Six questions for George Mieling

Keyboardist to rock SIFF closing night party|

Being a teenager in Austria was certainly different that being one in the U.S., but as it turns out for George Mieling – not too different.

Born roughly 50 years ago in Vienna to an American mother and an Austrian father, classical music was big in the Mieling household, and like many European families, having everyone singing around the piano was, well, something that you just did.

Everyone played an instrument – and for young Mieling, it was piano, and classical music at that.

Mieling had an older brother that had hooked up with some jazz musicians who were judged to be quite accomplished by the family – jazz was definitely not the norm – and Mieling was 'allowed' by his parents to move from playing classical music to jazz, where his older brother took him under his wing and taught him the basics of jazz.

It didn't take long for Mieling to form his own band with some local youths and in 1978 the act won a talent contest with the prize being a recording session and two songs released on 45s, still one of Mieling's proudest moments.

Roll the clock forward about 20 years and to the U.S. – in Sonoma Valley to be exact – where Mieling was living as a family man with a corporate day job. He had continued playing music over the years, though not as part of a band – which is how he truly loved to play.

After a couple of Craigslist searches, he found an act out of Napa that was looking for a keyboard player and it was then he became a member of 'People of Earth.'

The act will play the closing party at the Sonoma International Film Festival on Sunday, April 2, at 8 p.m.

Mieling told us about his love of southern rock and the baby grand piano that's followed him across the globe.

Many musicians in our generation cite the Beatles on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' as that moment when they knew music was what they wanted to do. When did you realize you wanted to be a musician?

I never wanted to actually be a professional musician, but as you mention, the Beatles were huge – even in Austria. But starting my own band as a teenager was what really made me realize I liked performing. I flirted with the idea of trying to go to the Vienna Conservatory of Music but in hindsight I'm glad that didn't actually happen.

That first instrument you owned. What was it and do you still have it?

My parents had a baby grand piano that now is over 100 years old, a Stingl that I played as a youth. And, believe it or not, I still have it. It has moved with me like five times and it's in my house to this day. My first real instrument that I owned was a Fender Rhodes 73 key piano that I loved and sold when I had to go to compulsory military service in Austria. I wish I had never sold it. I finally replaced it just recently with one from a studio in Los Angeles. It was always a studio instrument and it's very clean, so I play that occasionally now.

Who are your primary influences?

Early influences were jazz – like Herbie Hancock, Chick Correa, Weather Report – those types of bands. But as I moved to the states, southern rock is really what began to inspire me. Some west coast style too, but Lynyrd Skynyrd has been my biggest influence since. Billy Powell, their keyboardist, is just amazing. And of course Gregg Allman.

What CD is in your car?

Pretty much Eric Clapton, but these days everything is a mix or something. I have some playlists I listen to, or I listen to rehearsal songs or gig lists for upcoming shows.

Tell us about your current acts.

Mainly People of Earth, but I did a one-off with an act we called the Last Minute Band for the Vintage Fest last year. I also have a 'once a year' band when I go to New York for a work conference. One time the band asked me to sit in – and ever since then we play that conference every year.

If you could have written one song, what would it be?

Hmmm. (long pause) 'One Way Out' by the Allman Brothers (written by Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James). If I could have written one, that would be it.

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