Season 2, Episode 3 - Geoff Smith, Katie Pinder Brown, and Ken Gustafson join Matt to talk about the longstanding tradition of the piano bar. Topics include
- the allure and accessibility of the show,
- multiple strategies for an ideal performance,
- balancing entertainment and musicality,
- and how a piano bar show can affect an audience.
Guests
Geoff Smith is a prolific American music producer and performer. His work includes custom music creation for all forms of media and live- musical performance. Geoff's most recent projects include producing the new Cast Recording for the Musical KINGDOM COME and touring with the Wallflowers on bass guitar.
Geoff grew up in Franklin in a musical family and studied music at Boston Conservatory and Berklee College of Music in the early 90s. While in college, Geoff began working for Opryland/Gaylord as a theme park performer in their Nashville and San Antonio, Texas parks.
While in Texas, Geoff joined Howl At The Moon Dueling Pianos in 1995 and became the founding Entertainment Director for Crazy Pianos in Rotterdam, Holland, in 1997. While living in Europe, Geoff studied songwriting and studio production at Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.
Upon returning to the States, Geoff Smith became one of the original founding members of The Big Bang Dueling Piano Bar management team in 2001 (www.thebigbangbar.com). He co-founded Rock and Roll Pianos, a live event music company (www.rockandrollpianos.com).
Geoff is a session musician and educator in Nashville and has been the touring bassist for the Wallflowers in 2018 and 2019. Other artists Geoff has played with include Will Lee, Phil Keaggy, Gabe Dixion, Sugar and the Hi-Lows, and Jim Messina. Geoff teaches grammar school music at Franklin Classical School.
He is also a partner and the producer of www.ringtonefeeder.com - an innovative ringtone service. Geoff Smith has been an active supporter and composer for the Songs of Love Foundation since 2006.
Geoff has had TV and commercial placement for his music (heard on the Voice, American Pickers, MTV Awards, and various ads for companies such as Blackberry and GoDaddy.)
Geoff has produced the Original Cast Recording of the musical KINGDOM COME by well-known CCM and Soul Musician and his father, Moose Smith.
Awards include:
Winner of the Big Gig Jingle Contest for the Nashville MTA 2008 Winner of the 2007 Carolina Beach Music Award For Best Duo and
Collaboration for the song "Rhythm" with the Impressions.
You can find out more about Geoff can be found at his website: www.thegeoffsmith.com
Katie Pinder Brown is an accomplished, versatile singer and piano entertainer based in Orlando whose dynamic voice, charismatic presence, and impressive repertoire have dazzled and delighted international audiences. Katie adeptly tackles various genres, from musical theatre and jazz to pop/top 40, from classical to rock 'n' roll. She has made a name for herself in Florida and beyond as a vocal chameleon, a human jukebox, and a musical Jill-of-all-trades. So far, her career has brought her to 25 US states, 18 countries, and four continents, and her goal is to rock all seven before she retires. She hopes her newly created Carole King tribute show Natural Woman will take her all the way.
As a dueling piano player, she facilitates an extraordinary range of song requests with aplomb and expertly collaborates with countless partners instantaneously on her travels. She also founded her Certified Women-Owned production company Piano Party, which is emerging as an industry leader in world-class
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