So now you know I need to work harder at being “in the moment.” Apart from that, you also know that Tom Brislin has some serious musical firepower behind his monthly contributions to our Play It!, Gear, and Features sections. In addition to his work with Ms. Harry, Tom has held the keyboard chair in a few other bands you’ve heard about, among them Meat Loaf, Camel, and Yes. He’s the author of what is in our opinion one of the most useful how-to-play books of all time, the 30-Day Keyboard Workout (Alfred). The stuff he writes is solid gold; it’s full of good musical experience. We’re lucky to have him.
Everyone on our list of contributing editors is like that. When I asked Scotty Healy if he’d like to pen our tribute to Isaac Hayes (page 52), he said, “Oh yeah! I love Isaac Hayes. When I got to play behind him on Late Night a couple years ago. . . .” You can read more for yourself in the article, but the point is that whatever Scott contributes to Keyboard magazine carries the credibility of that top level of musical professionalism. Who wouldn’t want to read what he has to say?
When we heard that Jordan Rudess had a Tenori- On (don’t worry, it’s not an affliction; see page 66), technical editor Stephen Fortner contacted him right away to ask if he’d be interested in contributing to our multi-writer review of this interesting new instrument. What Jordan sent us was so much more than just an account of his experience with the Tenori; it’s an essay on how using it took his creativity in new directions. Does the piece have gravitas? You bet.
This is why we’re showcasing just a few of our contributors each month (above). Check out their work. There’s so much more to them than what you read about in Keyboard, and Keyboard is so much better as a result. Enjoy!
Four contributing editors you should know!Name: Scott Healy Currently: Keyboardist with Late Night with Conan O’Brien
Recent Activity: Recordings, sessions, and concerts in NYC and environs
Website: bluedogmusic.com
Name: Mitchell Sigman
Currently: Live keyboardist for Troubadour Theatre Group, allpurpose synth junkie
Recent recording: Synth-rock project Celebutante’s Nightlife
Website: celebusite.com
Name: Tom Brislin
Latest recording: Time Travel Made Easy, with Spiraling
Recent work: Touring as musical director for Debbie Harry
Website: tombrislin.com
Name: Peter Kirn
Currently: Touring, playing laptops and keys, teaching, talking tech
Next project: Creating 3D software interfaces for generative music
Website: createdigitalmusic.com