silverfalls

Silverfalls Records
      © (821137714420)) (format: CD-R)

       the Queen of Swing™
   Kelli Grant

A note from Kelli:

This is my first & only piano CD. I think my Mom, and I know my Dad is very proud.
When I was about 9 or 10 I took my first piano lessons from a very incompetent piano teacher, whom I will not even mention her name. She had a wooden ruler.
that she would literally hit your hand with it when you missed a note. I became very apprehensive about playing due to the repercussions, abuse and embarrassmemt. Very intimidating!.I did not take piano lessons again until I was in high school, I think my junior year. Mr. Procter was a sweet "old" man but unfortunately he wanted me to be a piano teacher. Scales and more scales. All I wanted to play was a "boogie woogie". So, I didn’t take very long. There's more to the story but I'll let it go.

In college, 2 years of piano is required as a minor instrument for a music degree, which is the extent of my classical training and the last of my lessons.  I discovered it was "way too much work" to read all of those notes. ;o) I prefer to play by ear.

The Assistant Band Director was my piano teacher as well as Ear Training Class Instructor. He was funny and we got along really well. He brought in a piece of sheet music to our lesson one day, Chopin. He said I want you to play this. I looked at the score and said play it for me and I'll get close. He whirled around and said, "YOU DON'T GET CLOSE TO CHOPIN"! I laughed. I thought it was funny and then he did too, realizing how his very strong objection to my statement had sounded. Of course, he was right. Classical music students whether Clarinet, which I also played ONLY READ. They do NOT Create. I am a creator of music. I play what I hear in my soul.

Bob Wills said. "You have to HEAR it in your HEAD, FEEL it in your Heart to PLAY it with your hands". A very accurate analysis of how a musician creates.

Each one of the selections is strictly "off the cuff" as they say. (Musicians) I know the melody and I hear the chords in my head that I like. So, the rest just comes. And I normally don’t play it the same way every time. If the engineer missed something and wants me to play it again, I most likely can’t. This in turn means, I don’t always know what’s coming up next. ;o)

I recorded a CD recently, "Swing-a-Billy" that I played all instruments except guitar. 4 Star reviews from around the world. French music critic, Bernard Boyat. "proclaimed it, Superbes!".  I wrote most of the songs, [layed 3 & 3 parts: Trumpet & Sax and did all of the arrangements. A very difficult task that I prefer to not do again; at least, anytime soon anyway.

Although it has been many years, I was first chair Clarinet, earned a First Division in UIL Solo/Ensemble Contest and was awarded a seat in the All-Region Band.

I received scholarships in Clarinet, Sax, Voice and was awarded the Vivian Thing Scholarship for Music Excellence.  I also played Eb Clarinet, Soprano. Alto & Bari Sax in band / stage band. But for a music major degree, I learned the basics on all band instruments, excelling in some. Not so much in others.

But piano is the instrument I chose and love because you can make so much noise, or I should say cover so many parts at one time. Normally I play the bassline with my left hand as taught to me by my Mother when I was about 7. Honestly, there is no need for me to hire a bassman because it would just clash. Thanks to my Mom, Micki I developed a very unique signature piano style. This earned me the title, "The Queen of Swing" from my piers. Now a registered trademark.

Mom had taught me to walk the chord with my left hand, since my hands were too small to reach the customary octave or 10 th’s. One of my very first purchases was a Farfisa organ which had 2 octaves of bass, instead of pedals on the left end of the keyboard. I have been playing the bass with my left hand ever since. Who knew at the age of 7, my Mom would give me a signature piano style that would bring such accolades from such legends as, Carl Perkins, "Blue Suede Shows".

My college education was classical; so with this research, I finally realized that "big band" was only a reference to the size of the group or entity that performed the music characteristics that make a song SWING. Another side note on Swing. Band was a reference to a HORN BAND. I discovered so many more musical definitions to Swing that I don't think anyone else knows. But I DO ...

But that is enough about swing. This is my piano debut and I hope you enjoy it.

~ Kelli Grant ~