Tuned In, Memoirs of a Piano Man: Behind the Scenes with Music Legends and Finding the Artist Within by Jim Wilson is a memoir about achieving his dream of being a singer/songwriter. Jim’s life changed when his mother’s friend gave him a guitar at seven years of age. From there, his life and dreams center on music. Before heading to Los Angeles to pursue his musical dreams, he decides to be a piano tuner as a backup plan. Jim finds himself tuning pianos for many of his childhood heroes like Paul McCartney, David Foster, Elton John, Carole King, and the list goes on. With the death of a good friend, Jim realizes that he put his dreams of becoming a musician on the back burner. Jim embarks on making music and successfully becomes a recording artist with his piano-inspired sound.

Author Jim Wilson immediately drew me in from the prologue where he recounts his meeting with one of the Beatles. I was hooked instantly. Jim kept delivering with his expert storytelling talents. He has a heartfelt and humble way of describing an event with a famous person that humanizes the individual, so I felt a connection on a more personal level and not just a fan. The numerous photographs enhanced my reading experience. On top of such an engrossing and inspiring life story, I learned a little about piano tuning, which was quite interesting. Tuned In, Memoirs of a Piano Man is a riveting and entertaining memoir that reignited my love for music.

Jim Wilson's Tuned In, Memoirs of a Piano Man is a nuanced account of his musical journey from a music-obsessed child in a small West Texas town to sharing adventures with his music heroes and making chart-topping songs himself. As a miscreant from a broken home, Jim experienced a chaotic childhood and struggled to stay out of trouble. Still, he found passion in music and started a band with two of his friends. Jim decided to take music more seriously by attending tuning school and becoming the official piano technician for the Amarillo Symphony. He would later share moments with some of his music heroes, including Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Carole King. He also got to create his own music and perform for audiences around the world despite dealing with the internal struggle of not being an active father and losing loved ones.

As a musician, I gained some amazing ideas from Jim Wilson's brave and creative approach to selling his music. For example, Jim sold his music directly to his fans by playing in busy places like the malls, which resulted in a gradual increase in his fan base. Readers see his transition from a reckless youngster to a passion-driven adult. His emotional moments and introspective words about loss and passion portray him as a thoughtful, friendly, and energetic person whom readers will find likable and easy to relate to. From start to finish, Tuned In, Memoirs of a Piano Man is an addictive read with great characters and engrossing musical stories. Music lovers, musicians, and other artistic individuals will love this inspiring musical memoir by Jim Wilson. While reading its evocative pages, I found myself laughing, crying, gasping in awe, and thinking up new ideas to boost my music career.