hand and the violin make up the harmony. The rhythm is a slow 4/4 meter and is carried by the piano. The timbre is made up of the piano and violins. It starts off very soft dynamically and crescendos and decrescendos to lead into the first verse. The texture consists of the violins and piano on the harmony with the piano playing the melody while keeping the rhythm.
0:13 Verse 1 begins: The melody is sung by the vocals and played by the piano, while the piano also continues playing the harmony. The rhythm stays a 4/4 meter but speeds up to be a little faster than the introduction and still kept by the piano. The dynamics are kept at a medium level of loudness. The piano and vocals make up the timbre. The texture consists of the vocals and piano playing the melody and the piano playing the harmony while keeping the rhythm.
1:01 Verse 2 begins: The melody is made up of the vocals and piano. The harmony is made up of the piano, violins, and in the later part of the verse (lyrics: “…like a boat out on the ocean…”), the French horn. The dynamics vary throughout the verse, increasing and decreasing with the intensity of the lyrics. The vocals, piano, violins, and French horn make up the timbre. The texture is made up of the vocals and piano making the melody and the piano, violins, and French horn making up the harmony. The rhythm continues to be sustained by the piano.
1:51 Bridge/Instrumental: The bridge consists of the piano playing the majority of the melody with a little vocals and violins taking over at certain times (2:03). The violins and horn play the harmony along with the piano. The rhythm continues to be upheld by the piano. The dynamics increase and decrease to build and lead into the 3rd verse. The piano, violins, vocals, and horn continue to make up the timbre. The texture consists of the piano, violins, and vocals making up the melody, the violins, piano, and horn making up the harmony, and the piano making up the rhythm.
2:17 Verse 3 begins: The melody goes to the piano and vocals like in the previous verses. The violins come in about half way through to add to the harmony along with the piano. The rhythm is played by the piano. The dynamics grow and build throughout the verse and then decrease towards the end to go into the add-on of the verse. The timbre continues to be made up of the piano, vocals, and violins. The texture is made up again the piano (melody, harmony, and rhythm), vocals (melody), and violins (harmony).
2:56 Verse 3 add-on: The melody is made up of vocals and piano. The harmony is made up of the piano and violins, with the horn coming in towards the end. The rhythm is still upheld by the piano. The timbre consists the piano, vocals, violins, and horn. The texture is made up of the piano and vocals with the melody and the piano, violins, and French horn making up the harmony.
3:33 Ends

18. References/Bibiography
BIBLIOGRAPHY/SOURCES:
Biography/B5E6E558FEF8C8D A7BC
search?query=Billy+Joel&searchtype=RhapAlbum&pagestart=25
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Billy Joel Greatest Hits Volume III The Video; Sony Music Film Studio