This evening, I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one my greatest musical inspirations. The man my dad called the German Leprechaun, John Biehl, passed peacefully in his sleep this afternoon.

I frequently and fondly remember his inspiring renditions of the hymns on piano, organ, and even accordion. Without even looking at a hymnal, he would sit down and play hymn after hymn, transitioning them all flawlessly as if they were one spiritual masterpiece. He is the very reason I own a piano. I loved the way he played and the way I felt when I heard him play so much that I began trying my own renditions of the hymns. At first, they were more centered on the technical aspect of the music. I took piano lessons from Brother Biehl for a short time. Those lessons taught me a lot about the basics of piano playing and now that I have a little better understanding of the different key signatures and how they relate and such, I do what I think he did. I sit down and I play what I feel deep down. That feeling, for me, is indescribable. That is what I mean when I have said in the past, such as my recent blog post on music, that playing calms me.

While he personally inspired me on piano and organ, his accordion playing will never be forgotten by anyone who saw and heard him play. At dances, ward parties and other activities, he would dress up in his German best and entertain us all with his accordion. Every Christmas too, he would make a huge gingerbread house and show it off to the ward. He always seemed like he was 90 years old when I knew him, but he had such a bounce in his step. He was a hilarious guy.

The choirs of heaven have gained a treasured soul today...