Skunk Hollow Rag played at Skunk Hollow by the composer, Tom Brier

I think the title says it all, really! Tom wrote this rag for Chip Lusby, the owner of the Victorian house at which many ragtime parties and after-hours jam sessions are held, and at which some of us sleep during the annual Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival in August. The house is affectionately known as "Skunk Hollow" thus Tom named this rag "Skunk Hollow Rag". Chip made the blown-up & perspective-skewed version of Tom's manuscript that you see sitting atop one of the other pianos (alas I had a difficult time through the camera's monitor trying to find where in the manuscript Tom was playing at the time).
The Sutter Creek Ragtime festival is held usually the second weekend in August every year in Sutter Creek, California.
Skunk Hollow is now also the site of house concerts. This recording was after a Larisa Migachyov concert on May 1, 2010. A Tom Brier concert will be held at Skunk Hollow in September.

[@Degenerate_Gen]

legend has it that Mr. Brier was sight reading those sheets hung up on the wall using only the reflection in his glasses.

[@metanogaming412]

he would be able ah ah !!

[@redssign]

nah he doesn't even need that, the notes just come to him from some angry deity trying to trip him up

[@OurSeaBee]

And that inside his beard is another pianist.

[@PiotrBarcz]

Love this piece. It has every bit of what ragtime should have in it.

[@bencarter8324]

Something about the transition between the A and B strains is just so seamless. It flows so well.

[@sutterchip]

What a happy, joyous piece, reflecting on some of the wonderful times we've shared here in Skunk Hollow. Thanks to all the wonderful people who've helped make it all possible: Tom Brier, the composer, for this beautiful musical tribute to the Skunk Hollow Phenomenon; Pepper Rae, who has contributed time and energy helping prepare Skunk Hollow for the receptive audience and generous participants; Ron O'Dell for his attention to who's playing what and diligently recording it all for posterity.

[@Keeper1st]

Actually, those sheets on the wall are Tom's original hand-written manuscript of this rag blown up and skewed.

[@Keeper1st]

@Maturkus Keep in mind that Tom doesn't play his own pieces as written (in fact, his music folios insist that the pianist should not play them as written), so he's adding a lot to them compared to how they look on the page. His music folios contain easy pieces (for ragtime) right through to really technical novelties.

[@GuyDude-hk8uy]

Some new performance directions need to be introduced methinks - "Brierize" or "certain liberties taken" ;)

[@GoTFCanada1230]

Great job Mr. Brier! Hope you keep composing more and more ragtime!

[@bencarter8324]

Too many comments by me on this video, but Tom’s technique is simply mesmerizing. Freakishly good.

[@bencarter8324]

Just look how his right hand rebounds at 2:39

[@doctormahrio5226]

This Piece is way to Calm, Ravish and Satisfying. To watch, hear, and feel.

[@EU_DHD]

Does Tom Inevitably write hard-to-play music or does he hold back so that the pieces can be played by a larger variety of people? I'm pretty much note-blind, which makes just about anything nearly impossible for me to comprehend, so I couldn't just look at the sheet and say: This would be harder than that... I do love to listen to and play ragtime and all kinds of music. Thank you for being on youtube and bringing all the good music to the world! :)

[@user-or2lu5sh8d]

it's very beautiful... and touching!

[@HalValla01]

It really is good

[@frederickfarias9515]

Great!

[@Keeper1st]

@19Summers94 He hasn't mentioned anything yet.

[@jeremychandra4770]

How's Tom doing? I've been out of the loop for some time

[@Keeper1st]

There is a "tom-updates" channel on the discord server where any reports of visits and so forth are posted. discord.gg/vutX7rX

[@Keeper1st]

It was just done that way when blown up to the poster size, to be artistic.

[@EU_DHD]

@Keeper1st I see :) Thanks for clearing that up for me!

[@Megabeans]

THOSE ARE BIG REALLY BIG SHEETS!

[@bencarter8324]

How did Tom learn all the music theory needed to compose?

[@thememeteam7585]

Practice

[@harrymacdonald2672]

After a while playing the piano and understanding the instrument, you sort of automatically get a sense of what notes work and what notes don't. You play around and find out.

[@F0rCe77]

Why are the note lines shaped like a trapezoid? Is it to keep the sheet sharp at all distances since he wears glasses?

[@classicgameplay10]

How many musics does he know ?

[@HalValla01]

a lot

[@Keeper1st]

As long as he could hear a piece in his head, he could play it, as he has perfect pitch. However he didn't often play from memory, relying on his ability to read the music on the spot. Then again, traditionally his sets included a random selection of tunes pulled from his massive sheet music collection, so he couldn't possibly have memorized those obscurities.

[@HalValla01]

Tom has perfect pitch?

[@Keeper1st]

Oh yes. You can play any chord and he'll tell you exactly what it is, inversion and all.

[@HalValla01]

How did we not know this?