Mika as a judge for "The Piano", Channel 4 UK, 2023

[Hero]

1 hour ago, Prisca said:

 

Sorry out of topic, but is that Mika on the banknote?

 

Yes. 

Edited March 2, 2023 by Hero

[crazyaboutmika]

14 hours ago, TinyLove_CJ said:

 

I can't seem to download that either, this is so odd, I've never had trouble before and I've not had any recent changes to my phone either, so I don't know why I can't save it 

I have a similar problem but with photos. It used to work fine before. I use opera browser for MFC. 

[Carolinechedo]

12 hours ago, dcdeb said:

 

 

 

 

@PoodleSnowLes deux épisodes précédents sont également sur YouTube - les liens sont dans ce fil, si vous faites défiler vers l'arrière. Je les ai rendus non répertoriés dans l'espoir de ne pas attirer beaucoup d'attention et de les bloquer ou de les supprimer totalement.

 

Merci pour les liens ; plus on avance dans les épisodes et plus mon coeur fait yoyo !! hâte de voir le final  

 

 

[BeccaStardust]

Didn't manage to watch last night as I was on the early shift and went to bed before the show 

 

Just watched,  I really enjoyed agian, I like Sue, Sean and George however I'm going to be honest I'm a little disappointed that Sean was chosen as it just feels like the finals just young people, it would be nice to have someone with some maturity to have a different perspective. 

 

[Miky Schyns]

17 hours ago, dcdeb said:

 

 

Il télécharge maintenant.

 

 

Thanks a lot Deb for the link, it's very kind of you .  It was amazing ! Stangely the last 9 minutes were spoken like robots or from another planet 

Just a reminder, please don't share the Deb's YouTube link on the differents platforms so it doesn't taken down. Thank you 

[dcdeb]

9 hours ago, kath said:

Deb- loved your comment about Matthew and Trixie! Cracked me up! 
 

 

 

really, really difficult decision to have to make. Every station should have at least three pianists going through. 
 

I have to say though- apart from gender and roughly age, I can’t actually remember who the fourth finalist is 🤣. But I know that they are good! 🤣

 

I couldn't remember either, until I saw the preview for next week. I'm sorry to say it, but maybe that says something about them, that we couldn't remember them?

 

 

9 hours ago, mellody said:

 

True... Actually I wouldn't have minded if the final had lasted all day and they had separated it into several episodes.

 

 

 

I agree -- either several "finale" episodes, or else make it a two-hour finale instead of just one.

 

 

8 hours ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

 

I have to say that Sean impressed me more on TV than in the Royal Festival Hall. He is really special!

But Lucy was my favorite.

 

Yes, agreed.

[krysady]

3 hours ago, SusanT said:

Please don't write comments about the  show at the Royal Festival Hall that some of us haven't seen yet. 😉  😊

 

Don't worry, we won't say anything that could spoil the final of the show   

Edited March 2, 2023 by krysady

[crazyaboutmika]

2 hours ago, BeccaStardust said:

Didn't manage to watch last night as I was on the early shift and went to bed before the show 

 

Just watched,  I really enjoyed agian, I like Sue, Sean and George however I'm going to be honest I'm a little disappointed that Sean was chosen as it just feels like the finals just young people, it would be nice to have someone with some maturity to have a different perspective. 

 

I really wanted Sean to be chosen. He is my fav since the show started because I'm not into classical music/piano and I loved how he made that piano roar 🔥 It became a punk instrument under his hands and I found that mind blowing. 

Edited March 2, 2023 by crazyaboutmika

[Hero]

22 minutes ago, crazyaboutmika said:

I really wanted Sean to be chosen. He is my fav since the show started because I'm not into classical music/piano and I loved how he made that piano roar 🔥 It became a punk instrument under his hands and I found that mind blowing. 

And to reach that level of skill and performance from being self taught by copying what he heard on the telly is incredible. He's not just playing songs, he's taken the instrument and moulded and adapted it to give himself a voice. 

[kreacher]

uh oh use spoilers please! or say something like "you know who" instead of names  Some of us haven't watched this episode yet. *tries to forget the name Sean*

 

I'm not usually one for "heart-wrenching" stuff, or music that isn't Mika, but this show is really good! I hope it comes to Netflix so when I'm hanging out w/ my friends I can casually happen upon it and suggest it, then act surprised when Mika is the star of it.

[crazyaboutmika]

1 hour ago, Hero said:

And to reach that level of skill and performance from being self taught by copying what he heard on the telly is incredible. He's not just playing songs, he's taken the instrument and moulded and adapted it to give himself a voice. 

Yes  You said it so well

[crazyaboutmika]

Spoiler? 

If you guys want fo be among Sean's first followers his instagram is here 

https://instagram.com/seanloganpiano?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

[krysady]

1 hour ago, kreacher said:

uh oh use spoilers please! or say something like "you know who" instead of names  Some of us haven't watched this episode yet. *tries to forget the name Sean*

 

It's out there and public already, the only solution it's to stay away from MFC and any social media right now   

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

 

 

Here is a rehearsal of Lang Lang with Metallica in 2014.

 

 

And a concert from 2017

 

 

 

Edited March 2, 2023 by Anna Ko Kolkowska

[Kumazzz]

Official YouTube

Finding Yourself Through Learning A New Skill | The Piano | Channel 4

 

Sean struggled to make sense of the world around him before learning to play the piano. He found connecting with others more challenging due to his Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Sean says learning to play the piano was a ‘bingo’ moment in helping him understand himself and the world around him.

Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, #ThePiano sets out to find the best amateur pianists from across the UK. Performing on public pianos across iconic venues such as London St Pancras, Glasgow, Leeds and Birmingham train stations, while sharing their beautiful stories and music with the British public.

 

 

[teenagedreamer98]

I really enjoyed the Glasgow episode, especially seeing Mika in my home city in a station I'm very familiar with! 

 

I thought all the performances were great and Sean was very memorable. My favourite part though was when Mika and Lang Lang were dancing, it was so cute 

[krysady]

Now after seeing all the candidates, I also think that Sean it was the right choice, his way of playing it's impressive and unique.

[kreacher]

3 hours ago, krysady said:

 

It's out there and public already, the only solution it's to stay away from MFC and any social media right now   

Awww but I only just got back 🤭 

 

I’ll just have to watch the episodes ASAP

[Kumazzz]

Glasgow Live

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/tv/piano-glasgow-episode-leaves-viewers-26370136

14:02, 2 MAR 2023

 

The Piano Glasgow episode leaves viewers in tears as Mika and Lang Lang blown away by local talent

 

This week all eyes were on Glasgow Central Station as The Piano, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, was on the look out for the UK's best amateur piano players with the winner to play at the Royal Festival Hall.

 

Glasgow was at the centre of attention last night when camera crews and musicians arrived at Central Station for Channel 4's talent competition, The Piano.

 

The show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, is on the hunt for talented pianists, with judges Mika and Lang Lang on hand to find four of the UK's top amateur musicians before crowing the winner to play at the Royal Festival Hall. As the contestants delighted Glaswegians throughout the station they had no idea the two judges were watching.

 

Singer Mika and pianist Lang Lang judged the talented Glaswegians, with the Grace Kelly singer calling Central Station a "beautiful" but a "tougher" place to play.

 

The Glasgow episode featured talents including 86-year-old father of 11 children, Stanley, who has been playing the piano since the age of nine. And whilst his piano skills impressed, so did his singing skills.

Playing for 77 years, Stanley said that he was part of a Jazz band in the 1950s and loved when he was able to perform in front of thousands joking he is a "show off".

 

The second person to take to the Glasgow piano was 12-year-old Dana who was so nervous Claudia asked people to turn around and simply listen without watching. Starting off by playing the piano at age two, the talented musician says it is a great way at expressing her emotions.

She said: "Maybe you don't want anyone to speak to you or maybe you don't want to hear people's opinions because you might take it the wrong way. But with the piano, it doesn't really say anything. It listens to you."

 

But despite her nerves, the judges and train passengers were shocked. Many people watched on in awe, with Lang Lang calling her "amazing" and Mika adding it gets "better and better" as her anxiety disappears. Dana left the station "smiling so much my cheeks hurt" she told her mum.

 

Another impressive contender was Sean who blew everyone away - Lang Lang said nothing but "wow" over and over again and Mika was left astounded.

 

Having played the piano for 20 years, Sean said that he quickly learned just how much "music connects people and brings people together in a positive manner." Learning the piano himself, Sean copied the sounds he heard on television, ran back to his bedroom and copy what he heard.

 

 

The 26-year-old has high functioning Autism - or Asperger's syndrome - with the piano player explaining: "It turns out the way that my mind works is in absolutes, especially at that age. It's a bit like a logic gate in a computer. Everything was an if-else statement which meant it was either a yes or a no, a one or a zero."

Talking about the talented musician, Lang Lang said: "It's the first time he and the piano were one" with Mika adding that they finally have someone to put on stage.

A number of other piano players also took to the centre of the station, but it it was Sean who was invited to perform on the stage in front of a large crowd.

Mika said: "Sean is a perfect example of why we are putting on this concert."

Taking to social media, many people were left in tears watching the Glasgow locals perform as they showcased their talent. One viewer said: "Enjoying this series - brilliant themes in the Glasgow episode highlighting the importance of connection & community #ThePiano."

 

Another added: "Delighted for talented piano wiz Sean Logan who went through to the concert on @Channel4 #ThePiano last night!"

 

One of the piano players, Fiona, took to social media herself to give her verdict.

 

"Am I the only one who finds the presenter for #thepiano on Channel4 very gorgeous? Sean played really well. Glad he won the #Glasgow edition." tweeted a fourth.

 

 

Meanwhile a fifth added: "#ThePiano is what is needed in the world right now. I’ve cried big fat tears every week - have just LOVED this show and the people on it - OMG I LOVE sue, world would be better if there were more Sue’s on the planet with our young people @ClaudiaWinkle @mikasounds."

 

You can watch episode three, featuring Glasgow, via the Channel 4 website.

 

 

[Kumazzz]

I love this review so much !!

 

Financial Times

https://www.ft.com/content/a791208b-3190-46c7-b743-653ba38d6a6a

 

The reality shows thriving on feelgood vibes

 

In a format more often noted for naked ambition and the ridiculing of ‘villains’, The Piano’s heartwarming stories strike a human chord

At first glance, there is nothing out of the ordinary about new reality series The Piano. Ostensibly a TV talent show played out in public spaces, it sets out to find Britain’s best amateur pianists using instruments strategically installed in UK rail stations. While participants, who span all ages and backgrounds, perform everything from Prokofiev’s “Dance of the Knights” to TLC’s “No Scrubs”, host Claudia Winkleman cheers from the sidelines and passers-by stop to film them on their phones. What the performers don’t know is that they are being watched from behind the scenes by British-American pop star Mika and celebrated Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang, who together deliver exceedingly kindly critique. At the end of each episode, all come together for a jam session, during which the two judges pick one person to perform at a special end-of-series concert at London’s Royal Festival Hall.

 

What sets The Piano apart is that it is resolutely not about the winning. Ruthlessness and a rush to judgment, whether from the voting public or a panel of “experts”, have long been part and parcel of the reality TV experience, from The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing to I’m a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here! and Love Island — that and the naked ambition of contestants hungry for fame and prize money. Whether through assigned tasks or clever editing, these shows habitually manipulate situations to manufacture conflict, create victims and villains or simply set contestants up for mass ridicule. It’s little wonder that, in 2020, the UK regulator Ofcom saw fit to issue new guidelines to protect the wellbeing of those taking part.

 

By contrast, The Piano is all about feelgood vibes, making it closer in spirit to The Great British Bake Off or The Great Pottery Throwdown, wholesome competitions notable for their warmth and camaraderie where the joy is as much in the making as the triumphing. There is a reason why performers aren’t told about the presence of Mika and Lang Lang, and that is so they can be entirely themselves, free of anxiety about how they might be judged. At the end of each episode, when the pianist who will be performing at the concert is named, it is done without the customary drumrolls and drawn-out pauses, all of which ensures that no one is left feeling like a loser.

 

Central to the series’ success is what we glean about its participants, for whom the piano represents so much more than a hobby, and whose stories yield many lump-in-the-throat moments. We meet Jay, an ex-raver and former drug user from the Isle of Wight who has “seen a lot of people die” and has found solace and a path out of his self-destructiveness through music, and Harry, a 93-year-old who met his wife, Patricia, 50 years ago while playing piano in a bar in Aberdeen. Harry is now a carer for Patricia, who has dementia and doesn’t always know who he is. The piano provides rare moments of connection as she taps along to Harry’s playing. It also offers respite from his caring duties: “You can’t play the piano if you’re thinking about something else,” he says. “It’s like going on holiday.”

 

And there’s 13-year-old Lucy who is blind and neurodivergent. When she was young and in hospital, she was given a toy piano on which she learnt to play “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” so well that the nurses thought it was a recording. For Lucy, who cannot maintain a verbal conversation, music has become a means of communication. And so we watch her being led to the piano by her teacher, and delivering a performance of Chopin’s Nocturne in B flat minor so flawless and beautiful that it leaves Mika and Lang Lang speechless, and much of the assembled crowd in tears.

 

If all this makes The Piano sound unashamedly sentimental, it absolutely is. The manipulation levels are turned up high as the pianists with the most unusual or unhappy backstories are given maximum prominence. That many are filmed at home with their families indicates that, far from being plucked at random and asked to bash out a tune on the spot, each of the participants has been carefully selected by producers. But none of this detracts from a series that is less a regular talent show than a heart-warming patchwork of human stories and a paean to the therapeutic properties of the piano. It would take a heart of stone not to fall for its charms.

 

On Wednesdays at 9pm on Channel 4 and on All4 now

 

[SusanT]

6 hours ago, Kumazzz said:

I love this review so much !!

 

Financial Times

https://www.ft.com/content/a791208b-3190-46c7-b743-653ba38d6a6a

 

The reality shows thriving on feelgood vibes

 

In a format more often noted for naked ambition and the ridiculing of ‘villains’, The Piano’s heartwarming stories strike a human chord

At first glance, there is nothing out of the ordinary about new reality series The Piano. Ostensibly a TV talent show played out in public spaces, it sets out to find Britain’s best amateur pianists using instruments strategically installed in UK rail stations. While participants, who span all ages and backgrounds, perform everything from Prokofiev’s “Dance of the Knights” to TLC’s “No Scrubs”, host Claudia Winkleman cheers from the sidelines and passers-by stop to film them on their phones. What the performers don’t know is that they are being watched from behind the scenes by British-American pop star Mika and celebrated Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang, who together deliver exceedingly kindly critique. At the end of each episode, all come together for a jam session, during which the two judges pick one person to perform at a special end-of-series concert at London’s Royal Festival Hall.

 

What sets The Piano apart is that it is resolutely not about the winning. Ruthlessness and a rush to judgment, whether from the voting public or a panel of “experts”, have long been part and parcel of the reality TV experience, from The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing to I’m a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here! and Love Island — that and the naked ambition of contestants hungry for fame and prize money. Whether through assigned tasks or clever editing, these shows habitually manipulate situations to manufacture conflict, create victims and villains or simply set contestants up for mass ridicule. It’s little wonder that, in 2020, the UK regulator Ofcom saw fit to issue new guidelines to protect the wellbeing of those taking part.

 

By contrast, The Piano is all about feelgood vibes, making it closer in spirit to The Great British Bake Off or The Great Pottery Throwdown, wholesome competitions notable for their warmth and camaraderie where the joy is as much in the making as the triumphing. There is a reason why performers aren’t told about the presence of Mika and Lang Lang, and that is so they can be entirely themselves, free of anxiety about how they might be judged. At the end of each episode, when the pianist who will be performing at the concert is named, it is done without the customary drumrolls and drawn-out pauses, all of which ensures that no one is left feeling like a loser.

 

Central to the series’ success is what we glean about its participants, for whom the piano represents so much more than a hobby, and whose stories yield many lump-in-the-throat moments. We meet Jay, an ex-raver and former drug user from the Isle of Wight who has “seen a lot of people die” and has found solace and a path out of his self-destructiveness through music, and Harry, a 93-year-old who met his wife, Patricia, 50 years ago while playing piano in a bar in Aberdeen. Harry is now a carer for Patricia, who has dementia and doesn’t always know who he is. The piano provides rare moments of connection as she taps along to Harry’s playing. It also offers respite from his caring duties: “You can’t play the piano if you’re thinking about something else,” he says. “It’s like going on holiday.”

 

And there’s 13-year-old Lucy who is blind and neurodivergent. When she was young and in hospital, she was given a toy piano on which she learnt to play “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” so well that the nurses thought it was a recording. For Lucy, who cannot maintain a verbal conversation, music has become a means of communication. And so we watch her being led to the piano by her teacher, and delivering a performance of Chopin’s Nocturne in B flat minor so flawless and beautiful that it leaves Mika and Lang Lang speechless, and much of the assembled crowd in tears.

 

If all this makes The Piano sound unashamedly sentimental, it absolutely is. The manipulation levels are turned up high as the pianists with the most unusual or unhappy backstories are given maximum prominence. That many are filmed at home with their families indicates that, far from being plucked at random and asked to bash out a tune on the spot, each of the participants has been carefully selected by producers. But none of this detracts from a series that is less a regular talent show than a heart-warming patchwork of human stories and a paean to the therapeutic properties of the piano. It would take a heart of stone not to fall for its charms.

 

On Wednesdays at 9pm on Channel 4 and on All4 now

 

I can see why you love this review. 😊

This is one of the few times I've seen Mika described as  British-American. I think that's what Wikipedia says. Does Mika also have UK citizenship? It would have made things easier for him working and living in Europe before Brexit. 

[BeccaStardust]

30 minutes ago, SusanT said:

I can see why you love this review. 😊

This is one of the few times I've seen Mika described as  British-American. I think that's what Wikipedia says. Does Mika also have UK citizenship? It would have made things easier for him working and living in Europe before Brexit. 

Yeah I'm pretty sure he has both a UK and American passport and citizenship 

He's often described at British since that's where his Career started 

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

2 hours ago, SusanT said:

I can see why you love this review. 😊

This is one of the few times I've seen Mika described as  British-American. I think that's what Wikipedia says. Does Mika also have UK citizenship? It would have made things easier for him working and living in Europe before Brexit. 

 

 

Once he mentioned that he doesn't have British passport. Only American.

[krysady]

33 minutes ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

 

 

Once he mentioned that he doesn't have British passport. Only American.

Yes, actually he mentioned it several times over the years 

[SusanT]

11 minutes ago, krysady said:

Yes, actually he mentioned it several times over the years 

 He could still be a UK citizen but use his US passport  when he travels, but that seems unlikely to me. Thinking back to "Il Testimone," Mika only mentioned being American  when Pif asked about his nationality.