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New Billy Joel Q&A – Could You Write A Piece Of Music For This Audience Tonight?

C.W. Post College has been a landmark venue in Billy’s career. In 1977 he performed and broadcast a live show on WLIR, playing “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” live there for the first time. He returned in February 1996 to present his “Evening of Questions & Answers and A Little Music,” and received no shortage of questions. One question asked Billy to write a new song on the spot, which prompted him to explain the essence of his musical direction at that time. With this Q&A, Billy reveals the influence of Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” heard on his car radio, as one inspiration for the work ahead. The album “Fantasies & Delusions” would be the result in 2001. This is a glimpse into the future of Billy Joel, the classically inspired composer. Watch the video below and check out more clips from our “Questions & Answers” lecture series.