We are in the middle of an important week in the history of music – a week filled with historic events that contributed to revolutionizing the way the piano is played today.

This week, The Piano Encyclopedia is celebrating the innovative ways that legendary rock artists and musicians invented to approach the piano. After all, the piano has been part of rock music since its very beginnings – early rock bands used the piano as their primary instrument, leading to classic recordings by Little Richard, Fats Domino, and Johnny Grande’s iconic turn at the piano in “Rock Around The Clock.” These groundbreaking musicians essentially invented a whole new way of playing the piano, an instrument that had been around for generations. This is a testament to the versatility and timelessness of the piano itself and shows that the instrument is at home equally in a Chopin Nocturne or a Chuck Berry rock and roll tune.

This very week, we are commemorating the birthdays of iconic Rock musicians and composers that greatly influenced the genre and helped define what we know as ‘Rock’ music today. This includes the anniversaries of historic rock musicians such as Steve Brookins, Michael Steele, Michelle Phillips, Freddie Stone, Edgar Froese and – not to forget – Boz Scaggs from The Steve Miller Band, Charlie Watts from The Rolling Stones, Pete Farndon from The Pretenders and Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden. Furthermore, we also celebrate the birthdays of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Prince, and of Billy Powell and Michael Cartellone, both from the iconic rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd.

…And yes! Incredibly, all of these influential music events happened during this same week! So, prepare yourself to celebrate Rock Week and discover the impact that rock music had for all the piano players around the world.

Make sure you are signed up to our maling list so you don’t miss our incredible Rock Week celebration and gifts!

Enjoy!