Piano Man Plays Weekly for Students
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Most students know him as the “Piano Man,” and like the iconic figure from Billy Joel’s song, Mike Schuler has been bringing joy to those at Hardin-Simmons University since the 1990s with his musical talents. Originally a trumpet player in the HSU Cowboy Band, Schuler thought he would end up playing the trumpet and instead found himself interested in the versatility of the piano.
“With a trumpet, you usually need a whole band, but with a piano, it’s all here,” he said, gesturing to the piano in front of him.
Schuler has made playing the piano his day job, often playing in the mall, restaurants, and retirement homes.
“I love it,” Schuler said about playing the piano in the caf. “It makes people feel good. I like cheering students up and giving them a break, especially during finals.”
Schuler plays at HSU for students every Wednesday during the lunch hour, in addition to the Pancake Study Break and other special events, like the meal before the annual Christmas Party.
“Music is always in the background of life,” Schuler commented. “It’s how we experience moments.”
Amazingly, he is able to memorize all the music he plays by ear and doesn’t use sheet music. Schuler said he has many memories from playing at Hardin-Simmons and recalls a specific time when a girl sang a lyric to a song incorrectly.
“It was a Carpenter song that had the lyrics ‘Why do birds suddenly appear?’ and the next verse was ‘Why do stars fall down from the sky?’ She was singing as I was playing, and she sang, ‘Why do birds fall down from the sky?’’ We got a good laugh from it,” he said.