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MP3 Phillip Mills - Silently
12 MP3 Songs in this album (41:08) !
Related styles: EASY LISTENING: Instrumental Pop, NEW AGE: Solo Instrumental
People who are interested in Yanni Jim Brickman William Joseph should consider this download.
Details:
Phillip Mills grew up mostly in or around Auburn, Indiana for most of his life, always having passion for music. He would sit in the car and listen as his mother sang to the radio or as she played the guitar so effortlessly. Amazed with music, Phil told his mom that he wanted to join band and ended up choosing the alto saxophone to learn. Through the next few years, he practiced the saxophone continually trying to master the instrument the best he could, while looking at pianos and piano players in absolute awe.
Phil continued with band until the end of his high school sophomore year, eventually giving it up to play football for his final two years. It was in band, however, that he met a very valuable friend, Adam – an amazing piano player, who he met continually many morning before school just to listen to him play. Adam showed him how to make a chord simply with three notes. Still, Phil never really kept up with piano. It wasn’t until early his senior year, 2002, he heard a song on the Delilah Radio Show that would change his life – “Angel Eyes” by Jim Brickman. The song captured him in a way that no other music had and Phil felt and thought, “Man, I HAVE to play like that guy!” It was then that piano became his life. He bought a $250 Casio 61-key keyboard and practiced Jim Brickman songs as well as his favorite Disney songs. “I feel that when you’re learning piano, especially when teaching yourself, you should play music that you really enjoy or else it can easily get boring and you lose your motivation,” he stated. Most days Phil practiced 4 hours while maintaining a job and playing football. However, his progress was never good enough and so he continued. Eventually it wasn’t practice at all.
In 2003, he graduated high school and had already enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. September bound his journey into the military. “I honestly had dreams about my keyboard from deprivation of not being able to play!” he said. His first request from his visiting family upon Basic Military Training graduation was that they bring his keyboard for him to play! Then, he left for technical training to learn to fix airplanes for the Air Force. Finally, in February 2004, he was sent to his first duty station, McConnell AFB where he was assigned a dorm room. It was then, with his bonus from the Air Force, he bought an 88-key Yamaha portable keyboard. While working 8 hours a day fixing KC-135R aircraft and going to college classes, he fit in time to indulge in his passion, piano. On a whim, he applied to be a pianist at a Von Maur clothing store in Wichita, Kansas. After an audition, he was soon hired and was introduced to the first baby grand piano he ever played on. “I still remember how bad my hands and fingers would hurt from playing on real weighted keys!” he jokes, “and I would sweat and shake when people would stop to listen.” During his time at McConnell AFB, Phil spent 330 days deployed within 16 months but still that couldn’t keep away his passion. The deployed chaplains graciously allowed Phil time to practice in between his 14 hour work days in the desert. “I worked 14 hours, worked out, ate, and then practice piano every day,” he laughs, “sometimes I’d skip dinner just to be given a little extra time to practice.” He soon became the praise and worship leader for the deployed base protestant service, which he thoroughly enjoyed as he felt he was finally giving back to the amazing chapel staff and God who allowed him to pursue his passion. Yet still, to him his progress with piano wasn’t good enough…
Upon completion of his 3rd desert tour, April 2006, Phil came back to find out he had been accepted to the Air Force Academy Preparatory School. This was finally his chance to pursue a dream of being an Air Force pilot like he had always dreamed ever since he was a little boy! With excitement, he packed up his bags and headed to his second basic training for the prep school. Although his prep school commander wouldn’t allow him to keep his piano in his room, he again made friends with the chapel staff, who soon allowed him near unlimited access to their baby grand piano! Phil also soon joined the protestant contemporary service as a secondary pianist to an already extraordinary player, Tim. This is where he finally broke ground and began composing and playing in front of a crowd – “Playing at church is what made me realize that I LOVE to perform for people!!” July 2007, Phil would head to his third basic training for the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Luckily, this time around his commander allowed him to have his keyboard in his room and it is then he pursued a YouTube music career *Laughs Out Loud* - “YouTube really is an amazing place. It was my first exposure to a crowd and how I got comfortable with talking to a camera and just ‘letting myself go’ while performing. I will continue to post videos on there as long as I physically can.” The journey has been long, frustrating, and rewarding for this self-taught pianist but he is ready for what is yet to come and waiting for him on his musical and military journey…
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