Teddy Roosevelt National Park.

Made some more new friends in the Teddy Roosevelt state park, and had to send them off in style ✌🏽❤️ @st.jimmyjoe #pianoinnature #piano🎹 #pianopiano #pianist #pianists #jazz #blues #boogiewoogie #boogiewoogiepiano #bluespiano #happy #dancing #teddyrooseveltnationalpark #swaneeriver #vanlife #uprightpiano #streetmusic #streetmusician

Made some more new friends in the Teddy Roosevelt state park, and had to send them off in style ✌🏽❤️ @st.jimmyjoe #pianoinnature #piano🎹 #pianopiano #pianist #pianists #jazz #blues #boogiewoogie #boogiewoogiepiano #bluespiano #happy #dancing #teddyrooseveltnationalpark #swaneeriver #vanlife #uprightpiano #streetmusic #streetmusician

For me, a large part of this journey has been about connecting with people. . .I’m not sure at what point it occurs, but when you rely on playing music as a means of financial sustenance, no matter the circumstance (much of which may consist of �kground music”, corporate work, or being thrown in the corner of some dimly lit bar like an old coat) - it’s easy to find solace in solely playing for yourself, or to justify your efforts with the ‘reward of money’. And by doing so, in my opinion at least, you begin to miss the whole point of music: an active form of communication, an act of service, a healing agent and spirit lifter. And therefore art, particularly live creation, can sometimes become a tussle between ethos and personal boundaries. In order to uplift ourselves and the world around us from obstacles blocking our freedom and love (to the best of our ability), we must sidestep the fragility of the ego and it’s proclivity toward selfishness. Yes, even when the song request is ‘Heart and Soul’ - a song that often sits firmly atop the “I don’t play that one” list of songs and jolts many working musicians into a state of annoyance or even anger. Recognizing the genuine excitement in the request (for “the only song they know on piano”) as well as their desire to stop, show interest in what is happening and engage with music as best they know how; the moment captured here was a relatively easy choice. This all happened in a split second, mind you. But here is a version of “Heart & Soul” I found myself tagged in on instagram, one I decided to play on the spot for a new friend passing by in his car in the Teddy Roosevelt National Park. (I did mess with it at least, to keep the creative muscles active and to be able to bring honesty and joy to what I was playing)✌🏽❤️ #piano #stjimmyjoe #jazz #blues #improvisation #teddyrooseveltnationalpark #pianoinavan #pianoinnature #pianooutofavan #love #creativity #communication #art #artist #streetmusician #vanlife #travelingmusician #touringmusician #nature #naturelovers #travel #traveling #uprightpiano #jazzpiano #pianosolo #solopiano #heartandsoul #music #vanlife

For me, a large part of this journey has been about connecting with people. . .I’m not sure at what point it occurs, but when you rely on playing music as a means of financial sustenance, no matter the circumstance (much of which may consist of “background music”, corporate work, or being thrown in the corner of some dimly lit bar like an old coat) - it’s easy to find solace in solely playing for yourself, or to justify your efforts with the ‘reward of money’. And by doing so, in my opinion at least, you begin to miss the whole point of music: an active form of communication, an act of service, a healing agent and spirit lifter. And therefore art, particularly live creation, can sometimes become a tussle between ethos and personal boundaries. In order to uplift ourselves and the world around us from obstacles blocking our freedom and love (to the best of our ability), we must sidestep the fragility of the ego and it’s proclivity toward selfishness. Yes, even when the song request is ‘Heart and Soul’ - a song that often sits firmly atop the “I don’t play that one” list of songs and jolts many working musicians into a state of annoyance or even anger. Recognizing the genuine excitement in the request (for “the only song they know on piano”) as well as their desire to stop, show interest in what is happening and engage with music as best they know how; the moment captured here was a relatively easy choice. This all happened in a split second, mind you. But here is a version of “Heart & Soul” I found myself tagged in on instagram, one I decided to play on the spot for a new friend passing by in his car in the Teddy Roosevelt National Park. (I did mess with it at least, to keep the creative muscles active and to be able to bring honesty and joy to what I was playing)✌🏽❤️ #piano #stjimmyjoe #jazz #blues #improvisation #teddyrooseveltnationalpark #pianoinavan #pianoinnature #pianooutofavan #love #creativity #communication #art #artist #streetmusician #vanlife #travelingmusician #touringmusician #nature #naturelovers #travel #traveling #uprightpiano #jazzpiano #pianosolo #solopiano #heartandsoul #music #vanlife