Hello everybody I stumbled across this forum by chance, and as I'm a keyboardist, I thought I'd join.
So, a bit about me then: my name is Jack, I'm 18 years old and a progressing self-taught musician from the UK. I am blind and so can not read music (and Braille music feels like gibberish to me also), but I learn and play by listening and repeating, which you could argue works just as well.
Although drums has been my main instrument for several years, I practise fairly evenly now on both the drums and the keyboard. Though I always enjoyed just messing about on the keys as a boy, I became serious about playing the keyboard about 2 and a half years ago, at a time when I was listening to a lot of 80s synthy rock music (Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Rush, Magnum, Journey, etc). Around that time I picked up a Yamaha PSR E403 keyboard/synthesiser, and off I went.
Over the past few months particularly I have become quite well established as a keyboardist due to a number of public solo performances, mainly playing a series of classic hits I have learned to play over time.
For a couple of years now I have been the drummer for a heavy metal band I formed with school friends, a position which I continue to occupy, although as yet I'm just a soloist on the keys with a couple of projects on the go.
My keyboard equipment is as follows:
Nord C1 Organ: A very realistic imitator of the classic Hammond, Farfisa and Vox organs. I love this piece of kit so much!
Yamaha PSR E403: I use this for many of the instrument samples/emulations I need - piano, brass, strings, etc - it's a very good value keyboard with many, many great sounds and is surprising for the price.
Korg MicroKorg: A virtual analogue synthesizer, plenty of retro fun with some particularly nice bassy sounds and some gorgeous squealing synth leads. Although admittedly this synth is a nightmare to program and edit to a blind player ... but that's by the by as they say.
What else? ... Well I listen to a variety of music, but I'm mainly a prog and classic rock lover. I have a wide range of influences for keyboard, although my biggest hero/influence is Mark Kelly of Marillion. Other big influences for me include Keith Emerson, Rod Argent, the keyboardist for the Small Faces (who's name escapes me, Ian something), and also the keyboardist who played with Steve Ellis' Love Affair during the early 1990s.
Favourite bands include Marillion, Emerson Lake and Palmer, The Police, The Small Faces, The Love Affair, etc.
Favourite song of all time: "Everlasting Love" - The Love Affair.
Other interests besides music: friends and family, aircraft and aviation, commedy, radio drama, police and crime, chocolate ... and lots more.
So there you go. Sorry this was quite long, but thanks for reading if you did.
If you want to ask me anything else or just say hello and introduce yourself, just post or send me a PM.
All the best,
Jack
So, a bit about me then: my name is Jack, I'm 18 years old and a progressing self-taught musician from the UK. I am blind and so can not read music (and Braille music feels like gibberish to me also), but I learn and play by listening and repeating, which you could argue works just as well.
Although drums has been my main instrument for several years, I practise fairly evenly now on both the drums and the keyboard. Though I always enjoyed just messing about on the keys as a boy, I became serious about playing the keyboard about 2 and a half years ago, at a time when I was listening to a lot of 80s synthy rock music (Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Rush, Magnum, Journey, etc). Around that time I picked up a Yamaha PSR E403 keyboard/synthesiser, and off I went.
Over the past few months particularly I have become quite well established as a keyboardist due to a number of public solo performances, mainly playing a series of classic hits I have learned to play over time.
For a couple of years now I have been the drummer for a heavy metal band I formed with school friends, a position which I continue to occupy, although as yet I'm just a soloist on the keys with a couple of projects on the go.
My keyboard equipment is as follows:
Nord C1 Organ: A very realistic imitator of the classic Hammond, Farfisa and Vox organs. I love this piece of kit so much!
Yamaha PSR E403: I use this for many of the instrument samples/emulations I need - piano, brass, strings, etc - it's a very good value keyboard with many, many great sounds and is surprising for the price.
Korg MicroKorg: A virtual analogue synthesizer, plenty of retro fun with some particularly nice bassy sounds and some gorgeous squealing synth leads. Although admittedly this synth is a nightmare to program and edit to a blind player ... but that's by the by as they say.
What else? ... Well I listen to a variety of music, but I'm mainly a prog and classic rock lover. I have a wide range of influences for keyboard, although my biggest hero/influence is Mark Kelly of Marillion. Other big influences for me include Keith Emerson, Rod Argent, the keyboardist for the Small Faces (who's name escapes me, Ian something), and also the keyboardist who played with Steve Ellis' Love Affair during the early 1990s.
Favourite bands include Marillion, Emerson Lake and Palmer, The Police, The Small Faces, The Love Affair, etc.
Favourite song of all time: "Everlasting Love" - The Love Affair.
Other interests besides music: friends and family, aircraft and aviation, commedy, radio drama, police and crime, chocolate ... and lots more.
So there you go. Sorry this was quite long, but thanks for reading if you did.
If you want to ask me anything else or just say hello and introduce yourself, just post or send me a PM.
All the best,
Jack
