(Jan, 2006) - My name is Michael Szmania I am 53 years old. I am happily married for 26 years to my terrific and patient wife Marcia and I have two great sons, Chris and Jon. My wife Marcia plays the piano, Chris is learning the Mandolin, and Jon plays the guitar. I live near Buffalo, New York. I was taught the piano on our Wurlitzer counsel, then I had a Fender Rhodes in my band. My wife had a Wurlitzer piano when we were married. My first Yamaha was a PSR 520, loved it. After getting a PSR 2100, I gave my sister the 520 for Christmas, she also plays. My dad started it all. He was and still is a great musician from the 1930's till today.He plays the guitar, mandolin, banjo, accordion and piano. There is a lot of music in my family.
Musical Background -- I was 7 years old when a new piano was delivered to my house. 17 years later, I was still taking lessons and was accepted at Berklee Collage of Music. However, I was an Electrician apprentice with a steady paycheck and I had to finish my 4-year apprentiship. My dad was also an electrician and I still lived at home so I could not quit. The first 6 years of lessons were a little tough, but I had a great teacher, Jack Fisher (big band leader in the 30's and 40's, my dad's friend). After he taught me all he could, I auditioned for a James Manuel, a fantastic jazz musician who could reach an octave and a half with one hand. He believed in technique. Great, just what I wanted -- 5 years of scales arpeggios and the Hammond Virtuoso book. I could crush a coconut with my hands after all that work.
When James Manuel went back on the road and could not teach and so I started studies under John Gibson at the Buffalo School of Music. It was great for six years. Jazz, Blues, Ballads, Piano solos, playing at your teachers house, barbeques on Saturday during the summer playing outside for all the neighborhood with your teacher. A little wine to loosen up playing for the street, this is what music is all about. Other guys would come over with their guitars and horns what a rush. I'm hoping to give you a little taste with my songs of what it was like back then. I hope you enjoy my music!
Mike's MIDI Songs
Mike provided 50 songs in midi format. These were created on the PSR-2100 (21). Individual songs are shown in the table below and any one song can be downloaded by right-clicking on the song link. The table displays the song title, tempo (T), time signature (TS), lyrics (L), chords (C), where possible, the style used, the original volume (V), and the keyboard used (K). You can download all of Mike's 50 MIDI songs here: MZ-21.zip.
Title | T | TS | L | C | Style | V | K |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All Of Me | 131 | 4/4 | N | Y | Swing1 | 02 | 21 |
Beautiful Friendship, A | 78 | 4/4 | N | Y | 02 | 21 | |
Believe | 80 | 4/4 | N | Y | 03 | 21 | |
Build Me Up Buttercup | 128 | 4/4 | N | N | BubblegumPop | 05 | 21 |
Christmas Time Is Here | 78 | 3/4 | N | N | 03 | 21 | |
Classical Gas | 146 | 4/4 | N | Y | TechnoPolis | 05 | 21 |
Diamonds Are Forever | 80 | 4/4 | N | Y | SecretService | 05 | 21 |
Easy Come Easy Go | 133 | 4/4 | N | N | CountryPop2 | 05 | 21 |
Ebb Tide | 75 | 4/4 | N | Y | 04 | 21 | |
Fly Me To The Moon | 140 | 4/4 | N | Y | 04 | 21 | |
Frosty The Snowman | 140 | 4/4 | N | Y | 03 | 21 | |
Georgia On My Mind | 73 | 4/4 | N | N | 01 | 21 | |
Gibsons Tune | 148 | 4/4 | N | N | HeartBeat | 02 | 21 |
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas | 93 | 4/4 | N | Y | 03 | 21 | |
Here Comes Santa Claus | 150 | 4/4 | N | Y | CountryShuffle | 03 | 21 |
Home For The Holidays | 117 | 4/4 | N | Y | 03 | 21 | |
I'd Do Anything | 70 | 4/4 | N | N | 04 | 21 | |
I Left My Heart In San Francisco | 90 | 4/4 | N | Y | Slow&Easy | 04 | 21 |
I'm Gonna Sit Write Down And Write Myself A Letter | 180 | 4/4 | N | Y | BigBandFast1 | 01 | 21 |
I Wanna Be Around | 95 | 4/4 | N | Y | BigBandBallad | 01 | 21 |
Kansas City | 110 | 4/4 | N | Y | 04 | 21 | |
Laura | 77 | 4/4 | N | Y | 04 | 21 | |
Little Boy Lost | 85 | 4/4 | N | Y | 8BeatAdria | 05 | 21 |
Mary Had A Jazzy Little Lamb | 154 | 4/4 | N | Y | Swing1 | 01 | 21 |
Merry Christmas Darling | 80 | 4/4 | N | Y | 8BeatModern | 03 | 21 |
Midnight In Moscow | 126 | 4/4 | N | Y | PopBossa1 | 04 | 21 |
Mister Santa | 181 | 4/4 | N | Y | BigBandFast1 | 03 | 21 |
Misty | 148 | 4/4 | N | N | HeartBeat | 01 | 21 |
Misty | 86 | 4/4 | N | Y | BigBandBallad | 02 | 21 |
Night And Day | 82 | 4/4 | N | N | BigBandBallad | 02 | 21 |
Recado | 140 | 4/4 | N | Y | BossaNova1 | 01 | 21 |
Reflections Of My Life | 92 | 4/4 | N | Y | 8BeatModern | 05 | 21 |
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town | 135 | 4/4 | N | Y | 03 | 21 | |
Somewhere Over The Rainbow | 62 | 4/4 | N | N | 6-8Orchestral | 01 | 21 |
Stormy Weather | 82 | 4/4 | N | Y | MoonlightBallad | 01 | 21 |
Stranger1 | 116 | 4/4 | N | N | 8BeatRock | 02 | 21 |
Stranger2 | 140 | 4/4 | N | Y | 8BeatRock | 02 | 21 |
Stranger On The Shore | 90 | 4/4 | N | Y | 02 | 21 | |
Sunny | 117 | 4/4 | N | Y | 02 | 21 | |
Tenderly | 65 | 4/4 | N | N | 01 | 21 | |
Tonight | 100 | 4/4 | N | Y | 04 | 21 | |
Toy's In The Attic | 82 | 4/4 | N | N | Slow&Easy | 05 | 21 |
Truckin | 120 | 4/4 | N | N | Quickstep | 01 | 21 |
Under Paris Skies | 108 | 3/4 | N | Y | 04 | 21 | |
What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life | 148 | 4/4 | N | N | HeartBeat | 05 | 21 |
What Kind Of Fool Am I | 135 | 4/4 | N | Y | Swing1 | 02 | 21 |
Where Are You Now | 135 | 4/4 | N | N | HeartBeat | 05 | 21 |
White Christmas | 114 | 4/4 | N | Y | SantasSwing | 03 | 21 |
Windmills Of Your Mind | 135 | 4/4 | N | Y | HeartBeat | 05 | 21 |
Yesterday | 125 | 4/4 | N | Y | 04 | 21 |