Jakob Plays at Barrie Jazz & Blues Festival

Jakob helped close out the 2010 Barrie Jazz & Blues Festival as part of a piano recital in the rotunda at Barrie City Hall. He, along with Marc Widner's top students, played on the nine foot Yamaha grand piano (apparently a $178,000 piano) that was on loan from Yamaha for the Jazz & Blues Festival.

"The piano was so perfect sounding it almost sounded fake -- like it was computer generated," Jakob said after the performance. He treated the audience to Elton John's Benny & the Jets, which musically is not an easy piece to play.

Now that piano lessons are over for the summer, Jakob plans to play a lot, especially because he can do what ever songs he wants. But everyone in the family hopes he keeps playing Benny & the Jets!