Massapequa Public Library Hosts Recital for Piano Teacher and Students

The auditorium of the Massapequa Public Library Bar Harbour Building was filled with the sounds of the piano on a recent  Sunday afternoon thanks to Kenny Hendricks and his students.

The students gave a public recital before an appreciative crowd in the auditorium. Each of the students played two songs, one that Hendricks chose for them and one of their own favorites. Two of the students were a father, Tej Singh, and son, Navi Singh.

Navi began taking lessons with Hendricks in December. Navi followed the song Hendricks chose for him with his personal choice, "Old MacDonald." His favorite part about taking lessons with Hendricks is simply “playing the piano.”

Tej Singh followed up his son’s act with a couple of songs of his own. He has been working with Hendricks for quite a bit longer than his son.

“I took some lessons as a child, but he pretty much took me from the beginning to where I am now,” Tej said. “It’s been like three years now that I’ve been studying, he’s really good. It’s really worth the time and effort to learn piano.”

Before his students ran their fingers across the piano keys, Hendricks played a couple of songs for the crowd. While people were still filing into the auditorium he played and sang "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" by Billy Joel. To entertain the crowd a bit before his students got their turn he played a classical piece called Solfeggietto by Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach, the son of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Tej is an example that it is never too late to learn to play, or to reintroduce yourself to an instrument you used to love, the piano teacher said.

“If you want to learn how to play or if you left it behind a long time ago and you want to get back into it [you can],” Hendricks said. “Sometimes it’s nice when people hear somebody else doing well and they go ‘Hey you know I want to try that again.’”

Hendricks has been teaching for just about five years in Massapequa and its surrounding towns. He began playing the piano when he was young and has been playing professionally, pop music specifically, since he was a teenager.

Hendricks still plays professionally. Every Friday you can find him doing a piano show with a bunch of guys at the Black Forest brew Haus in Farmingdale.

“It’s a fun kind of a night with sing alongs and the audience gets up on the stage and sings,” Hendricks said.

Some of the highlights of his career include playing at the Waldorf Astoria and working on cruise ships.

“I’ve played in some of the fanciest places in town and some of the most local low-down places in town, and everywhere in between,” Hendricks said. “I just love it, I love performing. When you love performing and you see an audience that’s involved it doesn’t matter where you are,” Hendricks said.

If you’re interested in taking private piano lessons with Hendricks you can call him at 516-795-4362. If you need an entertainer for a special event you can check out his website.