Great tips for live performance. When a talented musician gives you good advice about music it can instantly transform your playing. We’ve heard many great tips from our artists over the past year. They range from practical applications to conceptual approaches. Each artist generously offered great insights into what it takes to perform at a high level.
Dan Rouse
Philadelphia-based keyboardist Dan Rousehas worked with Jennifer Hudson, Patti Labelle, Hoodie Allen and was musical director for the Village People. Dan is a leader in the Philadelphia music scene, coordinating gigs and jam sessions in different venues around the city. He gives back by mentoring younger musicians, teaching them valuable skills to help them establish themselves.
In the podcast below, Dan talks about how he got started and the importance of the jam session. He discusses how he began first by observing, then finally sitting in and getting noticed by an older established musician.
“No one can hire you if they don’t know that you exist.”
Neil Tankersley is music director, keyboardist, singer, and songwriter from Gainesville, Georgia. He was born into a family with a rich musical heritage and began playing piano and singing at an early age. In 2002, North Point Community Church in Atlanta became a home base for Neil where he played an important role as a vocalist, keyboard player and percussionist for over 12 years. Currently Neil plays with award-winning country artist Luke Combs. Neil discusses his role in the band in this excerpt from Behind the Synth.
“I want to know what everyone else is playing so I know where to be.”
Jazz pianist and organist Larry Goldingsis one of the most sought-after musicians on the scene today. His organ trio with Peter Bernstein and Bill Stewart was recognized in the New York Times as "the best organ trio of the last decade." Goldings' musical inspirations draw from a lifetime of absorbing jazz, pop, funk, R&B, electronic and classical music. He’s performed with Jim Hall, Maceo Parker, John Scofield, Steve Gadd, Jack DeJohnette, Pat Metheny, Michael Brecker, Sia Furler, John Mayer and since 2001 has recorded and toured with James Taylor. Larry is a rare talent in that plays piano and organ equally well. In the video below (starting at 17:25) Larry discusses his approach to organ and piano, offering insights on articulation and how he deals with the differences between instruments.
“I’m somewhat of a percussive player on the piano, or at least I can be, because I like Monk and Duke and people coming out of that…I find that pianists who go to organ sometimes are too legato on the organ, and that can sap the time feel if your touch is too legato.”
Nick Semrad has performed and collaborated with such artists as Cory Henry and the Funk Apostles, Miss Lauryn Hill, Donny McCaslin, Bootsy Collins, Louis Cole (Knower), Bilal, Gabriel Garzon-Montano, Meg Mac, Terrace Martin and many others. Nick’s “Artist Notes” series here on YamahaSynth.com shares thoughts about musicianship. Each article contains valuable ideas to help keyboardists play, think and feel better.
Matt Johnson is a seasoned keyboardist who came up in the vibrant London soul scene. He’s performed with Duffy, Newton Faulkner, Will Young, Nolween Leroy and many others. In 2010 he became the keyboardist for Jamiroquai.
Matt discusses the importance of sound, the goal of becoming an authentic and unique musician and the value of paying attention to all the aspects of music in the special edition of Behind the Synth hosted by Nick Semrad.
Matt offers this advice:
“Pay more attention to sounds and parts and melodies rather than learning all the licks. There’s just so many great players that can do all that stuff, and it’s lovely to be able to do that, I just think spending time trying to find you own unique slant on how to play the keyboards is a great thing.”
Luke Smith with Nick Semrad
UK-based keyboardist Luke Smithstarted his musical journey in the church playing drums at age 9 before switching to keyboards at age 11. His cousins introduced him to reggae, soul and jazz guiding Luke’s development into one of the UK’s most renowned session musicians. In 2006 he became the keyboardist for international superstar George Michaels.
Nick and Luke had an engaging discussion about important aspects of being a keyboardist apart from playing in this special edition of Behind the Synth.
“You have the sonic end of it (playing keyboards), like getting all the sounds I have met a lot of musicians that practice all the playing things, and they don’t think about that kind of stuff.”
Questions or comments? Join the conversation on the Forum here.
Yamaha Synthesizer Product Specialist Blake Angelos has over thirty years of experience with music hardware and software. An expert in music technology, Blake has conducted numerous clinics, master classes and presentations throughout the United States, Europe and Canada. In his role as Product Specialist for the Synthesizer Department Blake appears in many product videos and artist interviews, writes many articles for YamahaSynth.com and co-hosts a regular Podcast called “Behind the Synth”.
Before his work with Yamaha, he taught music theory and jazz studies courses at Arizona State University; managed a technology-focused music store in Seattle and was a production supervisor at Microsoft, where he led a team that developed groundbreaking interactive music content for the Microsoft Network. Blake holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Northern Colorado and a Master of Music degree from Arizona State University. Blake currently resides in Bellingham, Washington with his family, and between his travels around the world for Yamaha, he performs as much as possible with several jazz and creative music groups in Bellingham, Seattle and other places in the Pacific Northwest.