Little StarTrevor Loucks2019-01-25T11:34:38-06:00
Little Star (Twinkle, Twinkle)
Piano & Violin Cover by 92 Keys
Little Star Background – By Trevor Loucks
Probably one of the most distinct memories of my childhood was smashing the keys on the piano out of sheer frustration. I could not play the piano well nor did I want to play. It was a stupid instrument that no one should waste their time learning. I was not born with the natural gift of music like those kids you've probably seen on Ellen, or in the past, Oprah.
After quitting the piano several times and coming back to it, there finally came a point when I was about 14, seven years or so years after the first lesson, where it started to make sense. Finally, the notes on the page started translating to my hands in a more natural manner.
Later, sometime in the middle of my sophomore year of High School I sat down at a piano without sheet music in front of me and to my surprise, was actually able to improv a song in Gb. Playing without sheet music is something I never thought would be possible. Coincidentally, the song that managed to get plucked out was "Amazing Grace" which was also the song I first wrote a piano and violin arrangement for. The seeds for 92 Keys were planted early!
So, it's probably not hard to figure what the point of this arrangement of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is. With practice, you will inevitably get better at what you're working to master. For those of you playing bingo at home, that will satisfy the 'cliche' box.
But it's true, though, and that can be an extremely difficult concept to grasp when you're a kid.
I hope with this arrangement we created it will inspire at least one kid out there that it is indeed possible to get better with time and effort, especially for those who like me, don't have a natural propensity to excel at music. You can and will improve. Keep practicing!
Buy Little Star
"92 Keys" – EP
Uprising on Bach's Toccata
Penny Soucy
Jenita Guthrie
Little Star Credits
Arrangement for 92 Keys Created by: Trevor Loucks
Violin Written and Recorded by: Crista Guthrie
Violin 1 – Cassidy McDaniel
Violin 2 – Julia Erway
Piano 1 – Ryker Gray
Piano 2 – Tali Hendrick
Piano 3 – Christian Nielsen
Director | DP: Parker Walbeck
Drone Pilot: Dakota Walbeck
Edited by: Dakota Walbeck
Production Assistant: Corbin Bishop
Production Assistant: Jeff Stiles
Huston School, Idaho
The parents of all the kids! • Allen and Leigh Evans • Frank Loucks • Susan Free
Location Background
Allen and Leigh Evans, the owners of the Huston School where we filmed, were super kind and helpful with letting us film there for a day. I came across this piece property on a Facebook page that has a huge collection of pictures of abandoned buildings all around Idaho. As soon as I saw the post with pictures of the Huston School I knew immediately that would be a perfect place to film. After finding the location on a map I drove out there one afternoon finding the property fenced off with no contact info in sight.
Long story short, and some Google-fu, I was able to find owner information and then got a hold of Allen to ask for permission to film at this site. I knew none of the backstory or anything like that, so it was surprising to learn that Allen's long term plan for this abandoned school is to rebuild and remodel the entire property for the purposes of creating a music school. Wow! What are the odds?
As a side note, this is the second time this has happened to us, where the theme of the video coincidentally matches the mission behind the location. See "Jordan's Song" for our other encounter.
This description of Huston School comes from Allen and Leigh Evans:
"The Huston School was built in 1917 to replace a wooden structure that had been constructed several years before. Huston school was one of 13 schools that were spread around the western Treasure Valley serving small communities and farmers. The school was last used as a school in 1971 when it was sold to a private party and was then converted into a duplex. In 1991, the school suffered a devastating fire. Since that time, the property has be sold several times but has not been rebuilt since the fire.
In December of 2015, Allen and Leigh Evans purchased the school and the two acres surrounding it. Allen's grandmother Edith Skelton attended the school as a Junior High student for several years when it first opened. The Evans plan to build their retirement home inside the structure while trying to preserve the grand and classic look of the outside for another 100 years."
Well, we are certainly looking forward to seeing new life being breathed in Huston School. Kicking off its second life with "Little Star" seems like the perfect way to do it. -Trevor