♪♪ >> EVERY TIME I SIT DOWN AT THE PIANO, I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK ABOUT ALL THE OTHER PIANISTS WHO SAT AT THE SAME INSTRUMENTS AND LOVE IT LIKE I HAVE.

SOME ARE JAZZ MUSICIANS, CLASSIC.

IT'S FUN TO ENJOY THE PIANO.

I CAN'T HELP TO THINK OF THE PASSION IT BRING IS TO SO MANY LIVES, BOTH LISTENERS AND PERFORMERS.

>> THIS IS A VERY EXCITING YEAR, 2009 IS THE 300th BIRTHDAY OF THE PIANO.

FOR YEARS, I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO STUDENTS IN ALL KINDS OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ABOUT THE PIANO, AND HOW OLD IT WAS, AND I WOULD SAY COME 2009, I WAS GOING TO HAVE A PARTY.

SO WHEN 2009 CAME ABOUT, I THOUGHT I WOULD DO A PROGRAM THAT WOULD BE FUN AND START WITH THE HARPSY CORD AND THE BEGINNING AND GO UP TO THE PRESENT DAY AND THE 200-YEAR HISTORY.

♪♪ >> THE HARPSICORD WAS THE MAIN INSTRUMENT OF THE RENAISSANCE.

IT EVOLVED FROM THE LAWSUIT WITH THE PLUCKING MECHANISM WHERE WHEN YOU STRIKE A KEY, IT CAUSES IT TO STRIKE A STRING.

>> CHRITOFERI WAS HIRED TO COME UP WITH AN INSTRUMENT THAT COULD PLAY MORE THAN THE HARPSY CORD.

HE LIVED AT A TIME WHERE MUSIC WAS PREVALENT PARTICULARLY IN ITALY.

MY SICK WAS PLAYED IN THE COURTS WITH LUTES, GUITAR AND OTHER KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS SUCH AS THE HARPSICORD.

PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT COULD PLAY LOUDER LOUDS, AND SOFTER SOFTS.

WITH THE PIANO, HE CAME UP WITH A MECHANISM THAT WAS A FELT HAMMER THAT WOULD STRIKE THE STRING, DEPENDING HOW HARD YOU HIT THE KEY, THE HAMMER WILL STRIKE THE STRING FASTER OR SLOWER, WHICH MEANS IT CAN BE SOFT PIANO, OR LOUD, FORTE.

PIANO FORTE WAS THE ORIGINAL NAME, WHICH IS SOFT/LOUD.

JUST LIKE IF YOUR NAME IS THOMAS, YOU MIGHT GO BY TOM, OR MY NAME IS DI FOR DIANE.

SO THIS NAME WAS INVENTED IN 1709.

♪♪ WITH MOZART, ONE OF THE INDISPUTABLE GENIUSES, BRILLIANT MINDS OF MUSIC, THE PIANO BECAME MORE OF A SINGING INSTRUMENT.

BEETHOVEN SAID ABOUT MOZART, THAT MOZART TAUGHT THE INSTRUMENT TO SING.

♪♪ >> AS AN ARTIST IT'S A GREAT THRILL TO LAY MOZART WITH AN ORCHESTRA, BECAUSE THE CONCERTOS NOT ONLY HAVE THE PIANO SINGING BUT ALL THE OTHER INSTRUMENTS ARE SINGING, TOO.

SO IT'S LIKE HAVING A WONDERFUL DIALOGUE WITH TOP-NOTCH MYSY SANS, AND BEAUTIFUL AND ALL THE DIFFERENT COLORS.

MOZART WAS A GENIUS TO BRING THAT TOGETHER TO PLAY IT WITH AN ORCHESTRA.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> THIS ONE THING THAT IS INDISPUTABLE AND THAT IS DIANE'S PASSION FOR THE PIANO.

SHE IS A TRUE ARTIST.

AND DIANE IS EQUALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT HER STUDENTS, AND ABOUT KENTUCKY WESTLAND COLLEGE.

SHE'S BEEN TEACHING AT KENTUCKY WESTLAND FOR 25 YEARS.

25 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE AND DEDICATION TO THE SUCCESS OF EVERY STUDENT ON THIS CAMPUS.

♪♪ ♪♪ >> SHE'S HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL TO CHINA, AND NOT ONLY REPRESENT KENTUCKY WESTLAND COLLEGE AND OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ESSENTIALLY ALL OF US AS KENTUCKIANS.

IT'S ONLY APPROPRIATE THAT DIANE EARL HAS PUT TOGETHER THIS 300th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PIANO, I CAN THINK OF NO ONE BETTER WITH THE EXPERTISE THAN DIANE.

>> AFTER MOZART CAME OTHER COMPOSERS WHO ASKED EVEN MORE OF THE PERFORMER, CHOPIN WAS KNOWN AS THE POET OF THE PIANO BECAUSE HE WROTE BEAUTIFUL, GORGEOUS MELODIES AND ASKED THE PERFORMERS TO HAVE NEW LEVELS OF VIRTUOSITY NEVER HEARD BEFORE.

YOU WILL HEAR THAT AS I PLAY THIS NEXT PIECE.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> AFTER THE ROMANTIC COME PROPOSERS, SUCH AS CHOPIN, WE HAVE THE IMPRESSIONISTS, THE MOST FAMOUS OF WHOM WAS CLAUDE DEB BUTSY.

THIS IS A PIECE CALLS THE SUNKED CATHEDRAL.

YOU WILL HEAR THE SHIMMERY SOUNDS THE PIANO CAN CREATE UNDER AN IMPRESSIONIST GENIUS.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> OVER THE YEARS, PIANO MUSIC EVOLVED FROM COMPOSER TO COMPOSER.

BACH WROTE MUSIC THAT DANCE, MOZART, COACHED THE PIANO TO SING AND BEETHOVEN MADE THE PIANO CRY.

THE BUILDERS EXPERIMENTED WITH A VARIETY OF SHAPES AND SIZES RANGING FROM THE MODEST TO OUTRAGEOUS DESIGNS THAT REACHED TO THE CEILING.

MOTE WERE CONSTRUCTED ENTIRELY OF WOOD.

BUT DURING THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, THE CAST IRON FRAME BECAME AVAILABLE.

THIS ALLOWED THE INSTRUMENT TO BE HELD TIGHT ALLOWING COMPOSERS TO BANG THE KEYS AND FINALLY DETERMINING SHAPE WE NOW IDENTIFY AS THE PIANO, THERE WERE VARIOUS SHAPES, THE UPRIGHT TO THE LIVING ROOM CONCERT.

BUT THE CONCERT GRAND ITSELF HAS NOT CHANGED IN OVER A CENTURY.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> SINCE I WAS 6 YEARS OLD AND MY FINGERS FIRST TOUCHED THE KEYS, I HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH THE PIANO.

IT HAS BEEN MY BEST FRIEND ALL OF MY LIFE.

THE PIANO AND MY FAMILY HAVE BEEN THE TWO CONSTANTS IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.

THE SOUND OF MY PARENTS' VOICES AND THE SOUND OF THE PIANO ARE MY VERY FAVORITE TONE COLORS.

THE PIANO IS SUCH A PASSIONATE INSTRUMENT, CAPABLE OF PROFOUND EXPRESSION AND INDEDESCRIBABLE BEAUTY.

FOR THE PAST 44 YEARS, NOT A DAY OF MY LIFE HAS GONE BY THAT I HAVEN'T SPENT TIME AT THE PIANO.

I LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT.

I HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO KEEP GROWING AS A PIANIST.

MY EDUCATION BEGAN, AND I DID Ae MASTER'S AND OHIO STATE AND DOCTORATE FROM EAST OHIO STATE.

IN 2005, I GOT TO PLAY AT CARNEGIE HALL WHICH WAS A LIFE LONG DREAM COME TRUE.

THE KENNEDY CENTER SOON FOLLOWED AND IT IS SUCH A TREAT TO PLAY IN THESE WORLD CLASS HALL IS.

IN MANAGER I HAVE PERFORMED IN 27 STATES.

THE PIANO HAS TAKEN ME TO PERFORM IN SEVEN OTHER COUNTRIES, EUROPE AND TWO CHINA TOURS.

THE PIANO BRINGS JOY TO AUDIENCES EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

I ESPECIALLY LOVE PERFORMING WITH ORCHESTRA.

THE PASSION AND EX SIDEMENT MODIFIES AS THEY PLAY TOGETHER.

THE PIANO IS NOT ONLY MY PROFESSION BUT ALSO MY HOBBY.

I COLLECT MUSIC MEMORABILIA FROM COFFEE MUGS TO MINIATURE PIANOS AND MUSIC BOXES.

ANYTHING PIANO.

♪♪ >> I'VE BEEN TEACHING AT KENTUCKY WESLEYAN FOR 25 YEARS, I HAVE STARTED RIGHT AFTER COLLEGE, AND I ALWAYS LOVED TEACHING.

EVEN IN COLLEGE I DID TEACHING.

IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THE LOOK IN STUDENTS' EYES ON WHEN YOU KNOW YOU CONNECT AND WHEN YOU CAN IMPART SOME OF YOUR OWN JOY TO THEM, IT'S JUST A THRILL.

WHEN IT REALLY WORK IS AND I AM ON AND THEY ARE ON, AND EVERYBODY IS GETTING ENERGY OUT OF IT, IT'S EXCITING.

>> THIS IS THE TIDES OF MENONON, A MYTH LOGICAL GOD OF MOTION WHO SET THE EARTH INTO PLACE BY HAVING TIDES THAT WOULD GO FORWARD AND BACK, AND FORWARD AND BACK.

SO THE MUSICIAN DECIDED HE WOULD HAVE THE PIANIST DEMONSTRATE THOSE TIEDS TO HAVE THIS REPEATED MOTION YOU WOULD DO RATHER THAN WITH YOUR FINGERS BUT WITH YOUR FOREARM.

HE OUTLINES WHERE THE ELBOW AND THE FINGERS UP HERE GO AND YOU HAVE TO SPACE THE DISTANCE FOR YOUR FOREARM.

THIS IS THE TIDES OF MENONON.

BY HENRY COWELL.

♪♪ >> HENRY COWELL BROUGHT NEW UNUSUAL TECHNIQUES TO THIS MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

WHILE I LOVE TO TALK ABOUT THE 300th HISTORY OF THE PEE AND THOUGH, MANY EXCITED TO THINK OF NEW TECHNIQUES STILL TO COME.

WHEN I LOOK OUT ON MY STUDENTS, I WONDER HOW THEY WILL MAKE IT DANCE, SING, TRY, AND STIR THE MOTIONS OF FUTURE LOVERS OF THIS WONDERFUL INVENTION.

♪♪ >> IN 300 YEARS OF MUSIC HISTORY, MANY PIANISTS WROTE COMPOSITIONS FOR THEMSELVES TO SHOW OFF AT THE PIANO.

ONE OF THESE WAS A RUSSIAN COMPOSER NAMED SERGEI RACHMANINOFF.

YOU WILL HEAR THIS AS I PLAY PRELUDE IN D MAJOR.

♪♪ ♪♪ >> SOMETIMES WE THINK ABOUT MUSIC AND IF IT'S PARTICULARLY CLASSICAL MUSIC, WE THINK ABOUT THESE DEAD COMPOSERS AND WE FORGET THEY IMPARTED SO MUCH PASSION AND LOVE WHILE THEY@█ LIVED, HOPING THEIR MUSIC WOULD LIVE ON PAST THEIR GENERATION.

THEIR MUSIC STILL TOUCHES US TODAY THROUGH PEOPLE LIKE PRESIDENT TRUMAN AND NIXON WHO PLAYED THE PIANO.

THE SOLDIERS AT THE HANOI HILTON WHO PASSIONED PIANOS OUT OF WOOD SO THEY COULD KEEP PRACTICING.

IT TOUCHES US TODAY, IT TOUCHES ALL OF US, COMMON PEOPLE WHEN WE HEAR THE SOUND OF THE PIANO AND WE GET EXCITED ABOUT THE BEAUTY FROM THE COMPOSITION AND THE PIANIST.

MUSIC HAS A POWER, A TIMELESSNESS THAT CAN JUST GRAB OUR SOUL AND TRANSPORT US TO A HIGHER PLACE, MAKE US FEEL LIKE WE ARE IN A HIGHER STATE OF BEING, CARRY US ON THIS PASSION TO A BETTER WORLD.

THAT'S WITH WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE PASSION OF THE PIANO.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪