British musician and broadcaster Jamie Cullum wants to bring a record number of people together this holiday season — specifically, to set the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest music lesson ever held.
Cullum will be holding the virtual music lesson on YouTube on Dec. 9, during which he’ll be teaching his students how to play the Christmas carol In the Bleak Midwinter on the piano.
The attempt comes just a few weeks after the release of the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist’s new holiday album, The Pianoman at Christmas.
“I had really wanted to create music that would celebrate the bringing of people together at this magical time of year,” Cullum says. “I wrote the album during the first lockdown, and at that point I don’t think any of us imagined that we’d still be in a similar situation come Christmas time. I’ve seen so many imaginative ways of creating a spirit of togetherness from the artistic community this year, in spite of how physically apart we’ve actually been. I’m passionate about how music and the participation of making it can form such powerful bridges between people.”
The lesson will last about 45 minutes, and it’ll include a Q&A period and “maybe even a surprise singalong at the end.”
It’s open to anyone who wants to learn. You can find information and registration at thepianomanatchristmas.com.
Tune in Sunday, Dec. 6, at 9 a.m. for a special holiday edition of First Listen with Brad Barker, featuring Jamie Cullum’s The Pianoman at Christmas.