In the series “Hangin’ With,” Emmett Moulton goes around interviewing local artists to find out their take on the music scene in Taos, and how they got started as artistS.
Click here to watch Hangin’ With #1: RYAN BECKWITH!
Hangin’ With #2: Jimmy Stadler
Jimmy Stadler moved to Taos in fall of 1986 and has lived here ever since. He plays in the Jimmy Stadler Band along with other various artists. As well as being a talented musician, he also teaches a music class at Taos Academy Charter School (in which Emmett is currently enrolled).
When Jimmy was a kid, he became fascinated with music after hearing his parents play concert piano. He then learned the piano, which is one of the main instruments he plays. Along with piano, he can play guitar, mandolin, mandola, ukulele, 5-string banjo, tenor banjo, some violin, bass, drums — pretty much any instrument you throw at him, if it’s not brass.
In second grade, he had his first performance at his school. They played the song “Louie Louie.” The main reason he remembers this performance was when they were finished with the show, the kids were told to bring the upright piano that Jimmy was playing back to the other side of the cafeteria. When they were bringing it back, they started going faster and faster and then “BOOM!”, the piano fell over, and that was his first performance.
Jimmy’s first band — “we called ourselves a band,” he says — was called The Silver Knights. They were in third grade, but the guy in the eighth grade band used to let him hang out and play his Fender Stratocaster. (They had a repertoire of about three songs.) Along with playing with his band, he also played music with his family. Both of his parents were concert pianists and singers. The family band was called the Stadler Family Singers and they played all around Ohio. Along with his family band and The Silver Knights, Jimmy has also played with many artists including but not limited to: Michael Martin Murphy, Grammy award-winning singer Lynn Anderson, Lloyd Maines, and Mr. Bill Payne, plus many more.
Since Jimmy has been in Taos for so long, he really feels that he has to be a constant in the music scene. He always feels that when there isn’t a scene, he is part to blame for it, so he always tries to be the active constant.
Jimmy Stadler has some advice for any aspiring musician: You have to practice and do your homework. You need to build up your calluses and muscles before playing. If you do your homework before, you can have much more freedom when playing later. Another thing: HAVE FUN! Have fun when playing. Don’t just play because you are told to, play because you want to.
Towards the end of the video, Jimmy Stadler plays one of his new songs on 7 different instruments (5-string banjo, mandola, guitar, 3-string ukulele, guitar, mandolin, and piano), which is then all strung together into one song. One musician, 7 instruments. The 3-string ukulele was lying around the office and we weren’t sure whether Jimmy could play it, but it’s Jimmy Stadler, he can play anything!
There are also some clips at the end of him trying out different settings on the piano he was using, along with a riff on the Mandola.
You can find more info on the Jimmy Stadler Band at www.jimmystadler.com