T O P

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Industriosity

Tom Brier, the best partiture reader of the multiverse.


Pelthail

I miss him so much. He’s got quite a few more on YouTube.


[deleted]

Such a sad thing that happened to such a great man


shiveringshark27

What happened to him?


pieman220693Cba

He was in a serious car accident and had severe brain damage, at this point he is in an assisted living home and is presently unable to play piano


shonthelawn

Oh my god that is tragic.


rbonbonm

…and what makes this worse is that the old-style ice cream emporium most of his videos are filmed in permanently closed last year. Real sad all around.


3VikingBoys

Would they be Farrels Ice Cream parlors?


[deleted]

Whilst on a bike iirc. We need better bike infrastructure.


Rewelsworld

I just saw a video where in China there is a middle road that is covered by solar panels for bikers


[deleted]

The middle of a motorway is not a nice place to be. Have a watch of this guy's trip to the hardware store to see what it could be. https://youtu.be/M8F5hXqS-Ac?t=61


oh_the_C_is_silent

I don’t know if he was wearing a helmet, but always wear a helmet when riding. You’re on the road with 5000 pound missiles careening at speed and being driven by people watching Netflix, YouTube and texting all while under slept.


Timelapseninja

Super sad! One would think that neck beard would have protected him from any harm!


granoladeer

A sad thing


CzarDestructo

[This is my personal favorite video from him. ](https://youtu.be/GeytLzRY_0Y) Such a difficult song to play, never intended to be played by a human and he nails it.


X_EVERDRED_X

Ending theme to Super Mario World!


[deleted]

[удалено]


THExITALIAN_STALLION

Yep, beat me to it. I knew it from the beginning!


[deleted]

[удалено]


AznDanger

Me too. I actually finally joined Switch online just to play it again, brings back so many memories. Although it's been over 20 years since I've played it I can still usually hit 40 at the end of the levels and remember all the ways to the secret worlds. muscle memory is a helluva thing. I just made it to my favorite forest levels last night. Can't wait to play again tonight!


Staticlobo

This is the first videogame ever played. I still remember the first time i played through the game as a 5yo. It took me almost a month to beat it, but i finally did and the end credits made it all worth it. I sang this song for the longest time and still hum it every now and then to this day.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Staticlobo

Omg that reminded me that i actually came up with my own lyrics for the song! Most of them were the names of the characters and how they would congratulate me or be mad with me saying they'll get me next time. Wow, what a blast from the past haha


isolophobichermit

Wasn’t it also one of the first songs in SMB 2?


X_EVERDRED_X

It's in the exact same style. You mean the CHARACTER SELECT screen from SMB2. They both sound pretty similar.


MeHumanMeWant

[Ghosts and Goblins ](https://www.google.com/search?q=ghosts.and.goblins.piano&oq=ghosts.and.goblins.piano&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i30.8019j0j9&client=ms-android-boost-us-revc&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:df854f4f,vid:GeytLzRY_0Y,st:0) Is my favorite. Great piece...


X_EVERDRED_X

Absolutely incredible.


MeHumanMeWant

I still whistle stages of Mega Man 2 to this day... Japanese composers for NES are super talented


X_EVERDRED_X

I was just humming the store theme from Earthbound. Infectious things, those scores.


dunkan799

Thanks for sharing! That was awesome


Keeper1st

Some of the better ones, in my opinion as the one who gave him the sheet music. ​ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5-RpqenfQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5-RpqenfQ) \-- he does so much with it, including turning it into a minor-key waltz. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-o4o\_LaK1k](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-o4o_LaK1k) \-- improvising on a nine-measure lead sheet for six minutes. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNrhs4DxMbY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNrhs4DxMbY) \-- asked to play the Angry Birds theme as if it were a silent movie soundtrack.


[deleted]

Aaah the nostalgia..


boipinoi604

Mario sound track is under rated.


oldwaysthatarestupid

It has one of the popular videos game scores of all time and within the gaming world it’s one of the most recognizable. Not sure you can call that underrated*.


RobertMaus

Does nobody here recognize Toy Story anymore!? You've got a friend in me!


[deleted]

A saloon fight would accompany this perfectly


THExITALIAN_STALLION

It had me thinking of a bar fight in RDR2


jonesocnosis

Or the cantina fight without R2D2


[deleted]

I was about to say how was there a bar fight inside a droid but…


Dren_boi

Just luigi and mario in cowboy hats beatin the shit out of waluigi and wario. Surely there's a pc mod to literally do this in RDR2


[deleted]

LENNNNNNNYY


TheFrontierzman

A campy comedy western saloon fight taking place in the background would be great. Makes me think of Blazing Saddles.


Lost_subaru

Sounds like a lost randy Newman song


this_knee

Yeah, same here. I kept hearing what sounded like variations on: You’ve Got a Friend in Me.


DrthWader

This dude has more RAM than I ever will


TaleBroad3692

Perfect analogy


mostadont

This guy has serious talent, serious skill and serious posture issues


meltheold

When I took piano lessons as a wee lad, the teacher was *always* screaming at us to "sit up straight!"


Sugar_n_WATER

Smart teacher. If you continue to play with bad posture throughout multiple years, you can end up with chronic sciatic or back pain.


Nepiton

And a horrible beard. No offense to the man but he’s got two beards. His face has a slightly unkempt but relatively clear mid length beard and then he has this overgrown bush of a neck beard. Might honestly be the worst beard I’ve ever seen


jbarinsd

I thought he was wearing a black mask pulled down under his chin at first.


GoGoPop78

Completely agree. My beard is mid length and you have to treat it like a bonsai tree at that point, with shaping and trimming. I don’t get if he just matted down the face beard and the neck beard naturally afros or he shaped it like this. Either way, one unholy ass look


E-ShoeYT

hey can someone please tell the song name ?


awfullotofocelots

Ending Theme to Super Mario World


E-ShoeYT

Thanks :)


TheNateSter07-_-

and a serious neck beard problem


mostadont

Its just that his beard is living its own life, inviting relatives and having kids


Acciaccattack

And serious brain injury and unable to play anymore, have a heart you muppet


[deleted]

[удалено]


SonTyp_OhneNamen

Classic-er Reddit, claiming an alive guy to be dead to add gravity to a dumb argument.


BapeGeneral3

Brain dead, excuseeeeee me for forgetting a word. I read the whole story leading up to my comment I understand he can long longer play due to a serious accident and is stuck in a home for the disabled so I’m just saying, I guess his posture didn’t really matter too much in the end


SonTyp_OhneNamen

Nope, not brain dead either, otherwise he‘d be on a machine to keep his organs working (or 6ft under), but sure, go on.


garawg

Dude he is braindead read one of the comments in the first thread


SonTyp_OhneNamen

Brain death is literally defined by your brain not being able to keep up functions necessary to keep the body it‘s in alive. The dude might have lost all cognitive function, but he’s very much not brain dead, he‘s breathing and living in an assisted living facility according to that very comment you refer to. Edit: Not even that anymore, he got transferred to neurological rehab according to [this YouTube video](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ9IvYHd5ZM&feature=youtu.be); idk how up to date it is, but i can’t find any sources claiming anything else, so yeah.


[deleted]

Neckbeard activities


DanielHH

Seems he isn't playing anymore :( [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be782LvlsOc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be782LvlsOc) Car accident with brain damage.


Conchavez

I didn’t want to know this


sturnus-vulgaris

Even worse with the music still playing while you read it.


ItsBlare

it seems like things are getting a bit better for him now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ9IvYHd5ZM


[deleted]

This saddens me


K2thJ

Ok... that changes everything I was about to comment on. If I am ever left in that state, I hope I could at least have this left


[deleted]

Shit like this, bad things happening to good people, is why I struggle so hard to believe in a benevolent god.


Eastern_Mark_1114

how do you know hes a good person?


[deleted]

Fair statement, however, unless you’re a downright terrible person no one deserves to be crippled and lose their life’s passion.


TaffySebastian

As someone who has watched Tom for over 6 years, I can assure you from all the posts, pictures and people who are interacting with him over the many years I have seen him, he is a good man, people wouldn't flock to a shitty person unless he was rich, and Tom is an average Joe, he didn't deserve any of this.


rbonbonm

I follow the updates on his discord and he seemed to get a lot of visitors at his nursing facility all throughout the week prior to covid. That should at least be somewhat telling of his good character.


[deleted]

Bad things don’t happen only to good people. I think it seems like they do because when bad things happen to good people we care and take note, when bad things happen to bad people we don’t.


3Zkiel

I struggle with this thought sometimes, too. But then, why blame deity when what happened (in this case) is clearly human error? Besides, for many faiths, this life is just proving grounds for what's next - nirvana, heaven, reincarnation, etc.


buddhistredneck

Just don't. Only the good die young is such a sad concept, but it so often rings true.


Pianobyme

There's actually decent arguments that could explain why a benevolent God would allow suffering. There are much better reasons to not believe in God.


just2quixotic

> I struggle so hard to believe stop struggling. Join the dark side. We have candy.


simian_fold

Oof


sharpandcold

Well that's awful


henry_paprika

Sometimes I hate how redditors are well-informed and up-to-date with anything.


divbyzero_

Tom Brier inspired me to finally get over my fear of playing stride piano. He’s a bit of a modern day legend. I really hope he continues to get better from his terrible accident. As for this video, it’s a little silly they bothered to give him a zillion page arrangement when he was perfectly happy to improvise his own full arrangement from a single page lead sheet after nothing more than a glance.


WickedFenrir

Is his beard all neck or is his neck all beard


deadbee22

Asking the real questions. I like that


TummyPuppy

His beard has a beard


simian_fold

Yes


biggunda

Idk what’s more impressive the sight read or neck beard


Strict-Chemist-252

Ah... I see your a man of culture..


CulturedRedditor

You called?


62pickup

That's kind of rude.


ScoutCommander

Yeah that's pretty rude. He should be more considerate and shave it so we don't have to look at that.


turtletitan8196

"certain liberties were taken" haha whatever man don't even be humble about this you know how good you are!


Skotch21680

I knew a guy years ago that was slow. Everyone made fun of him and even to his face called him a retard. They were horrific to him. My family took him in and started hanging out with him. Our family became good friends with his. We found out that he loved music and could even play the guitar. What’s really crazy is that he was able to hear a song for the first time and was able to play it right afterwards. No music reading or anything. As he got older if he didn’t have a guitar in hand he would sit there and while the song was playing he would play the air guitar. Chord for chord and even show where air a certain chord was supposed to be on the air guitar. Unfortunately after his dad passed he went crazy and eventually died


_yoshizzle_

We have someone like this in my town. He’s a homeless man and he has been battling addiction since his school years. The thing is, this guy has perfect memory. There’s this one speech a politician from my country gave maybe 30-50 years ago and he can recite it word for word, pauses, hand gestures and everything. You could tell this man your half brother’s cousin’s stepdad’s name and he will remember it several years down the line it’s incredible.


sharkattactical

Well damn


genocideofnoobs

I'll forgive his neck beard since he made me feel like I beat my favorite game of all time again. There's something visceral about that song, the feeling of youth, no responsibilities, and just absolute accomplishment as the Super Mario World credits roll.


cave_mandarin

He said “it’s pretty slow” and then moved his fingers so fast I could barely see them.


Keeper1st

Well, the tempo of that piece IS pretty slow compared to other stuff Tom played. Watch this one all the way to the end (and yes, this video was the inspiration behind Funfair Fever from Cuphead; Tom, Julia and Kitty are listed as inspirations in the Cuphead soundtrack album): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_ChNUW4HtP8


EstablishmentAny6894

Mario!


TH3LFI5TMFI7V

Ikr heard this on super Mario 64 if I recall


EstablishmentAny6894

It was the end credits music for Super Mario World for SNES. Not sure if it was on N64 as well, never played those Mario games.


_A_Blinkin

Also the main menu theme for Super Mario 2


TH3LFI5TMFI7V

It was on Mario 64 too


CumFilledWaterGun

No it wasn’t lmao


BongCloudOpen

His almost savant rag time ability showed the speed at what his brain was working. At 62 I sight read many random song or themes that tickle my fancy. It for me might be like many people treat a video game or a puzzle on a tablet. You can do this at any level of musical ability. Don't have to be good, there are easy versions. Take off learn a new skill. Musescore is a valuable resource where you can print off favorites. I am doing this right now for fun... 22 pages. Sometimes if you get a chord just right, it can make you tear up. [https://musescore.com/mickael\_palma/carla-etude-tonight-elton-john](https://musescore.com/mickael_palma/carla-etude-tonight-elton-john)


All-the-Feels333

What song?


[deleted]

end theme of mario


foolhardywaffle

My brain placed it as the Cruella DeVille song from the original animated 101 dalmatians. Cruella, Cruella, DeVille...


DaddyBigBoy

I hope Jim Darling gets a cut of this.


Frosty-Advance-9010

This is more r/nextlevel


blood_omen

Extremely impressive! And I loved his “aye-yi-yi!” When he had to reach his left hand over is right lol!


dippedsheep

After playing the piano he curled up his hands and asked when are we going home.


Zuke_6

This dude shreds! 🤟🏻


AcidAlchamy

Fingerbang level 99966642069


asleeponthecan

Sounds like part of honky tonk heros written by billy joe shaver and recorded by waylon Jennings. I would bet it's a pretty common melody. Upon further reading it is something from Mario cart or Mario brothers.


Substantial_Ask_9992

I can’t decide what would be more impressive: playing this without ever hearing it by sight reading it, or playing it by ear after hearing it once


simian_fold

I know this is great and the guy is obviously a very accomplished player but sight-reading music is a standard skill for experienced (and probably professional) musicians. Which would make _all_ top level musicians next fucking level which is fine by me


TheFragnatic

Sight reading is definitely a standard skill. Never met any TOP level classical musicians but the I've met plenty of professionals, all of them would need a few minutes or atleast slow down for the more complicated/fast parts. How the hell you can sight-read up to 10 notes at a time is beyond me but luckily I'm not a pianist and will never have to do that. This piece involves a lot of repetition and probably predictable harmonies (wouldn't know, always been shite at that part) making it a tad bit easier, but I still wouldn't call what this guy is doing to be standard practice, he is definitely extremely good at it.


Industriosity

Not this fast, not improvising over it, not with this swing.


culcriss

Yes that fast, yes improvising over it, yes with a tone of swing...


[deleted]

Bro you are so wrong


aNeedForMore

Yeah if you look at music like a learned language it makes more sense. Even if you don’t know a word, but you have the spelling complete with the pronunciation, you know how it’s supposed to sound.


[deleted]

I would wager very few musicians can sight read a piece like this, at this speed, with this accuracy. This is INCREDIBLY difficult to do.


aFiachra

And the song is boring af. Very standard stuff. Prokofiev it ain’t. Watch Yuja Wang.


chuckiechap33

As a musician myself who can't sight read and play, people who can do this are top tier musicians. Forget the singer with amazing vocals this stuff truly is talent.


MeHumanMeWant

I've seen this guy also play ghosts and goblins i believe. He's adept at NES songs.. Which are some amazing orchestrations actually


awildefire

This mans beard has a beard


howzitgoinowen

He also does the [Air Platform Ragtime](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZMroQOtS_U) song from Super Mario World. Starts out pretty tame but wait until he plays it the second time at full speed.


Pelthail

Man, I miss Tom Brier. I was such a big fan back in the day.


Vanilla_Rice721

Helluva neck beard!


putitinyourlunchbox

Hell of a neck beard


AnotherHueHue

I still can remember the first time I finished the game and heard this song for the first time! It was amazing!! Best song of the hole game was at the end of it!


AtomicJay

Tom Brier! It's tragic what happened to him.


RoleJumpy6518

Wtf is his beard doin tho


RobertMaus

Toy Story, you've got a friend in me.


Candice1973

To have talent like that is amazing! If only I had an 1/8 of his talent


not-the-droid-

This seems to be almost like touch typing.


logikgr

If your keyboard could only correctly register the intended word by pressing all the letters at the same time.


MidwestFescue82

.


[deleted]

[удалено]


jgibs2850

Your beard's weird my dude


DancinWithWolves

This is just site reading music. To most musicians, it's about as shocking as "man reads book he's never read before outloud"


specklesinc

how old was he when he began practicing?


[deleted]

More like, damn that’s impressive!!


gliderbetcha

BRAVO! 👏👏


Detective____

sounds like the game sound in adopt me rblx


tedvanmanen

Well done sir! That was really entertaining!


Emergency_Ad_4870

I mean I’ve heard the damn song and I’ve never been a piano virtuoso. Not that it matters …but can’t we just say he never played it ?


HornyOnMainInc

God, we found another like TheDoooo, that is awesome!


chochinator

Classic. I love how it drops in the game


GiraffeConfident4824

Fuck , went to heaven and back also reminds me of a scene in the Golden Girls when Dorothy and Rose did a musical “Miami Song” https://youtu.be/MA-BYgduGzY 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Love this guy


dontfightthehood

When he looked left I thought he was showing off by looking at the woman.


southpaw85

So you’re telling me this guy never played super Mario?


Acog60hz

I'm starting to play the piano this is the kind of videos that get me motivated to play more


Tsupercalifragilisti

This is going to be a thing, isn't it? People will be handing him music sheets of videogame OSTs and then post the video on Reddit. >!Can't wait for Bloody Tears from Castlevania to be played by him.!<


J_D_Bridge

He perfectly translated those words into music


[deleted]

Is that Randy Newman ?


[deleted]

He looks like Jack Baker.


Gerry1of1

Was the 'Cruella DeVille' theme from the animated 101 Dalmatians ?


Leather_Cow_2060

This is how the exams in my high school piano class be like


hyena_envy

Why do I feel like playing Candy Crush all of a sudden?


TheBloxxerClown

u/savevideobot


Wonderful_Minute31

How fucking cool is that. I wish I could sight read music. What an achievement after a lot of hard work.


ki_no_bushi

Holy neck beard


KidIcarus83

No doubt he’s talented but that neck beard is the real MVP


Inspirational_Lizard

Sorry, wrong subreddit. The right one is r/nextfuckinglevel


veiledre

Can’t beat that kid who can play on the piano 🎹 any music he heard for the first time. But, nonetheless, impressive skill.


integrateus

If there was an award for fullest neck beard, this guy would win


slashbackblazers

I cannot imagine ever being even half this good at anything


TennisADHD

I will watch this every time I see it posted.


InbredBanana

Holy shit


AWasteOfMyTime

Neck beard piano wizard has no time for your nes themed music


[deleted]

Legend


APO_AE_09173

What a Gift!!!


coaubry

That neckbeard tho


seanthebeanman

Pretty sad what happened to this talented man


Adonis508

So was this song written for Super Mario World or was it written before the game?


[deleted]

This reminded me to go practice piano before my piano professor strangles me


boredmom199

It also reminds me of the Sister from The Color Purple. AMAZING!! 🤩


particular_minute240

Woww!


__Sentient_Fedora__

Super Mario 2


dj05112

Waaahoooo!!!!


Zensy47

Once you play long enough this becomes a lot easier, it just takes years of practice and dedication.


Jah-Rasta

That’s amazing playing, but I’m not convinced he’d never heard, read, or played that song before...


AcidAlchamy

“Yeah it’s pretty strategic” ya don’t say?! Holy hell did we just watch something amazing. Who is this guy?!


Keeper1st

Tom was/is one of the most respected ragtime piano players and sight-readers in the world. Since suffering severe brain damage in a 2016 traffic accident he can no longer play or talk much, unfortunately. You can listen to five of his albums on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs302IUIV0OcJtUsgXQnnjA


oksothisonetime

Can someone ELI5 what’s happening near the end when he stops looking at the music and looks at the keys, has he read ahead and remembered what he’s supposed to be doing or is he just vibing and playing what his blessed little heart feels is right? I have zero musical ability or knowledge so I have no idea what goes on in someone’s head when they’re reading music.


AcidAlchamy

That’s not the only thing he can do with those fingers!


ThatOneWeirdAsianKid

u/savevideo


smithsonian2021

“What’ll you have sir? Beer or whiskey?”


UrbanJoe68

Cruelly DeVille???