Frederick Hodges: Sophisticated Syncopation

If syncopation has a name performer today, it is likely Frederick Hodges. The California pianist has gained a stellar reputation for his skills playing solo ragtime, swinging at the keyboard with Don Neely’s Royal Society Jazz Orchestra, or as the rhythmic foundation of one of Neely’s smaller groups. Hodges added accompanying screenings of silent movies to his repertoire. Besides syncopated music, Hodges also has been interpreting classical piano pieces from Rachmaninoff to Gershwin. His discography includes more than 10 releases as a soloist and many more with the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra. Hodges’ effervescent piano stylings, his sunny and youthful personality, and vocal renditions of novelty songs have charmed and delighted audiences around the world. The Syncopated Times’ Brian R. Sheridan spoke with Hodges via Zoom from his home in California where he sat at place where he seems most comfortable—on the bench of a baby grand piano. Hodges spoke openly about his struggles in the music business, how we nearly lost his extraordinary talent to the world of academia, and putting his time to good use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brian R. Sheridan: Let’s start with your first exposure to playing the piano. Frederick Hodges: I started piano lessons at eight years old and loved it. I was taking weekly and bi-weekly lessons with advanced and famed teachers educated at the