MEET THE PIANISTS!
Jody Sweet, Pizza Piano Patriarch
Truckee’s Own Piano Man
Jody has been playing the piano in and around Truckee (solo and with various bands) since he was a kid at Truckee High School. He rolled the first Pizza Piano on the street ten years ago. The current piano is covered in the signatures of literally thousands of Truckee residents and visitors - but it’s not as ancient as it looks. It’s the third in the series. The other two wore out completely. But don’t let the graffiti and stickers fool you, Jody is a top notch player. He was trained by Julliard pianist Joanne Grauer and has played all over the country, including recording original songs in Nashville. He plays, he sings, he teaches and he inspires. He also growls, wears silly hats and looks big and scary, but his mission is to make sure you walk away from the piano feeling better about the world. His students learn to play the piano, of course, but he also teaches them to work hard, be smart and respect themselves. You can find him downtown most weekends playing his own special brand of New Orleans- inspired Boogie Woogie Rock and Roll. During the week, he teaches keyboard at the Tahoe Truckee School of Music and in Grass Valley at Foggy Mountain Music. (And, in case you were wondering, yes, Jody only has 9 fingers - well - 9 and a half).
Heidi Kuzma
Call her Dr Heidi
Heidi has a real PhD (in science) and a real job - but she’d rather play the piano. She started studying with Jody Sweet three years ago and now she plays on the bench at Pizza Piano - often as the top half of a raucous duet. She also plays solo around town, in Tahoe City and in Squaw Valley. Dr Heidi loves old fashion ragtime, stride and jazz. She also loves physics and wave-mechanics. She’ll happily tell you all about the “real” theory of music, how piano actually works and how information theory explains musical taste - sometimes more than anybody wants to know!
STUDENTS
Everyone plays
Mission critical to the pizza piano is giving Jody’s students (and everyone else) a place to play. Thousands of kids have taken a turn at the piano and Jody lets them keep the tips they make. (So far the record is $83 in 45 minutes). Come by and play! Post your session on Instagram #PizzaPiano
