Showcase Sunday: Tony Ann
Hi Tony, thank you so much for taking the time to speak to us. Please introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Tony Ann and I’m a pianist and songwriter from Toronto, Canada. I currently live in Los Angeles, recently moved here about one and a half years ago.
I studied at two music schools in the states (but never graduated) before including Berklee College of Music for composition and production, and Cleveland Institute of Music, where I did Classical piano. I had to drop out of music school because in 2017 I was discovered on YouTube by The Chainsmokers, a duo who are very accomplished in the music industry. I was invited to perform with them on their North American arena tour ‘Memories: Do Not Open.’ After the tour I developed a close relationship with them and eventually started writing music with them, including ‘Sick Boy', ‘Side Effects’ etc. My schedule is pretty spontaneous now but I do a lot of work with my band ‘The Swoons’ where I’m a pianist/keyboardist and songwriter. If I’m not really doing anything, I just love to practice and create stuff on the piano.
The Chainsmokers? How did that come about, and how did they approach you and how long did it take for you to say yes?
I made a Roses/ Don't Let Me down medley in 2017, and after I put the video on Instagram and YouTube I sent it around and it got to their team. Fortunately they were kind enough to forward it to Drew and Alex. It was the end of 2017 when they approached me for the tour and I said YES right away obviously! Haha!!
What was it like taking part in a tour like that, and what experiences did you feel you gained?
It was the best experience of my life so far; the energy from the crowd is something that's out of this world and the best feeling ever.
Are you still close to them and will you be working together again in the future?
Yes I'm pretty close with Drew and Alex, and yes we're still working on stuff. 😉
You also mentioned your own band 'The Swoons', please tell us more about them.
The Swoons is a 4 piece band comprised of me, Matt, Giacomo, and Trevor. Matt does the background vocals, guitars, bass. Giacomo also does backgrounds, bass, and drums. Trevor is the main vocalist; and I'm the keyboard/piano player in the band.
Matt and I started the band as a duo back in 2014 when we were in music school. Eventually we added Giacomo and then Trevor. At first we were pretty electronic, but now we're shifting more in the organic, raw, acoustic kinda vibe of music; kind of like Adele, Sam Smith, Coldplay, that sort of style.
What age did you start to play the piano and are you classically trained or self-taught?
The Chainsmokers? How did that come about, and how did they approach you and how long did it take for you to say yes?
I made a Roses/ Don't Let Me down medley in 2017, and after I put the video on Instagram and YouTube I sent it around and it got to their team. Fortunately they were kind enough to forward it to Drew and Alex. It was the end of 2017 when they approached me for the tour and I said YES right away obviously! Haha!!
What was it like taking part in a tour like that, and what experiences did you feel you gained?
It was the best experience of my life so far; the energy from the crowd is something that's out of this world and the best feeling ever.
Are you still close to them and will you be working together again in the future?
Yes I'm pretty close with Drew and Alex, and yes we're still working on stuff. 😉
You also mentioned your own band 'The Swoons', please tell us more about them.
The Swoons is a 4 piece band comprised of me, Matt, Giacomo, and Trevor. Matt does the background vocals, guitars, bass. Giacomo also does backgrounds, bass, and drums. Trevor is the main vocalist; and I'm the keyboard/piano player in the band.
Matt and I started the band as a duo back in 2014 when we were in music school. Eventually we added Giacomo and then Trevor. At first we were pretty electronic, but now we're shifting more in the organic, raw, acoustic kinda vibe of music; kind of like Adele, Sam Smith, Coldplay, that sort of style.
What age did you start to play the piano and are you classically trained or self-taught?
12 years old.
Classically trained!! I studied under 2 classically trained professors, and after high school did a year at a classical conservatory.
What inspired you to become a pianist?
Honestly my biggest passion is writing music. My musical journey started in sixth grade, after watching a classical documentary entitled ‘Beethoven Lives Upstairs.’ The film was very inspiring and afterwards I developed this huge passion for music. Honestly it was composing that got me super interested, and I found out that a lot of composers knew how to play the piano. So I only started to take piano lessons as a tool for writing music.
What kind of music had an influence on your playing?
I would say 70% of my playing is all influenced by classical music, I try to utilise classical techniques while also implementing harmonies from contemporary music.
How difficult is it using classical techniques while implementing contemporary harmonies in your music writing or playing? What are the differences?
Not hard at all actually because technique is always dependent on the harmony you're using, so it's very easy to change the harmonies and still use the same technique, e.g. arpeggios, octaves, etc. I would say classical harmony is very strict and you don't have have as many options, because classical music is more formulaic in terms of its harmony, contemporary music you have a lot more room to experiment and do things your way.
How difficult is it using classical techniques while implementing contemporary harmonies in your music writing or playing? What are the differences?
Not hard at all actually because technique is always dependent on the harmony you're using, so it's very easy to change the harmonies and still use the same technique, e.g. arpeggios, octaves, etc. I would say classical harmony is very strict and you don't have have as many options, because classical music is more formulaic in terms of its harmony, contemporary music you have a lot more room to experiment and do things your way.
When did you get your 1st instrument, and was it the piano?
The funny thing is I’ve always had a piano around me ever since I was little .. but I never found interest in playing it haha. It wasn’t until 12 when I really started taking lessons and developing a passion for the instrument.
Are you a full time pianist? If not what is your day job?
I would say I’m a freelance musician. I work with my band (The Swoons) a lot , we’re a pop/electronic band. I also work with other artists such as The Chainsmokers, and other songwriters/producers in the music industry. Also just love making piano music and doing covers every week.
What are your goals and aspirations?
To influence people around the world with my playing and through the music I create. Also to just keep making music that’s personal to me.
How did you come across BTS?
I’ve always loved k-pop, ever since high school... Super Junior was one of my favourites. I found out about BTS after they won ‘Top Social Artist’ at the BBMA in 2017 .. I was like who are these guys? And checked out some of their music and was pretty into it.
Was that a surprise, that someone from Korea was noticed and actually won against the liked of Justin Bieber or Ariana Grande?
Yeah, I knew BTS had very passionate and dedicated fans, but to see them beat some of the biggest artists in the world was unbelievable. Also I believe that the music industry needs more diversity so it was great seeing them win; it's great to see acts from other countries getting recognition in the western world.
Was that a surprise, that someone from Korea was noticed and actually won against the liked of Justin Bieber or Ariana Grande?
Yeah, I knew BTS had very passionate and dedicated fans, but to see them beat some of the biggest artists in the world was unbelievable. Also I believe that the music industry needs more diversity so it was great seeing them win; it's great to see acts from other countries getting recognition in the western world.
What is it about their music that you like?
I like how each song makes you feel something, they utilise their talents in the best way. I love how they each add something special to the song. Their melodies, productions, lyrics, all very powerful and moving.
Which is your favourite BTS song to listen to, and which is your favourite piece to play?
Umm I have a few, for listening I would say my favourite is Butterfly, but Spring Day, The Truth Untold, Magic Shop, come very close. For playing I love Idol, Serendipity, Euphoria.. to be honest, I love playing all the BTS covers I’ve done equally, haha.
Source: Tony Ann - YouTube
Could you take us through the process of doing your covers?
How long does it take to learn a piece?
It really depends on the song but if there’s sheet music I can learn it a lot faster. But most of the covers I’ve done did not take too long to learn and arrange.
How do you arrange them?
After I know the melodies and harmonies, I try to find ways of changing it up, adding new harmonies/melodies, changing up the form, and just making it sound more like my own style.
How long does it take to film?
Not too long, just a few takes usually if I’m in the zone haha!! The new ‘Scenery’ cover I posted took maybe 3 takes?
Do you create the sheet music yourself or use official ones?
I create them myself! But these days I mostly improvise my covers, so I don’t have the sheet music for them as I just sit down and play what comes to mind.
What do you think about BTS’ music compared to other western artists?
I think the productions are very unique, their music is very vast from slow songs to up tempo stuff. Lyrically I think BTS goes pretty deep as they talk about pretty meaningful stuff. Harmonically I would say BTS’ music is more emotional and very diverse as they utilise a lot more from the musical language.
What do you mean by musical language?
Musical language is pretty much the theoretical side of music, like the harmony, scales, chords, etc.
Musical language is pretty much the theoretical side of music, like the harmony, scales, chords, etc.
What do you feel makes them stand-out amongst the kpop/pop community?
They all have great personalities, very entertaining and likeable, they are a great influence for the young generation, their lyrics are very meaningful, the group has great singers, great rappers, great dancers, they have it all! Haha.
As you may know BTS recently addressed the UN, what do you think about the message that they are promoting?
I think it’s amazing. I think every artist should be promoting a positive message. That’s my favourite thing about BTS, that they stand for something. They’re huge influencers to the young generation and there needs to be more artists like them.
Have you been to see them live in concert, if not would you like to?
I have not, but would love to, I’ve seen a lot of their concert clips online and always blown away by their dancing and stage presence.
What would you like to say to anyone who would like to learn the piano?
I would say the most important thing is to play stuff that you genuinely like, never play things you’re forced to play because practising will be a pain.
When I first started I practised a lot of scales and technical stuff, which were all very boring, but I knew having a solid technical background would help me in the long run. So for anyone serious about piano, fundamentals is super super important, it might be boring in the beginning but it will pay off in the end.
But yeah, ultimately, just play things you like, learn from people you inspire to be, and just have fun with what you play.
Thank you again Tony for taking the time to answer our questions
Just want to say thank you for the interview, it was a lot of fun answering these questions, and hope you guys learnt something from the Q&A :)
You can follow and view Tony's videos and covers at the following:
Twitter: @tonyann_
You can follow and view Tony's videos and covers at the following:
Twitter: @tonyann_
Instagram: @tonyannnn
Youtube: tonyannmusic
*All photo's courtesy of Tony Ann
If you liked this special feature and would like to see more, or would like to recommend someone you'd like to see feature then why not leave a comment or send us an email at shinara.btsradiouk@gmail.com
Follow BTS Radio UK on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram: @BTSRadioUK
*All photo's courtesy of Tony Ann
If you liked this special feature and would like to see more, or would like to recommend someone you'd like to see feature then why not leave a comment or send us an email at shinara.btsradiouk@gmail.com
Follow BTS Radio UK on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram: @BTSRadioUK
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