Confessions of a Keyboardist

Born in Nashville TN, Jarvis Sims began his musical footing at the age of 2. He started playing organ and keyboards at 15, serving as a church musician. While attending Tennessee State University he accompanied the Gospel choir, New Direction. He was also pianist in Tennessee State’s jazz band and is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity. As a professional musician in Nashville , Jarvis can be heard playing for weddings, church services at Love Cathedral, banquets, jazz venues, concerts, club gigs and much more.

Born in Lexington, Kentucky and Raised in Smithfield North Carolina, Winfield Cheek has run the highs and lows of the Music Business.  A Professional Musician at age 10, Winfield started his musical journey as a Drummer!  Taking Piano lessons on the side and by High School he was playing Keyboards and Guitar in Bands.  A professional musician for over 40 years he has performed with Artists such as Black Oak Arkansas, Jim Ed Brown, Hellen Cornelius and Margo Smith. Of special note, he performed on the Grand ol Opry with Jim Ed Brown in the Mid 80's. He is currently touring with the Texas Swamp Pop Sensation known as Shinyribs, based in Austin, Texas where he is belovedly known as the Forrest Gump of Rock n Roll!

Nashville-based Jon Ross is an independent singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and bridge builder. Placing your journey as the listener at the center of his work, Ross weaves clever arrangements and gentle humor with a true rock n roll instinct to both entertain you and bring you from here to better.

Debbie Andrews was born and raised in Detroit. She began playing piano as a child and entered the rock world as a singer in a production of Hair. After touring the country with some cover bands, she moved to New York where she entertained guests at the Waldorf singing and playing piano for several years. She is the co-author of a rock musical called Barcode which was staged at the New York Fringe Festival in 2013. Currently she serves as songwriter, singer and keyboardist for her band Gladshot. Gladshot has three recordings (Burn Up & Shine, Maxwell’s Cool Demon, These Are Vitamins) with a fourth on the way, and has toured regionally and placed several songs on television and movies.

Tyson Leslie grew up in Colorado and Kansas City, Missouri.  As a young boy, he won a talent show playing piano and used the prize money to buy a guitar. Up until moving to Nashville in 2015 he played keyboards, bass, drums and guitar in many bands including Pomeroy, a Kansas City-based band that toured the United States opening for countless national acts.  After relocating to Nashville, he worked for country singer Tracy Lawrence and became a regular dueling pianist at Dick’s Last Resort. He also became the keyboard coordinator for Tom Hurst’s Loud Jamz, a monthly professional musician’s jam show which led him to create a similar outlet for metal music performance called Rare Hare.

Keyboard SuccessNashville Musicians | John MattickAn Inside Look at the Classic Tones of the Ampeg Heritage B15Billy SheehanJames Wozniak | The Buffalo NewsJimmy CalirePaul FranklinBeethoven: Symphony No. 7 | Ozawa Boston Symphony OrchestraDirty Dancing in Live Concert, 1988Alabama | Dixieland DelightBillboard | August 29, 1998Ed Bruce | Live at Church Street StationThe Buffalo TouchChris Carpenter MusicMarkey Blue Ric Latina ProjectThe Young and The Restless

Brad Bietry is a jazz pianist/composer/producer/songwriter/jazz piano teacher based out of Nashville, TN.   Brad was born and raised in Lima, Ohio. He has studied at Berklee College Music, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory Of Music and Denver University studying jazz piano, composition, and arranging.  He started touring at the age of nineteen with The Continental Singers and Brass, The Spurrlows, Carnival, Princess, and Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Kira Small is a nationally touring singer-songwriter, recording artist, pianist and self-professed “singer nerd”. She is a 2018 Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriter Showcase Winner, 2015 International Songwriting Competition Finalist, and a 2012 Independent Music Awards winner. Her resume also includes a stint on Berklee College of Music’s voice faculty, back-up vocalist for Lynda Carter (yes, Wonder Woman) and Martina McBride's Joy of Christmas Tours, and studio work with Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, Martina McBride, Ray Price, Peter Frampton, Wynonna Judd and more. Her most recent album 3 AM was released in June 2016. She lives in Nashville with her husband and two yoga-practicing cats.

When asked what is his ultimate goal as a musician, Johnathan Smith replied simply, "To make people happy!" Smith certainly achieves this goal and so much more every time he graces a stage or studio with his consistently energetic, emotionally charged style of finessing his instrument. His journey with the ivories began at the tender age of 10 years old as the keyboard and piano player for his mother who was a pastor in East Chicago, Indiana. Life soon thereafter landed Smith in Charleston, West Virginia in 2003. During his time in WV, Smith's musical journey allowed for him to play on a number of stages including ones in Austria and Japan. He was introduced to the organ through playing in WV churches and added it to the arsenal of instruments he mastered.

Kamber Kigin is a Nashville-based pianist, vocalist, and songwriter. Born and raised in central Florida, she started playing piano at the age of five and studied Classical music for many years. As a teenager she began writing songs and was influenced by rock and alternative music. Her love of many styles of music gives her a unique sound as lead vocalist and songwriter for the band Raviner. Kamber also performs as a solo artist and is releasing “Edge to Edge,” a five-song EP before the end of 2019.

Michael Klooster—keyboardist, producer, song writer, and composer is a Nor-Cal artist who relocated to Nashville by way of Los Angeles. Michael is the keyboardist for the band Smash Mouth since 1997, and spends much of his off-the-road time in the studio and on various live projects. Michael also is an singer/songwriter who fronts his own band, KLOOSTER with a rotating cast of members from Michael’s career. From electronic to soulfully organic, retro to modern—-Michael’s love of eclectic instruments and wide range of musical influences produce a unique sounds that tells his story.

Nashville based Keyboard player Josh Rosen has had a career based on diversity and many styles of music. Josh has played with artists such as Josh Gracin, Jerrod Neimann, Stella Parton, David Frizzell and Shelley West, Rockie Lynne, Billy Dean and many others. He has played for countless wedding, tribute, and independent artist gigs, including those that have opened for Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Styx and Reo Speedwagon. Josh has also recorded with acts such as Animetal USA among others. A fan of many types of music, Josh says being versatile and willing to constantly learn are some of the keys to his career.

Eric Bikales is originally from Kansas City, but from the early ‘80s lived in Los Angeles contributing his musical compositions to television shows like A-Team, L.A. Law, Alley McBeal, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, My Name Is Earl, Hunter, NYPD Blue and many more—over 20 prime time shows + a few movies. Eric has also recorded and worked with quite a few artists like Cher, Bette Midler, Pointer Sisters, Tom Waits, Mac Davis and Neil Sedaka to name a few. He also recorded 4 “electronic new age” CDs as a solo artist for the Moodtapes label. “Tranquility" was a chart hit, featured on the Wave.Now a Franklin, TN resident, Eric has authored several music courses for the Academy of Art San Francisco, where he teaches online. Recently he re-released a beautiful collection of solo piano pieces called “Follow Your Heart” which is getting world wide air play and very positive response.

Dan Monaco is a keyboardist and music educator originally from Chicago, Illinois. Dan realized his passion for music at an early age, as teaching piano lessons, playing in church, and involvement in school jazz bands propelled him to earn a B.A. in Choral Music Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dan leapt to Nashville, Tennessee in July of 2015 to be among the most elite musicians and opportunities in the music industry. Dan currently supports local artists and bands while also contributing full-time to the premiere general music digital curriculum provider as a Teacher Training Specialist.

Moe Denham is a Nashville-based, Hammond USA artist. He’s been a sideman to artists such as Count Basie and Clarence Gatemouth Brown. He’s opened for Ray Charles, B.B. King, and The Platters. He’s performed with Richard “Groove” Holmes, Neil Young, Bela Fleck and Ernest Tubb among many others. He’s a mentor and friend to many upcoming musicians, and lives with his wife Susan and Tud the Corgi.

Brett Sandler is a Nashville-based keyboardist. Equally at home on piano, organ and synth, he lends his twenty-three years of keyboard playing excellence to many of Nashville’s local artists, studios and bands.

Joel Asher is a piano technician and accomplished pianist/composer from Salem, Oregon. He has lived and worked in Nashville for ten years. Joel first began tuning pianos when he was fifteen. He studied both piano and organ as a child and took up guitar in his twenties. He had a brief apprenticeship with a pro tuner but got his first real break tuning floor pianos at Cascade Piano in Portland, Oregon. Currently he tunes for Fisk University and Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, and for two area music stores—Lane Music and Miller Piano. Joel’s compositions are featured on Enlightened Piano Radio, Whisperings Radio and River of Calm. You can also hear “Reflections” and “September Sunrise” by clicking the last two links on this page.

Kiran Gupta grew up in Fairfield, California where he studied Pop and Classical piano. He learned to play jazz by playing trumpet in community and high school bands. After high school, he attended U.C.L.A. where he received a B. A. in Ethnomusicology with an emphasis on World Music. During undergraduate school, he formed an Indian Classical and Jazz Fusion band which melded the two styles of improvisation during performance.

Karen Hedges and her husband George own Shiloh Music Center, a music store in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.  She has taught piano there for forty-five years.  Karen was instrumental in developing the Education Center at Shiloh which houses eighteen private music teachers who share nine studios.  Karen is active in many piano teacher organizations and is an expert on method books and supplementary materials for piano teachers, having hosted many composers and arrangers at her store for publisher-sponsored events.  Her teaching method is informed by her own lifelong learning, and by her desire to instill the love of music in her students regardless of level or style.  When she isn’t teaching, Karen can be found riding with George on their Harley.

Larry van Loon is a Nashville-based musician, performing live onstage locally and touring, as well as playing and producing in the studios.

Murph Wanca is the owner of Nashville Pro Hammond where he has repaired, rented and sold Hammond organs and their parts for the past 21 years.  As a young man, Murph travelled the country playing organ in various bands.  After moving to Nashville he was active as a musician and songwriter in the Contemporary Christian music scene.  He was working at Lorenz Creative Services when their Hammond organ broke down and on a whim, he decided to try to repair it.  This led to him subscribing to some online Hammond repair mailing lists where he made the acquaintance of the late Harvey Olsen and other Hammond experts who became his mentors and friends.  Murph credits local organist Rickey Jarrett with starting Nashville Pro Hammond as his first customer.   Murph has enjoyed much success working on these historic and incredible instruments for local churches, studios, and touring/professional musicians.

Tyrus Sass started teaching himself how to play keyboards at the age of fourteen. He learned how to play by ear, transcribing the vocal parts in Gospel songs. His father was a saxophonist and choir director who at one time toured with the Commodores. Tyrus describes his obsession with music and harmony, the many mentors who have helped him, and his current gig with blues recording artist Jonny Lange. We discuss the art of “hoopin’” (backing up the pastor in the African American church), and our mutual love of Hammond organs. He also gives priceless advice on how to be completely confident in a gig, and how to find your space when joining an already-formed band.

Benan Avci began studying piano when he was four years old with his mother, a private teacher in the suburbs of Chicago. He also studied voice and trombone, as well as jazz, rock and pop piano while growing up. Majoring in choral education at the University of Illinois, he became a high school choir teacher while moonlighting as a dueling pianist and entertainer at bar and fraternity party gigs. After moving to Nashville, Benan became a sideman, touring with Jarrod Niemann and playing with various groups around town such as the renowned multi-tribute band, MIPS. In this episode, Ben and I discuss traditional piano lessons and making the shift to becoming a commercial musician. He gives advice on how to learn massive amounts of material in a short period of time, talks frankly about the Nashville scene for sidemen and suggests ways that playing piano can be a tool for navigating difficult emotions.

Sandra Partridge has forged a path for herself with professionalism and artistic sensitivity. Playing music can be fun. It can also involve years of hard work. Traditional music lessons are demanding and very skill-specific, meaning that a lot of time is directed to studying scores and learning how to be detail-oriented when representing historic musical works. What does it really mean to study piano in college? Being accepted to the major involves having a teacher in high school who knows how to coach for a successful audition. Difficult pieces must be selected that display a pianist’s best traits. Once the student is accepted and ideally, granted a scholarship, the reality is that music study demands commitment and total immersion. Hours of daily practice, fast study, memorization, constant technical development, lesson preparation, music theory focus, and comprehensive music classes all day is typical fare. When the piano major graduates, making the shift from solo piano study to making a living playing piano can be jarring and challenging. The soloist mindset, which was so nurtured during the college years often doesn’t immediately translate into serving others. Turning to the music she loved the most, Sandra found her post-piano major path. Inspired by Charlie Chaplin, she became a dance accompanist, transcribing movie themes and other dramatic music for the classes she accompanied. Striving to understand, support and delight, Sandra also wrote a book to help other pianists discover the musical needs of dancers. In 2014, she became a comedy improv pianist and plays shows at the Third Coast Comedy Club in Nashville. She shines in this musical comedienne role, using her extensive catalogue of pop culture riffs and extensive musical knowledge. In the silliness of the shows, she has also found her joy and continues to evolve her voice.

In this episode, Brett Epstein describes his incredible evolution as a musician. Coming from a strong musical background as a multi-instrumentalist, Brett, who is a recent transplant to Nashville from LA has had a diverse career so far in the music business. From his college band days in Gainesville Florida as a drummer, to his focus on the piano at Berklee, Brett talks about his trajectory as a musician, composer, player and teacher. After he graduated from the Berklee School of Music in Boston in 2003, Brett moved to Los Angeles. There he began producing his own songs and placing them on film and television. During that period, he taught piano, worked in a sheet music store, briefly served as a music coordinator for a reality tv show, and performed on a cruise ship for four and a half months. Since moving to Nashville, Brett has focused on live music performance and just completed a mini tour in the late fall of 2018. Whether playing on lower broadway, composing for documentaries or teaching, Brett’s story is all things funny, inspiring and educational.

Adrian describes his musical journey of playing oboe in middle and high school, being a lead singer for awhile, and ultimately becoming a gigging rock, pop and funk keyboardist.  He discusses early musical influences such as his father, a singer and trombonist;  his grandmother, a church organist;  a couple of high school music teachers who exposed him to improvisation, theory and band;  and his bandmates in Kensington Stone who exposed him to composition and the music business.

Listen to Rachel describe her process in becoming a professional keyboardist, singer and entertainer. She discusses topics such as growing up with a musical father; her Classical piano background; the influence from creative piano teachers such as Dave Limina and Bruce Katz; heroes such as Queen, Elton John, Regina Spektor, Paul McCartney and Billy Joel; the importance of versatility in the music business; the availability of notated improvisatory musical styles; ideas on how to stay in good technical shape; interesting gifts from fans; being on the road; playing hit songs with the artists who made them hits; solo piano bar work; making songs your own; what it’s really like to play different types of gigs; cruise ship and dueling piano work; and she closes the interview by playing her arrangement of the theme song from “The Splendid Table”.