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ABOUT ME
Photo © Mark Lang
NORMAN APPEL: PIANIST, COMPOSER, PIANO TUNER AND WRITER
Norm’s new album ‘The Tallowood Sessions’ has received great acclaim with people often saying it gives them ‘a sense of peace and comfort.’ The album ‘Music of the Caldera’ is a collaboration with his wife, Magenta Appel-Pye which came about after his commission to compose for the film ‘Not Quite Square’ by filmmaker, Sharon Shostak. Along with his wife Magenta, Norman writes the satirical ‘So They Say' advice column for the Nimbin Good Times and Clarence Valley Independent newspapers. He hopes to finish his autobiography ‘The Piano Works’ in 2024. Proprietor of The Piano Works he has tuned for all types of people, bands and festivals as well as breathing life back into numerous beloved pianos.
Norman Appel was born in 1957 and grew up in Sydney. He started piano studies at age 6 and began composing at 15 when his piano teacher taught him theory and improvisational skills. His abilities as a composer and performer have drawn high praise. The sensitive and emotional nuances of his music have often moved audiences to tears.
His influences and inspirations include Keith Emerson, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Frederick Gulda, Edgar Meyer as well as Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Debussy.
In 2012 award winning filmmaker Sharon Shostak commissioned Norman to compose the soundtrack to her documentary film ‘Not Quite Square.’ (link to movie) This resulted in a musical collaboration with his wife and multi-instrumentalist Magenta Appel-Pye, resulting in the album ‘Music of the Caldera’ available from Bandcamp
In 2020 Norman purchased a 1986 Bosendorfer Model 280 concert grand piano. After carrying out a thorough overhaul, this magnificent instrument was used to record an album of original solo piano compositions, ‘The Tallowood Sessions.’
Norman graduated from the School of Piano Tuning and Technology at the NSW State Conservatorium of Music in 1980. Over the ensuing 45 years his clients have included Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Leonard Cohen, U2, BB King, Fleetwood Mac, Santana, Neil Young, Cold Chisel, INXS and many more.
In 1991 he settled in the northern NSW town of Mullumbimby. In the early 2000’s he helped the Byron Community Theatre acquire a Steinway Model D concert grand piano. Here he tuned for Roger Woodward, David Helfgott, Simon Tedeschki, Jimmy Webb, Nils Frahm, Sarah Blasco, Konstantin Shamray, Gerard Willems, Martha Wainwright amongst many others.
Norman was the official tuner for Tyalgum Festival of Classical Music, Bangalow Music Festival, Mullumbimby Music Festival and the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival, Byron Bay. His skills and rarity as a piano tuner have always been in high demand with Roger Woodward saying he is ‘the one of the best piano tuners in Australia.’
Over the last 10 years, Norman and Magenta have written a satirical, tongue in cheek advice column for the Nimbin Good Times regional newspaper and recently published weekly in The Clarence Valley Independent newspaper. It is also available on-line and has proven to be extremely popular with a large audience. People say it is interesting and funny. Originally called ‘She Says: He Says’, they have renamed it ‘So They Say’ to reflect more modern attitudes to gender and diversity.
Nimbin Good Times
Clarence Valley Independent
Having honed his writing skills with Magenta as his mentor, tormentor, collaborator and editor, Norman is hoping to complete his autobiography, The Piano Works, by the end of 2024. The book tells about his life as a piano tuner and the history of the music scene in Sydney in the 1980’s and 90’s and the many famous bands he worked for. His seachange in 1991 to the Byron Bay region sees him starting over again from scratch and how he built up a busy and prosperous business there. And his serendipitous and romantic meeting of his soul-mate, Magenta. Through pianos, of course.
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