Recent Songs
Cairngorm Reel (5/24) PSR-SX700
Feelings (5/24) PSR-SX700
Ghost Riders in the Sky (5/24) PSR-SX700
This Guys in Love With You 2 (5/24) PSR-SX700
Musical Background
(March, 2023) I am a 76 year old guy living in the North East of England with my lovely wife Teresa and our cheeky and lively Shih Tzu Barney. We are both retired. My wife plays piano, and I play a PSR-SX700. We are not too far from the large and bustling cities of Newcastle upon Tyne and historic Durham.
My musical career started by learning the piano that we had at home. I pecked at it randomly, and horribly until my parents gave in, and so I started piano lessons. My Dad, who was a self made textile manufacturers agent in the City of Manchester passed away prematurely when I was 8. I have been a fully qualified professional chef, a Distribution Manager for a major auto electrical company, an Advanced commercial and sports diving instructor, and can turn my hand to most practical things.
I continued my piano lessons under the tutorage of a Mr Sidney Payne. This guy was about 80 and fearsome. Wrong notes were rewarded with a crack over the knuckles with a ruler. Playing by ear was strictly not allowed, and sitting up straight more important than producing music. He didn’t last long….thankfully…
We were then blessed with the appointment of Mr David Crump who was a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, and one of the kindest, most patient men I have ever had the fortune to meet. RIP David. David identified that I was a prospective pupil for Organ studies, and so my tuition on the 3 manual Chapel Organ at the school began. I was hooked. This huge instrument reached by a spiral staircase to the organ loft became my life. Making time to play whilst being actively involved in school rugby, swimming and boxing teams was tough, but whenever I was able, I headed to the chapel.
I still have a fascination and love of big organs. My wife and I often visit places just to view them. The best I have seen to date, was in the city of Regensburg in Germany. Rebuilt in 2009, we visited it on its opening week. Built by the Austrian builder Riegar, Regensburg Cathedral organ is the largest and heaviest hanging organ in the world. Do read about it, it is an amazing instrument. To hear it played was sheer magic. A beautiful, beautiful organ. I spent many happy years being coached by David, playing for many services, and events within the school. After school, I studied out in Amsterdam and became fascinated by the huge street organs out there. I still love to listen to the organist Gert van Hoef, who is an amazingly young talented organist from the Netherlands.
But organs, as we all know, are big and heavy, and home organs take up space, so after about 35 years playing Yamahas, mostly Electones and the Tyros, I’ve had about 6 Yammys. Technics, Farfisas and an Orla, I started to buy keyboards. Quite a change, but I’m getting there.
I am a home player. I play from the dots, by ear and from my own letter notation system. I am not good with music theory, but the SX is very forgiving! I have four broken fingers and poor eyesight but I now see that as a challenge rather than a handicap. I like to play mostly 40’s to 80’s music in Jazz, easy listening and country styles, but I’m not a pop music player. Slow and easy lounge styles are more my style. I compose a few of my own numbers, and adapt others to suit my style.
Thanks to the hard work of Joe, Roger, Mike, Eileen, Fred and many other contributors to the forum all of whom have made my musical path that bit smoother. Support the site, and be part of this amazing resource. We are all SO VERY LUCKY to be a part of it. Please never take it for granted.
Keith (Divemaster in the PSR Tutorial forum.)
Keith's MP3 Song Index
Keith's songs are listed alphabetically. Click on the song title to audition and/or download the song. Songs were recorded on a PSR-SX700 (X7) (5/24/24)
All I Need Is The Air That I Breathe (X7) Don't Get Around Much Any More (X7) |
They Can't Take That Away From Me (X7) This Guys in Love With You 2 (X7) This Guy's In Love With You (X7) |