I was quite bored in high school so I had a lot of time on my hands.
I saw a man named Rod Miller at Disneyland who had taught himself to play the piano by slowing down piano rolls and working out the fingering and practicing 4-6 hours a day for two years. (Yes, two years! I have an album he made after just two years and he was good.)
I thought that sounded fun so believe it or not I bought a player piano ($450.00 for a 1910 Aeolian Grand Upright - paid 1/2 by my Mom and 1/2 from my paper route money) and taught myself to play.
In honor of the Fourth of July, I present The Stars and Stripes Forever, which I learned by watching Rod play (watching his fingers upside down and backwards, as I looked over the top of the piano), and by listening to player piano rolls, and by practicing several hours a day for two years.
At the end of two years, Rod had a whole portfolio of pieces, but I had maybe three: Stars and Stripes, Maple Leaf Rag, and The Alley Cat Song. Still, it was good enough for me to perform at the high school talent show.
I must say, this piece is hard. And I didn't even try to do the piccolo part! And I can't play it anymore. Too hard!
Also I used to have enough energy to play God Bless America too, which is tacked onto the end here. This is my arrangement in that Rod's version was too hard for me! But it is definitely derived from his version which he would play to finish out the day as his grand finale.
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