This Piano Concerto Was The Only One

Muriel: The Little Mouse Who Lived In A Piano is a story that was originally told by Al Bachmann and his granddaughter Shawndel in 1986 on a cassette. On the 25th anniversary of its original release DJ Companion Records felt it was time to re-master the material, re-design the cover, and re-introduce it on cd to the world via the internet as well as children's and classical music stores throughout the world. Muriel: The Little Mouse Who Lived In A Piano truly is a very entertaining story for children about the history of classical music.

When Muriel: The Little Mouse Who Lived In A Piano was originally released in 1986, Barbara Martindale of the Grand River Sachem wrote the following review:

"MURIEL'S MUSICAL ADVENTURES: ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL

I listened to an audio tape recording that was so enjoyable I had to play it again to get the full benefit.

A Children's Story called "Muriel And Her Musical Adventure" (note: it was earlier released with this title) is something music teachers would use. School teachers and parents who have aspirations for their children to learn more about good music and where it comes from will find it informative and educational.

Muriel And Her Musical Adventures is about a little mouse who lived in a piano. It's a fascinating 50 minutes of entertainment that introduces us to the world of classical music; the easy listening, wonderful, familiar kind of classics.

Produced right here in Caledonia, Muriel And Her Musical Adventures is the creation of well-known Caledonia musician and composer Al Bachmann. It's his voice, his piano, his piano performance, a few of his own compositions, his idea and it was produced professionally in his studio.

The voice of the mouse is that of Bachmann's 9 year old grand-daughter, Shawndel Bachmann; she is now 10. The story is portrayed in the farmhouse of a family of four where the mother and her two children are musical and all take lessons on the piano.

Muriel discovers the world of music through their playing and through the narrator, Al Bachmann who introduces the composers by telling a simple background story about each one of their 18th and 19th century lives. Czerny, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Mendelsohn, Strauss, and Tchaikowsky are just a few who, through Bachmann's own piano interpretation , come alive.

His grandfatherly German accent is just perfect in the story telling of the famous European composers.

Bachmann came to Canada in 1956, has lived in Caledonia for most of those years and has entertained at clubs, fine dining places and functions all over Southern Ontario. He was a on a local FM Radio Station for more than four years, and he appeared on CHCH TV 11's The Best Is Yet To Come for two seasons. He has composed more than 170 of his own works which date back to 1948 when he still lived in Germany. He has recorded four LP records, five audio cassettes and one video entitled appropriately "Grand River Reflections" which is a collection of his own original compositions.

Muriel And Her Musical Adventures is a beautiful story, beautiful music and it would delight you, your children, your grandchildren, your musical students or your school students."

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July 2, 1993

To Whom It May Concern:

I have known AL BACHMANN for many years and was pleased to have AL perform regularly on CKLH-FM on his own show called "REVERIE" when we first launched the FM station.

Al has made me aware of an interesting new musical project called "THE MOUSE WHO LOVED MUSIC". What a fascinating way to entertain children while introducing them to the great world of classical music! I am hopeful Al will find a record label prepared to help him develop this production because it could be a lasting catalog item selling to children for many years and would no doubt be a welcome teaching aid in our schools.

Sincerely,

Nevin E. Grant

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

OLDIES 1150, HAMILTON