In this video from Axios, pianist Michael Baldwin shares his incredible work with piano, with songs written specifically for it.
Baldwin says his work can be used to create “a little bit of a soundscape, a little bit a world,” and it’s inspired by nature.
He explains how he uses his piano to create songs with acoustics that are a bit different than typical piano sounds, which can make them “a bit different from what you would normally hear.”
We first met Baldwin last year at the 2015 Grammy Awards, where he performed his music as a part of the Piano Stars of Tomorrow show, which included the Grammy-winning “Piano Man.”
Listen to “Baldwan” here (the first two verses are in Mandarin).
“I’m a pianist.
I’m a singer, I’m an actress, I am a dancer, I do things that are more like the way that you would find in a classical music concert,” Baldwin said at the time.
“You would think, Oh, I don’t know, I have a big instrument, and that’s how I’m supposed to sound.”
He added, “I am a singer.
I am very vocal.
I think that’s what it means to be a singer.”
Baldwin, who has performed with Grammy Award-winning singers like Mariah Carey and John Legend, said he had already been exploring his acoustical abilities with music since his early childhood, and his piano work has taken on an emotional tone.
“I grew up with a piano, and it was my favorite instrument,” he said.
“When I got older, it wasn’t a piano.
It was a little piano, a very nice little piano.
And I was so interested in it.”
He said that he was also inspired by his mother, who he describes as “a pretty strong pianist.”
He also said that his music can be a lot of fun.
“If I’m in the mood for a good tune, I can really turn it into a dance song, a fun tune that has a lot to do with music,” he told Axios.
“It’s all about being in the moment.
If I’m dancing, it’s a big party song.
It’s not about playing to a certain standard, but being able to let that flow in and let it sing.
That’s what I do in my music.”
Baldwan said that even though he uses acoustic technology in his music, he is still a musician and he’s still an artist, and he said he’s not going to stop performing.
“No, I want to continue playing,” he joked.
“And I have to say, the piano is the most important instrument in my life.”
Listen here to “Dance With the Piano” here, and watch Baldwan’s video from the Grammys here.