Piano Man

When Jim Moore, of Norton, started playing piano in the first grade, the cost of a lesson was $1. More than 60 years later, Moore, 73, is still tickling the ivory and is now passing along his experience to new generations of piano players. 

Moore began his love for the piano when he lived with his aunt, who took in Moore’s family when his father passed away. His aunt had a grand piano and a closet full of sheet music. Moore immediately took to the piano under his aunt’s guidance and learned how to read music at a very young age. 

“In the third grade, I played the organ in music class because the teacher couldn’t play,” Moore recalled. “I played while the kids in the class sang. I caught the fever of playing classical music because I lived with a group of musicians. It caught my soul.” 

Moore continued to play throughout his childhood and studied music and math at Tufts University, where he also joined the chorus. He didn’t play any gigs, however, because of the difficulties a career in music can bring with it. 

“I came from a musical family,” Moore said. “I knew the pitfalls of a music career.” 

Moore instead chose a career as a computer programmer after graduating from Tufts, but was fortunate enough to train on the piano with Leo Litwin, who was a pianist for the Boston Pops during that time. 

“It was terrific,” Moore said of his training with Litwin. “He really taught me how to express myself.” 

Moore bought himself a Baldwin Tanglewood Special piano and later learned about digital recording from his son Matt, who is an accoustical engineer. Moore has witnessed a radical change in music over the years, not necessarily for the better. 

“There’s been a 180 degree change in music,” he said. “Classical music has gone down in popularity. In the 50's, music got louder and louder. Almost nobody now takes piano lessons. There’s no education in it anymore.” 

Moore said that the lack of funding in school systems has left a gap in music study.  

“They used to really teach kids when I was young,” Moore said. “It’s rare now and high priced to take lessons. South of Route 128, there’s very little classical music being played. Church music has changed. People want a beat and rock and roll.” 

Moore keeps his interest in classical music alive by maintaining membership in a music network. He also is the treasurer of the American Guild of Organists, a group that meets monthly and travels to churches and conducts, “organ crawling”, which is an unveiling of how an organ is put together. 

Moore also has a pop group called, “Hello Stranger.” The group performs vocal, jazz, and pop hits. The group has been together for 10 years and performs Broadway tunes as well. They have played at the Farmer’s Market in Attleboro and at wedding receptions. “Hello Stranger” uses “I love coffee, I love tea” as their theme song. Moore also offers his services as an instructor. He charges $25 for a half hour lesson and says he gives a good, rich lesson on classical piano. 

Moore also keeps busy as the organist and choir director for the Pilgrim Congregational Church in Taunton. 

“I couldn’t wait to retire as a software engineer and grow up so I could do music,” Moore said. “I still haven’t grown up yet. I’m still a kid at heart.”