blog http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:44:56 GMT http://bandzoogle.com The Barstool Prophets: Now and Then http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=3962864  When I was a teenager, I was a lucky kid who was given the opportunity to play in a rock band with my older cousins, Kuzzin. I remember the summer we got to play a set as part of Kanata's annual "WileyPalooza" - a summer music festival at Wiley's sports bar. Our set was early in the day and a series of other rock bands played all day leading up to the main event which was a night time slot featuring the headlining act, a band called "The Barstool Prophets." Their tunes were on the radio at the time and they had a good buzz going. While all the opening bands played at Wiley's during the day, the Prophets were scheduled to go on in what was at the time a newly built and unfurnished warehouse across the street (which is now a Lone Star restaurant and grocery store). I remember feeling so special that I had a all access pass to the event. As evening set in, the rowdy and anxious crowd made their way across the street and into the warehouse to gather in front of the stage where the mics, guitars and monitors were placed and ready, like weapons of rock. I remember how cool it was to be watching for the first time a live rock show from backstage. When the Prophets took the stage, things heated up quickly with excitement and cheering. There are images that stick out in my head from that show. I remember Graham singing and playing in the front - he was so intense and electrifying. I remember looking down at Glen's bare feet and wondering if he ever got a sliver while playing bass. I could also see from my perspective the people in the front row dancing and jumping up and down to the music. This crowd had been drinking at Wiley's all day so they were good and primed before the show even started. There was a lot of moshing or at least pushing and shoving going on right in front of the guitar player. Although the stage was elevated, it wasn't high enough to stop a few Paloozers from falling into the guitar players pedal rig. He wasn't impressed with that and I still remember him angrily stating over the mic, "I thought I told you mother#@*ers not to mess with my sh@t goddamnit!" it was intense for a moment but the band kept on rocking and I thought to myself - this is cool! Here I am, underage, backstage, a little bit of rage and a whole lot of rock n roll! It was experiences like this one that made me want to continue playing music live because the thrill and excitement of a live show is at the very heart and soul of why performers continue their pursuit. This Friday, the Barstool Prophets reunite here in Ottawa at Maverick's on Rideau Street. The lucky kid from Kanata is now grown up with a kid of his own, and he is lucky enough to open the show for the boys, playing a set featuring his own material. I am as excited now, as I was a long time ago and can't wait for this show!
While all the opening bands played at Wiley's during the day, the Prophets were scheduled to go on in what was at the time a newly built and unfurnished warehouse across the street (which is now a Lone Star restaurant and grocery store). I remember feeling so special that I had a all access pass to the event.

As evening set in, the rowdy and anxious crowd made their way across the street and into the warehouse to gather in front of the stage where the mics, guitars and monitors were placed and ready, like weapons of rock. I remember how cool it was to be watching for the first time a live rock show from backstage.

When the Prophets took the stage, things heated up quickly with excitement and cheering. There are images that stick out in my head from that show. I remember Graham singing and playing in the front - he was so intense and electrifying. I remember looking down at Glen's bare feet and wondering if he ever got a sliver while playing bass. I could also see from my perspective the people in the front row dancing and jumping up and down to the music.

This crowd had been drinking at Wiley's all day so they were good and primed before the show even started. There was a lot of moshing or at least pushing and shoving going on right in front of the guitar player. Although the stage was elevated, it wasn't high enough to stop a few Paloozers from falling into the guitar players pedal rig. He wasn't impressed with that and I still remember him angrily stating over the mic, "I thought I told you mother#@*ers not to mess with my sh@t goddamnit!"

it was intense for a moment but the band kept on rocking and I thought to myself - this is cool! Here I am, underage, backstage, a little bit of rage and a whole lot of rock n roll! It was experiences like this one that made me want to continue playing music live because the thrill and excitement of a live show is at the very heart and soul of why performers continue their pursuit.

This Friday, the Barstool Prophets reunite here in Ottawa at Maverick's on Rideau Street. The lucky kid from Kanata is now grown up with a kid of his own, and he is lucky enough to open the show for the boys, playing a set featuring his own material. I am as excited now, as I was a long time ago and can't wait for this show!


]]> Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:44:56 GMT D17ECEED5206A7FB6BA226CCB2DF8D2D I kill the sheriff http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=2650861 "duh duh duh, duh duh duh, duh duh duh... I kill the sheriff ! But I did not shoot the deputly" "duh duh duh, duh duh duh, duh duh duh... I kill the sheriff ! But I did not shoot the deputly"




]]> Sat, 15 Sep 2012 00:15:00 GMT F245CF1988AB04DE9FA35E79D7077899 Playing at the 1st Ottawa Polo Invitational Tournament http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=2520674 Playing music, that is, not polo! One thing I love about being a musician is being asking to perform at fun / interesting / odd events, and this was the first time I've been asked to play at a polo tournament! This past Saturday, I headed out to the 1st Ottawa Polo Invitational Tournament, and set up my piano under a large tent, on grass, to the right of the bar.  There were tables with nice tableclothes, china plates and wineglasses, and once the match (game?) began, I could see the players straight ahead of me, racing around on their horses and whacking the little white ball up field, then switching, and back down field.  The players often changed their horses between "chukkers," the 7 minute periods. My job was to play some music after the first match, which was between 2 local teams, men vs. women, while the teams switched.  Next up were teams from Toronto and Montreal, and after they were done I played another longer set while everyone had dinner catered by Lone Star. It was a great event - funds raised went to a local youth initiaive, D.I.F.D, everyone was relaxed and seemed to enjoy soaking up the sun, watching the polo games, and eating the food.  Hopefully, they enjoyed the music as well! It was definitely a different atmosphere than I'm used to, but I had a great time.
One thing I love about being a musician is being asking to perform at fun / interesting / odd events, and this was the first time I've been asked to play at a polo tournament! This past Saturday, I headed out to the 1st Ottawa Polo Invitational Tournament, and set up my piano under a large tent, on grass, to the right of the bar.  There were tables with nice tableclothes, china plates and wineglasses, and once the match (game?) began, I could see the players straight ahead of me, racing around on their horses and whacking the little white ball up field, then switching, and back down field.  The players often changed their horses between "chukkers," the 7 minute periods.




My job was to play some music after the first match, which was between 2 local teams, men vs. women, while the teams switched.  Next up were teams from Toronto and Montreal, and after they were done I played another longer set while everyone had dinner catered by Lone Star. It was a great event - funds raised went to a local youth initiaive, D.I.F.D, everyone was relaxed and seemed to enjoy soaking up the sun, watching the polo games, and eating the food.  Hopefully, they enjoyed the music as well! It was definitely a different atmosphere than I'm used to, but I had a great time.


]]> Thu, 23 Aug 2012 20:45:39 GMT B28E433139102A0C9DB433BB8C175758 Backstage at the Cornwall Lift-off http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=2448651 The second festival of the summer for me was the Lift-off in Cornwall. I play a show or two in Cornwall most months, at Schnitzels and have also played at La Maison, and the crowds that come out are usually very appreciate and fun, so I was anticipating getting on the big stage. Fast forward to the day of the lift-off, and it was hot. Sweltering, sweating, meltingly hot, but as soon as we drove into Cornwall and towards Lamoureux Park, then pulled into the backstage area, a few backstage hands found us and helped myself, Garney (bass) and Steph (drums) with our gear, setting it into the designated area backstage. They were volunteers but really helped everything move forward like clockwork and helped the event organizers with keeping the backstage area very organized. The Cornwall Lift-off featured some great acts over the 3 days in July, including Burton Cummings on Friday, and the headliner on Saturday was Mariana’s Trench. I was second up on Saturday, after a great local band called Elly May, and we took the stage around 6:15pm, to play a set with just my trio, but it was another chance to showcase some of the songs off my new album. I felt very comfortable on stage, and the crowd was a great one, clapping along and enjoying one of the best things you can do in the summer - hanging out, being outside, on the dry grass, enjoying the summer sun on your face and listening to some live, original music. As my set finished, a bunch of interestingly-shaped hot air balloon were launched, robots, trains, multi-colored traditional balloons, a cat head - they drifted lazily through the air, catching the slight breeze. Despite the intense heat I think everyone had a great time. I got a local videographer to take some footage and he did a great job, really capturing the sound, the climate, and the day itself. Check it out!

The Cornwall Lift-off featured some great acts over the 3 days in July, including Burton Cummings on Friday, and the headliner on Saturday was Mariana’s Trench. I was second up on Saturday, after a great local band called Elly May, and we took the stage around 6:15pm, to play a set with just my trio, but it was another chance to showcase some of the songs off my new album. I felt very comfortable on stage, and the crowd was a great one, clapping along and enjoying one of the best things you can do in the summer - hanging out, being outside, on the dry grass, enjoying the summer sun on your face and listening to some live, original music.

As my set finished, a bunch of interestingly-shaped hot air balloon were launched, robots, trains, multi-colored traditional balloons, a cat head - they drifted lazily through the air, catching the slight breeze.

Despite the intense heat I think everyone had a great time. I got a local videographer to take some footage and he did a great job, really capturing the sound, the climate, and the day itself. Check it out!
]]> Wed, 18 Jul 2012 06:50:00 GMT 9CE938EE2E02814733A229602DE78F88 Inside the Barney Danson Theatre - RBC Ottawa Bluesfest 2012 http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=2448728 I’ve played the Ottawa Bluesfest for 4 of the last 5 years, and there really isn’t a bigger or better opportunity for a local artist to showcase their music alongside some big acts. This year, I was scheduled to play inside the Barney Danson Theatre, which suited my new music perfectly - it’s definitely aimed at a listening crowd, rather than dancing one, and I find that a lot of Bluesfest-goers will slip inside the theater to escape the heat and check out the music. Having a bigger band this year (myself on piano and vocals, Steph on drums, Garney on bass, Todd playing guitar, and also Mike on cello and Steve rounding it out with keyboards) meant a bit more organization getting everyone packed up into cars, and parked on site, getting guest passes, loading in gear, and bringing over merch to the sales tent. But as usual, we made it with time to spare. The theatre has a nice green room to hang out in, and the change over between artists (move one act out, move the next on in and get soundchecked) is very tight, only about 15 minutes. It was a bit of a scramble, but as soon as we were done and the audience piled in, I felt relaxed and eager to share some of my new songs with the crowd in the great venue. The sound was great - reverberating through the dim room, the lights on stage varying brightly, and I felt strong, pushing my voice and played with everything I had. It took a lot of hard work to craft and create and record my new songs, and there is nothing I like better than to play then out loud for people who are listening. The place was pretty jammed, and I spotted familiar faces, as well as some new found friends all the way from New Zealand. The set was a quick 45 minutes and went by too fast. I could have played on and on, but after it wrapped up I went out to say hello to everyone, and thank them for coming out to watch my show. Then it was a quick teardown and pack everything back up into the cars, before grabbing some food in the main stage catering tent. The rest of the evening was pleasant, and a nice wind down for the adrenaline after playing my show. We stuck around to catch Seal on one stage, and an awe-inspiring set by Norah Jones, the night’s headliner, as well. I always look forward to playing the Ottawa Bluesfest, and I was really happy with the turnout at my show this year. Plus, my band couldn’t have played better, making me sound better - playing with a group of well-rehearsed and very professional musicians is a great bonus and I felt very lucky to have them backing me up and filling out the sound of my songs. This video was shot on the during my show - the last song on my album, called "Following the Full Moonlight" and it was inspired by some of those late nights, drivign home after a gig and feeling like the only person out ther on the road, and in the world.  It has a hypnotic, intimate feel, and I performed it solo. I hope you enjoy!

The sound was great - reverberating through the dim room, the lights on stage varying brightly, and I felt strong, pushing my voice and played with everything I had. It took a lot of hard work to craft and create and record my new songs, and there is nothing I like better than to play then out loud for people who are listening. The place was pretty jammed, and I spotted familiar faces, as well as some new found friends all the way from New Zealand.




The set was a quick 45 minutes and went by too fast. I could have played on and on, but after it wrapped up I went out to say hello to everyone, and thank them for coming out to watch my show. Then it was a quick teardown and pack everything back up into the cars, before grabbing some food in the main stage catering tent.

The rest of the evening was pleasant, and a nice wind down for the adrenaline after playing my show. We stuck around to catch Seal on one stage, and an awe-inspiring set by Norah Jones, the night’s headliner, as well.

I always look forward to playing the Ottawa Bluesfest, and I was really happy with the turnout at my show this year. Plus, my band couldn’t have played better, making me sound better - playing with a group of well-rehearsed and very professional musicians is a great bonus and I felt very lucky to have them backing me up and filling out the sound of my songs.

This video was shot on the during my show - the last song on my album, called "Following the Full Moonlight" and it was inspired by some of those late nights, drivign home after a gig and feeling like the only person out ther on the road, and in the world.  It has a hypnotic, intimate feel, and I performed it solo. I hope you enjoy!

]]> Wed, 11 Jul 2012 07:20:00 GMT FCEF3A63DF35ADEC7529442B69D8C653 Bluesfest Interview in the Digital Lounge http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=2448779 The day before my Bluesfest performance this year, I was asked to stop by the Ottawa Citizen’s Digital Lounge on the Bluefest grounds, and do an interview with Lynn Saxburg, a great music reporter for the paper. It was a bit tricky fitting it into my schedule, but I ended up running over to the grounds after playing a wedding ceremony at the Rockcliffe Pavillion on Saturday afternoon, with my keyboard in tow. The interview was great; Lynn went over a few points about my new album with my off camera to prep, and we sat down and filmed first a song - I played “You Run” from my new album, and then we chatted about the album itself. The setup in the tent was cool, with a vintagey looking couch, palm frond like plants, and a bar stocked with water - it was another hot summer day. I set my keyboard up on the coffee table and was good to go. A few people walking around stopped by to listen, and ask where at the festival I'd be playing, so it was great to get in a bit of promotion that way too. Making And Somehow I Fell Upon This Place was a bit of a tumultuous time for me, and it took a few years of ups and downs before I was able to work with a producer that inspired me and helped shape my songs into a way that I was happy with. The album has a theme of darkness running to light, and I’m really happy and proud of how it turned out in the end. Here’s the video clip of You Run (live in the Digital Lounge): And here is the interview: Thanks as always, for watching, and reading!

Making And Somehow I Fell Upon This Place was a bit of a tumultuous time for me, and it took a few years of ups and downs before I was able to work with a producer that inspired me and helped shape my songs into a way that I was happy with. The album has a theme of darkness running to light, and I’m really happy and proud of how it turned out in the end.

Here’s the video clip of You Run (live in the Digital Lounge):


And here is the interview:

Thanks as always, for watching, and reading!
]]> Mon, 09 Jul 2012 07:50:00 GMT CA03CEDD84CFD70B516415B73C7EF865 "And Somehow I Fell Upon This Place" - My CD Release http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=2448074 After months of preparation, paperwork, hours logged in the recording studio getting each note just right, everything came together this weekend. The CDs were in my hands, I had a few dozen Tyler Kealey t-shirts made up, the venue and sound man was booked, and my band was rehearsed and ready. CD release weekend! It started off on Saturday really, as I headed down to CD Warehouse on Merivale road in Ottawa. We were booked for an in store appearance to promote my new album, and while setting up my keyboard and microphone, I noticed that the strains of one of my songs “You Run,” was playing overhead in the store’s music mix. I have to admit - it was pretty great to hear. Even better was the stand of my CDs by the front door - totally done, packaged and priced and just waiting for a new home. We played for about an hour, as stragglers stopped in (some bringing lawn chairs into the store) and it was a nice little warm up for myself, my drummer Steph, bass player Garney, and cellist Mike. Sunday was the day of my actual CD release gig, and we had to get the equipment loaded in and set up pretty early so that Butch, an excellent Ottawa sound guy that I always like to work with, could get it all checked and ready. In addition to Steph, Garney, Mike and myself, the full band for the evening also included Steve on additional keyboards, and Todd on guitar so there was a lot of setup involved. After figuring out the best configuration for the space with the staff at the Velvet Room, we started moving tables, chairs, writing out set lists, and deciding where to sell the CDs from. Then we sound checked for a while, adjusting monitor levels and the volume of the instruments and the microphones to make sure everyone on stage could hear each other properly, and also that the sound in the room would be great for the audience’s ears. I had a discussion with Butch about the sound, just deciding on a few small things to make the live sound mimic the songs on the album in some ways. Then the guys went home, and I headed into the restaurant downstairs to grab some food and try to relax a bit before people started to arrive. The show was scheduled to start around 8pm with Graham Greer, the former frontman for The Barstool Prophets, and he did a great opening set. He’s a great guitar player and singer, as well as a really engaging and funny guy who knows how to work a crowd. People kept filtering in as he played, and I was happy to see friends, family, and fans all together in one room. My band took the stage around 9pm, and right away launched into “Come and Goes,” the first song on my new album, an upbeat song about how inspiration comes and goes and can be hard to capture right at the right moment before you lose it. I have to say though, playing through these new songs, with a full band backing me up, was pretty inspiring in itself, and also very gratifying to see and hear the audience's response. The place was packed all the way to the back, but every person was there to show support and was truly listening which meant a lot to me. I loved every minute of the show - it was really a magical feeling playing, I felt so comfortable and the air was just electric. Thanks to everyone who came out, picked up a CD and / or a shirt, and especially for contributing to making the night memorable with your presence and attention. It was a great night that I won’t forget for awhile.
It started off on Saturday really, as I headed down to CD Warehouse on Merivale road in Ottawa. We were booked for an in store appearance to promote my new album, and while setting up my keyboard and microphone, I noticed that the strains of one of my songs “You Run,” was playing overhead in the store’s music mix. I have to admit - it was pretty great to hear. Even better was the stand of my CDs by the front door - totally done, packaged and priced and just waiting for a new home.


We played for about an hour, as stragglers stopped in (some bringing lawn chairs into the store) and it was a nice little warm up for myself, my drummer Steph, bass player Garney, and cellist Mike.


Sunday was the day of my actual CD release gig, and we had to get the equipment loaded in and set up pretty early so that Butch, an excellent Ottawa sound guy that I always like to work with, could get it all checked and ready. In addition to Steph, Garney, Mike and myself, the full band for the evening also included Steve on additional keyboards, and Todd on guitar so there was a lot of setup involved.

After figuring out the best configuration for the space with the staff at the Velvet Room, we started moving tables, chairs, writing out set lists, and deciding where to sell the CDs from. Then we sound checked for a while, adjusting monitor levels and the volume of the instruments and the microphones to make sure everyone on stage could hear each other properly, and also that the sound in the room would be great for the audience’s ears. I had a discussion with Butch about the sound, just deciding on a few small things to make the live sound mimic the songs on the album in some ways. Then the guys went home, and I headed into the restaurant downstairs to grab some food and try to relax a bit before people started to arrive.

The show was scheduled to start around 8pm with Graham Greer, the former frontman for The Barstool Prophets, and he did a great opening set. He’s a great guitar player and singer, as well as a really engaging and funny guy who knows how to work a crowd. People kept filtering in as he played, and I was happy to see friends, family, and fans all together in one room. My band took the stage around 9pm, and right away launched into “Come and Goes,” the first song on my new album, an upbeat song about how inspiration comes and goes and can be hard to capture right at the right moment before you lose it.


I have to say though, playing through these new songs, with a full band backing me up, was pretty inspiring in itself, and also very gratifying to see and hear the audience's response. The place was packed all the way to the back, but every person was there to show support and was truly listening which meant a lot to me. I loved every minute of the show - it was really a magical feeling playing, I felt so comfortable and the air was just electric.

Thanks to everyone who came out, picked up a CD and / or a shirt, and especially for contributing to making the night memorable with your presence and attention. It was a great night that I won’t forget for awhile.
]]> Tue, 26 Jun 2012 02:15:00 GMT 19866E4E5560089774B488629FCF1049 Song from my new album: Raincoat http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=2191409 I was at my sister in law's apartment in Toronto when I started writing this song. They have a digital piano that I was practicing on. I was in the process of working out some lyrics for an unfinished tune that I was writing, but then I took a break from that and started improvising on some chord changes just for fun. After a few minutes I had stumbled onto a sequence of chords that I really liked, making their way down the scale and then ascending back up, and it sounded unique enough to me that I thought it would be a great template for a good song. Emotionally, I thought it had a very consoling and soothing sound to it and in this case the sound of the music was the inspiration for the lyrics. The main theme of this song is based on unconditional love. It&rsquo;s about someone who will do anything and be anything for you in times of need. I threw in a little TV show reference that I took from my childhood as well. Listen for it on the <a href="./music.cfm">Music page and see if you recognize it!
After a few minutes I had stumbled onto a sequence of chords that I really liked, making their way down the scale and then ascending back up, and it sounded unique enough to me that I thought it would be a great template for a good song.

Emotionally, I thought it had a very consoling and soothing sound to it and in this case the sound of the music was the inspiration for the lyrics.

The main theme of this song is based on unconditional love. It’s about someone who will do anything and be anything for you in times of need. I threw in a little TV show reference that I took from my childhood as well.

Listen for it on the Music page and see if you recognize it!

Tyler Kealey Raincoat

]]> Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:05:00 GMT 335EED1320D3A2F9B03B3F214CCFA7A2 New Track: It's Out There http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=2135025 Of all the songs on this album, this one changed in so many ways. From its infancy as a demo, to its final creation, this song underwent changes melodically, emotionally and lyrically - even the title! When I first had the idea for this song it was called &quot;In Love&quot; and the overall tone was comedic. The words originally described the feeling of being in love like feeling ill (sweaty hands, a dizzy feeling etc.) which I thought would be a funny juxtaposition for the overused theme of love. Darryl liked the idea of the juxtaposition but suggested that the song go in a darker and more frightening mood rather than comedic. At first the idea of changing the song so much scared me little which seems funny now because I really love how it turned out. With a slower tempo, some effects on the vocals and a creepy string arrangement, I believe we accomplished our goal on this song. I actually scrapped all of the lyrics I had for this one and re-wrote them to fit the new theme. Now the song has some characteristics that make it its own. The effect on the drums that Darryl added was a genius move. When I hear it, I can&rsquo;t help but think of Voldemort talking in Parseltongue (for the Harry Potter fans), and I love how the strings added to the haunting vibe.&nbsp; Check it out if you like, on my <a href="./music.cfm">Music Page and let me know what you think.
When I first had the idea for this song it was called "In Love" and the overall tone was comedic. The words originally described the feeling of being in love like feeling ill (sweaty hands, a dizzy feeling etc.) which I thought would be a funny juxtaposition for the overused theme of love. Darryl liked the idea of the juxtaposition but suggested that the song go in a darker and more frightening mood rather than comedic.

At first the idea of changing the song so much scared me little which seems funny now because I really love how it turned out. With a slower tempo, some effects on the vocals and a creepy string arrangement, I believe we accomplished our goal on this song. I actually scrapped all of the lyrics I had for this one and re-wrote them to fit the new theme.

Now the song has some characteristics that make it its own. The effect on the drums that Darryl added was a genius move. When I hear it, I can’t help but think of Voldemort talking in Parseltongue (for the Harry Potter fans), and I love how the strings added to the haunting vibe.  Check it out if you like, on my Music Page and let me know what you think.]]> Fri, 01 Jun 2012 22:30:00 GMT 8AB9C01AFECC843F05F04E8C12329E9B Song from my upcoming album: I Know You http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=2078615 This song has changed so much from what it was as a demo to what it turned out to be on the recording. When I first wrote the song it was in 6/8 time and I had no intention of putting much more instrumentation on it other than electric piano and vocals. It is loosely based around my grandmother who is 97 years old and who is going through the stages of dementia where she is not sure who the people are who come to visit her in her home. Sometimes she has this look in her eyes that makes me think she recognizes our faces but can't quite place where she knows us from. Recording this song presented some creative ideas. When I decided to have the song in 4/4 time, Steph had to come up with a drum part that would suit the song in it's new time signature. He definitely stepped up to the plate on the creative side! He found an old african drum that was hanging around the studio and somehow rigged it into his drum kit to use as a snare drum sound. The bridge for this song takes a psychedelic journey away from the choruses and verses so we needed something very different sounding again. Sure enough, Steph or as I like to call him: Macgyver) rose to the challenge. This time he made his own bass drum out of a plastic tool kit duct taped to a cement block . He then attached a pair of toy cymbals that were hanging around the studio belonging to Darryl's 2 year old daughter and attached them to his cymbal stand. I thought Steph was losing it but we recorded all this stuff and it worked! As you will hear on this record, Steph was very instrumental in coming up with unique drum sounds. Super creative ideas! I also had a special guest sing on this one. As if she wasn't doing enough for me in helping me make this album, my wife Melanie stepped up to the mic and delivered some angelic background vocals that put the final touch on this song! <a href="./music.cfm">Check out I Know You and tell me what you think.
It is loosely based around my grandmother who is 97 years old and who is going through the stages of dementia where she is not sure who the people are who come to visit her in her home. Sometimes she has this look in her eyes that makes me think she recognizes our faces but can't quite place where she knows us from.

Recording this song presented some creative ideas. When I decided to have the song in 4/4 time, Steph had to come up with a drum part that would suit the song in it's new time signature. He definitely stepped up to the plate on the creative side! He found an old african drum that was hanging around the studio and somehow rigged it into his drum kit to use as a snare drum sound. The bridge for this song takes a psychedelic journey away from the choruses and verses so we needed something very different sounding again. Sure enough, Steph or as I like to call him: Macgyver) rose to the challenge. This time he made his own bass drum out of a plastic tool kit duct taped to a cement block . He then attached a pair of toy cymbals that were hanging around the studio belonging to Darryl's 2 year old daughter and attached them to his cymbal stand. I thought Steph was losing it but we recorded all this stuff and it worked! As you will hear on this record, Steph was very instrumental in coming up with unique drum sounds. Super creative ideas!

I also had a special guest sing on this one. As if she wasn't doing enough for me in helping me make this album, my wife Melanie stepped up to the mic and delivered some angelic background vocals that put the final touch on this song! Check out I Know You and tell me what you think.

]]> Tue, 15 May 2012 05:05:00 GMT 8DC3725013AC03106A051790B2E823AE New song: Victim of the Times http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=2054064 This song was a last minute addition to my new album. After combing over the selection of songs, I realized that there were many more mid tempo and slower songs than upbeat ones, so I wanted to include something that would not only pick up the pace but also fit well with the other songs on the album. I think it was a good fit for a couple of reasons. One is that lyrically it portrays a tone of sombreness and desperation that hints at the frustrating journey of chasing a goal or a dream which at times can make you feel like you have falling out of reach and that you are doomed to fail. This coincides with my journey in finding a way to make this record. Another reason I thought it was a good fit was because this album has a lot of songs with string arrangements and when I was writing this song, I always heard the potential for strings to be featured in it. For me, the strings add the emotional impact that I am trying to convey. Recording this was really interesting too. When I presented this one to Darryl as a contender for the record he liked it, and he said that there was something very &quot;ABBA&quot; about this song. We decided that it should have a real seventies drum sound to it. To achieve this sound, the drums needed to have a sort of blanketed sound to them and the trick to getting that sound is to drape pillow cases over the drums so that&rsquo;s what we did! Check out <a href="./music.cfm">Victim of the Times on the Music page and let me know what you think.
I think it was a good fit for a couple of reasons. One is that lyrically it portrays a tone of sombreness and desperation that hints at the frustrating journey of chasing a goal or a dream which at times can make you feel like you have falling out of reach and that you are doomed to fail. This coincides with my journey in finding a way to make this record.

Another reason I thought it was a good fit was because this album has a lot of songs with string arrangements and when I was writing this song, I always heard the potential for strings to be featured in it. For me, the strings add the emotional impact that I am trying to convey.

Recording this was really interesting too. When I presented this one to Darryl as a contender for the record he liked it, and he said that there was something very "ABBA" about this song. We decided that it should have a real seventies drum sound to it. To achieve this sound, the drums needed to have a sort of blanketed sound to them and the trick to getting that sound is to drape pillow cases over the drums so that’s what we did!

Check out Victim of the Times on the Music page and let me know what you think.


]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 09:00:00 GMT DB96CF8EE572D6BA940503C2B8A6F1CF Blues in the Schools - Week 1 http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=1909154 I've been taking part in a program called <a target="_new" href="http://www.ottawabluesfest.ca/bluesintheschools">&quot;Blues in the Schools&quot; for the past few years. It's an educational program that was created to promote blues music and to examine the music's influence on other genres, and brings artists/educators to Ottawa and pairs them with local musicians for a two-week residency in Ottawa-area schools. The first week, I worked with my good friend and fellow musician Shawn Tavenier and we went from school to school, teaching the kids about the blues. It's great to have an attentive and interested audience, and some of these kids are just so creative and open about ideas. &nbsp;I&nbsp;was floored with both the staff and students at A Lorne Cassidy Elementary School especially. &nbsp;Great audience, so helpful and they even made an amazing backdrop for us to perform in front of. Here is a picture of me drawn by Emma at Westwind Public school in Stittsville, another one of the schools I worked at: Next week, we'll be working with 2 groups (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) and preparing a song or two for the kids to preset for the rest of their school. &nbsp;This is always a rewarding experience and I'm proud to be a part of it again this year! "Blues in the Schools" for the past few years. It's an educational program that was created to promote blues music and to examine the music's influence on other genres, and brings artists/educators to Ottawa and pairs them with local musicians for a two-week residency in Ottawa-area schools.

The first week, I worked with my good friend and fellow musician Shawn Tavenier and we went from school to school, teaching the kids about the blues. It's great to have an attentive and interested audience, and some of these kids are just so creative and open about ideas.  I was floored with both the staff and students at A Lorne Cassidy Elementary School especially.  Great audience, so helpful and they even made an amazing backdrop for us to perform in front of. Here is a picture of me drawn by Emma at Westwind Public school in Stittsville, another one of the schools I worked at:


Next week, we'll be working with 2 groups (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) and preparing a song or two for the kids to preset for the rest of their school.  This is always a rewarding experience and I'm proud to be a part of it again this year!
]]> Sun, 25 Mar 2012 01:00:00 GMT 6C5514590C5FD49D0CECEFDBE495BDDE Someone else's dream come true http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=1719762 Rick Goodman is a friend of mine who has worked as one of the bartenders at Fat Tuesdays for many years and anyone who has come to see the duelling piano show has seen him play drums from behind the bar during the show. &nbsp;Rick recently got back to Ottawa after a vacation on a resort from Jamaica. &nbsp;When I arrived at the bar to set up for my gig Friday night, he told me he had a story for me and that I was going to be jealous. Thats a great way to begin any story and I was immediately curious. He told me that while he was standing in line at the buffet on the resort their was a man in front of him that looked awfully familiar. He said that he wasn't sure where he had recognized him from, until the man turned around. Guess who it was?.........Paul friggin Mcartney! I know that for some people this may seem like just running into any old celebrity but for a musician like Rick or me or anyone who loves music as much as we do, this is like standing next to one of the most legendary people in the history of music! It's like meeting Beethoven. Rick's wife told him that he shouldn't bother Paul so Rick fought every urge in his body not to bother him (do you like how I am writing this like as if I was there? Can't help it. I feel like it's my story too now) and so he didn't bother him. The next day Rick was down by the beach getting some snorkel gear when along comes this guy in a little sunfish boat attempting to paddle out further into the water. Guess who it is?.......Paul friggin Mcartney! &nbsp;This time Rick couldn't help himself. As he walked up to Paul he said, &quot;Exuse me, I don't want to bother you. I just wanted to shake your hand,&quot; to which Paul replied &quot;Not a good time. I'll shake your hand later. Help me with this boat.&quot; &nbsp; So Rick helped him get his boat out into the water and away went Paul. Rick said he was devastated because he felt like he had just annoyed one of his childhood heroes. Paul's wife came over to Rick and said &quot;Sorry about that. He's been having trouble with that boat all day.&quot; 45 minutes later Rick was on the beach with his family when along comes........guess who... And Paul says &quot;O.K, now it's a good time. Nice to meet you.&quot; &nbsp; So finally Rick got to chat with Paul and and introduced him to his wife and little girl. He said he was really nice and looked really good in a bathing suit for someone of his age (Rick's words, not mine). Rick said that even while he was swimming in the ocean, sometimes Paul would be swimming past singing to himself as he swam along.&nbsp; What's really strange about this for me, is that Rick had this dream a couple nights &nbsp;after he met Paul that he was at Fat Tuesdays telling Dave, Todd, and myself about this experience. Oddly enough I also had a dream earlier that week, that I was going to meet Paul McCartney.&nbsp; In the dream I was staying overnight at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, and the owner of the place told me that the next morning I would meet him. I was so excited and honoured in this dream (it's amazing how even though the circumstances in a dream can be so ridiculous you still feel as if whatever is happening is real)&nbsp; and as I approached the door of the room he was in, I knocked and it opened and instead of a regular Paul, out came this tiny dwarf version of him and I remember feeling so disappointed and confused by his appearance. He was wearing a white tuxedo and he was late for something so as he rushed by me I just said, &quot;It was an honour to meet you,&quot; &nbsp;as tiny Paul went on his way. Perhaps he was heading to the airport for a flight to Jamaica....
He told me that while he was standing in line at the buffet on the resort their was a man in front of him that looked awfully familiar. He said that he wasn't sure where he had recognized him from, until the man turned around. Guess who it was?.........Paul friggin Mcartney! I know that for some people this may seem like just running into any old celebrity but for a musician like Rick or me or anyone who loves music as much as we do, this is like standing next to one of the most legendary people in the history of music! It's like meeting Beethoven. Rick's wife told him that he shouldn't bother Paul so Rick fought every urge in his body not to bother him (do you like how I am writing this like as if I was there? Can't help it. I feel like it's my story too now) and so he didn't bother him.

The next day Rick was down by the beach getting some snorkel gear when along comes this guy in a little sunfish boat attempting to paddle out further into the water. Guess who it is?.......Paul friggin Mcartney!  This time Rick couldn't help himself. As he walked up to Paul he said, "Exuse me, I don't want to bother you. I just wanted to shake your hand," to which Paul replied "Not a good time. I'll shake your hand later. Help me with this boat."  

So Rick helped him get his boat out into the water and away went Paul. Rick said he was devastated because he felt like he had just annoyed one of his childhood heroes. Paul's wife came over to Rick and said "Sorry about that. He's been having trouble with that boat all day."

45 minutes later Rick was on the beach with his family when along comes........guess who... And Paul says "O.K, now it's a good time. Nice to meet you."  

So finally Rick got to chat with Paul and and introduced him to his wife and little girl. He said he was really nice and looked really good in a bathing suit for someone of his age (Rick's words, not mine). Rick said that even while he was swimming in the ocean, sometimes Paul would be swimming past singing to himself as he swam along. 

What's really strange about this for me, is that Rick had this dream a couple nights  after he met Paul that he was at Fat Tuesdays telling Dave, Todd, and myself about this experience. Oddly enough I also had a dream earlier that week, that I was going to meet Paul McCartney.  In the dream I was staying overnight at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, and the owner of the place told me that the next morning I would meet him.

I was so excited and honoured in this dream (it's amazing how even though the circumstances in a dream can be so ridiculous you still feel as if whatever is happening is real)  and as I approached the door of the room he was in, I knocked and it opened and instead of a regular Paul, out came this tiny dwarf version of him and I remember feeling so disappointed and confused by his appearance. He was wearing a white tuxedo and he was late for something so as he rushed by me I just said, "It was an honour to meet you,"  as tiny Paul went on his way.

Perhaps he was heading to the airport for a flight to Jamaica....
]]> Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:25:00 GMT 0EA847F99C99F53233D2D0CB621A3105 The story behind the song "Characters" http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=1523829 This post is dedicated to Ida Monette and the Monette family. This past Thursday was the 17th of November. &nbsp;It was 15 years ago that a tragic accident claimed the lives of 3 members of my family. &nbsp;It was one of those experiences in life that changes you forever. &nbsp;One where the sequence of events are tattooed in your mind for as long as you live and one of those moments where you dig deep inside your own thoughts and feelings in search of answers and reasons to help you cope with the mysterious experience of life and death. &nbsp;It's strange that we all deal with the loss of loved ones in different ways. &nbsp;This is how it was for me. I was 15 years old. &nbsp;I was coming up the stairs of the hockey arena in Kanata after my game. &nbsp;I had my hockey stick and my bag of equipment in my hand and my uncle Lionel was there there. &nbsp;I wasn't expecting him since I figured my mom or dad would be picking me up. &nbsp;There was something off by the look on his face. &nbsp;He wasn't smiling and I could tell something wasn't right. &quot;Tyler, there's been a bad accident,&quot; he said. &nbsp;Suddenly everything froze. &nbsp;I can still remember walking to his car and him driving as we made our way to my parents house in silence. &nbsp;I knew it was bad and all I could think of was the names and the faces of all the people in my life spinning around like a roulette wheel and I wondered whose name the ball would drop on. We got to the house where dozens of family members were gathered. &nbsp;One thing about my family is that in a time of need, there are always a lot of people there to support you. &nbsp;The house was full of people I knew and one by one my their names were removed from my suspicions of who it could be. &nbsp;I caught sight of my mom who looked very shaken and upset as she had gotten word that my aunt Kathy, my uncle Guy and my cousin Mike were killed in an car accident leaving behind their two sons, Jeremy and Jamie. &nbsp;Guy, Kathy, and Mike were coming home from one of Mike's practices and they hit some black ice on a long stretch of road where they crashed head on with a tractor trailer. I remember not knowing how to feel. &nbsp;I could see the devastation in the faces of the people around me but I was still trying to process the information. &nbsp;It didn't seem real to me which is part of the shock that a lot of people experience. &nbsp;There are so many flashes of images that I can recall. I remember the funeral and the hundreds of people in attendance in that tiny church. &nbsp;I remember the heart swelling speech that Jeremy gave on behalf of the family. &nbsp;I remember the news reporters at the Monette house interviewing my dad about his sister Kathy, Guy and Mike. I remember walking to school the first day back after the funeral and searching for an answer for what had happened. &nbsp;How could I cope with losing these three people so suddenly? &nbsp;They are gone forever...I can never talk with them or laugh with them or visit them so what can I hold on to? &nbsp;I guess for me, the only thing that seemed attainable were the stories and memories of these people when they were around. &nbsp;Life was just a big story. &nbsp; They were characters in my book, my play, my song, my poem and by preserving their memory I was able to keep a part of them immortal. Guy was like a cartoon character for me. &nbsp;A big jolly bearded farmer with a big jolly bearded smile, and a crazy laugh like a mad man. &nbsp;I always remember him joking around at Christmas time and I remember going down to the stable with him to see the new born kittens and his horse named Molly. Mikey was my older cousin. &nbsp;He was quite a handful and he definitely inherited his dad's rambunctiousness. &nbsp;I remember him pulling me on a sled with his skidoo in the winter when I was a kid. &nbsp;I remember when Jamie took the two of us my first ever rock concert to see Aerosmith. &nbsp;Mikey knew how to push someone's buttons, and we always had fun playing around at the farm. Kathy was so gentle in my memory. &nbsp;I remember her taking me swimming and I can hear her laughing and how it sounded just like my Grandma's laugh. &nbsp;I remember her dancing with Guy at their surprise anniversary party at Brennan's Hill Hotel as my band played &quot;Lost together.&quot; &nbsp;She loved Blue Rodeo. Characters was one of the first songs I ever wrote and it all came out of putting life in perspective for me after this tragedy. &nbsp;I've always like songs with a good story behind them. &nbsp;It gives the song a life but it also gives life itself some meaning. &nbsp;It turns people close to you into a treasure chest of memories. There were a lot of people touched by the lives of these three people. &nbsp;If you have any thoughts or memories that you would like to share, please feel free to add a comment below. &nbsp;After all, a good story can be told from many angles. &nbsp;This is just mine. This post is dedicated to Ida Monette and the Monette family.

This past Thursday was the 17th of November.  It was 15 years ago that a tragic accident claimed the lives of 3 members of my family.  It was one of those experiences in life that changes you forever.  One where the sequence of events are tattooed in your mind for as long as you live and one of those moments where you dig deep inside your own thoughts and feelings in search of answers and reasons to help you cope with the mysterious experience of life and death.  It's strange that we all deal with the loss of loved ones in different ways.  This is how it was for me.

I was 15 years old.  I was coming up the stairs of the hockey arena in Kanata after my game.  I had my hockey stick and my bag of equipment in my hand and my uncle Lionel was there there.  I wasn't expecting him since I figured my mom or dad would be picking me up.  There was something off by the look on his face.  He wasn't smiling and I could tell something wasn't right.

"Tyler, there's been a bad accident," he said.  Suddenly everything froze.  I can still remember walking to his car and him driving as we made our way to my parents house in silence.  I knew it was bad and all I could think of was the names and the faces of all the people in my life spinning around like a roulette wheel and I wondered whose name the ball would drop on.

We got to the house where dozens of family members were gathered.  One thing about my family is that in a time of need, there are always a lot of people there to support you.  The house was full of people I knew and one by one my their names were removed from my suspicions of who it could be.  I caught sight of my mom who looked very shaken and upset as she had gotten word that my aunt Kathy, my uncle Guy and my cousin Mike were killed in an car accident leaving behind their two sons, Jeremy and Jamie.  Guy, Kathy, and Mike were coming home from one of Mike's practices and they hit some black ice on a long stretch of road where they crashed head on with a tractor trailer.

I remember not knowing how to feel.  I could see the devastation in the faces of the people around me but I was still trying to process the information.  It didn't seem real to me which is part of the shock that a lot of people experience.  There are so many flashes of images that I can recall. I remember the funeral and the hundreds of people in attendance in that tiny church.  I remember the heart swelling speech that Jeremy gave on behalf of the family.  I remember the news reporters at the Monette house interviewing my dad about his sister Kathy, Guy and Mike.

I remember walking to school the first day back after the funeral and searching for an answer for what had happened.  How could I cope with losing these three people so suddenly?  They are gone forever...I can never talk with them or laugh with them or visit them so what can I hold on to?  I guess for me, the only thing that seemed attainable were the stories and memories of these people when they were around.  Life was just a big story.   They were characters in my book, my play, my song, my poem and by preserving their memory I was able to keep a part of them immortal.

Guy was like a cartoon character for me.  A big jolly bearded farmer with a big jolly bearded smile, and a crazy laugh like a mad man.  I always remember him joking around at Christmas time and I remember going down to the stable with him to see the new born kittens and his horse named Molly.

Mikey was my older cousin.  He was quite a handful and he definitely inherited his dad's rambunctiousness.  I remember him pulling me on a sled with his skidoo in the winter when I was a kid.  I remember when Jamie took the two of us my first ever rock concert to see Aerosmith.  Mikey knew how to push someone's buttons, and we always had fun playing around at the farm.

Kathy was so gentle in my memory.  I remember her taking me swimming and I can hear her laughing and how it sounded just like my Grandma's laugh.  I remember her dancing with Guy at their surprise anniversary party at Brennan's Hill Hotel as my band played "Lost together."  She loved Blue Rodeo.

Characters was one of the first songs I ever wrote and it all came out of putting life in perspective for me after this tragedy.  I've always like songs with a good story behind them.  It gives the song a life but it also gives life itself some meaning.  It turns people close to you into a treasure chest of memories.

There were a lot of people touched by the lives of these three people.  If you have any thoughts or memories that you would like to share, please feel free to add a comment below.  After all, a good story can be told from many angles.  This is just mine.
]]> Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:30:00 GMT 9BA5292405B76A8EADE59114E073B0FC Requests From Last Night- a little of both? http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=1470081 Jeff got this one. He said &quot; I'm confused... do I play Sweet Home Alabama or Sweet Caroline? I looked around the room and notice this guys looking embarrassed and his friends all laughing at him. I suspect he was the culprit. All in good fun :) &nbsp; Jeff got this one. He said " I'm confused... do I play Sweet Home Alabama or Sweet Caroline? I looked around the room and notice this guys looking embarrassed and his friends all laughing at him. I suspect he was the culprit. All in good fun :)


 


]]> Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:42:19 GMT E213A34D662AA61A217009E0DE4A49E7 Requests From Last night- Attention Span http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=1308628 &nbsp;I fear for the depleting attention span of the human population. Everybody wants to get to the end before they even begin. Its a funny world!



]]> Tue, 20 Sep 2011 01:00:00 GMT 592EB21C27BD0067CC5267C7646C5A1F Piano Solo http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=1277026 At the Ottawa Bluesfest this past summer, I worked out a piano solo as an intro to one of my songs, and I've just gotten around to uploading a clip of it to YouTube. Here it is:

]]> Fri, 09 Sep 2011 20:15:00 GMT 1FBDCF6EEEDF11A20F4752C16FC93EB2 Live on 88.5 http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=1263681 This morning was another early rise to the day (which seems to be a theme this month for me) since I was scheduled to appear on the <a href="http://www.live885.com/">Live 88.5 morning show in order to promote a fundraiser that I will be playing at for the Arthritis Society. The event is called <a href="http://arthritis.akaraisin.com/Common/Event/Home.aspx?seid=3657&amp;mid=8">More Than Just Desserts and it'll raise money towards research for a cure for Juvenile Arthritis. I joined Dave, Katfish and Amal at the radio station studios at 7 a.m. I always wonder how interviews are going to go, whether it's live television or radio. The threat of saying something stupid is always a possibility but I found that I relaxed more once I got there, set up my keyboard, and settled in. Singing and playing is a little rough at that hour, but luckily I just played for this segment. They invited me on the show to help promote the charity event so the idea was that I would try to improvise some piano playing while they read the news and weather. Things seem to happen pretty quick on air and a lot of what I did was in the spur of the moment. At one point Katfish asked me to play a layton song but I couldn't hear him very well and I was tired so I thought he asked for a &quot;late&quot; song but and that confused me and there was a pause and then I just played exactly what I was playing before he asked since I had no idea what he was talking about (we all laughed at that). I tried to throw in a range of little things like the theme song from things that I had heard them talking about on air. They were talking about the show The Office so I threw the show's theme song in and then I went into a little bit of Lose yourself by Eminem. Katfish would give me a signal when he wanted me to start and when he wanted me to stop. There was a song on the radio in between breaks in the show and when it came back on the air I had learned the chords to it so I started playing it as the song faded out. I was going to play a little bit of Fool on the Hill while they were talking about the Harper government and the recent federal budget, but we ran out of time. They did a quick interview with me after the news in which I explained a little about how the dueling piano show works and also about my upcoming plans to record a new album. All in all it was a pretty good segment and considering it was early I thought I held it together for the most part. Thanks to Dave, Katfish and Amal for having me on the show! Live 88.5 morning show in order to promote a fundraiser that I will be playing at for the Arthritis Society. The event is called More Than Just Desserts and it'll raise money towards research for a cure for Juvenile Arthritis.

I joined Dave, Katfish and Amal at the radio station studios at 7 a.m. I always wonder how interviews are going to go, whether it's live television or radio. The threat of saying something stupid is always a possibility but I found that I relaxed more once I got there, set up my keyboard, and settled in. Singing and playing is a little rough at that hour, but luckily I just played for this segment. They invited me on the show to help promote the charity event so the idea was that I would try to improvise some piano playing while they read the news and weather.

Things seem to happen pretty quick on air and a lot of what I did was in the spur of the moment. At one point Katfish asked me to play a layton song but I couldn't hear him very well and I was tired so I thought he asked for a "late" song but and that confused me and there was a pause and then I just played exactly what I was playing before he asked since I had no idea what he was talking about (we all laughed at that). I tried to throw in a range of little things like the theme song from things that I had heard them talking about on air. They were talking about the show The Office so I threw the show's theme song in and then I went into a little bit of Lose yourself by Eminem.

Katfish would give me a signal when he wanted me to start and when he wanted me to stop. There was a song on the radio in between breaks in the show and when it came back on the air I had learned the chords to it so I started playing it as the song faded out. I was going to play a little bit of Fool on the Hill while they were talking about the Harper government and the recent federal budget, but we ran out of time. They did a quick interview with me after the news in which I explained a little about how the dueling piano show works and also about my upcoming plans to record a new album. All in all it was a pretty good segment and considering it was early I thought I held it together for the most part.

Thanks to Dave, Katfish and Amal for having me on the show!]]> Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:20:00 GMT A16C76128B5532357AE916AE3A2D2434 Surprise Surprise http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=1263752 If you&rsquo;ve ever been the victim of a surprise party, you will find it&rsquo;s like having clever prank pulled on you, but you have to admit when you&rsquo;ve been fooled. You find yourself tracing back the little moments like clues that you missed in retrospect. I was a victim of a surprise party for my 30th birthday this year at Fat Tuesdays where I play my dueling piano show every weekend. I was booked by the manager of the bar for an early gig for January 29th, before the regular show that starts at 10:30pm and I thought it sounded good to me. An extra gig and some extra cash, sure! Book me in. Though I realize now I never thought to ask who the party was for. Since 30 is a milestone birthday I was somewhat suspicious of this kind of thing and to my credit there were a few clues that did give me the impression that something was up. My uncle nearly spilled the beans when he called me from Alberta weeks before wishing me a Happy Birthday and then backpedaling and talking randomly about a party in Montreal, when I told him the big day wasn&rsquo;t for awhile. My dad also phoned and asked to talk to Mel about some &ldquo;pictures.&rdquo; That was suspicious too. I guess I thought I was in the clear since we had invited my family over for dinner on Sunday, and Mel had confessed that she was trying to surprise me with tickets for a trip to Australia, but that she couldn&rsquo;t get it organized in time. I think that defused my suspicions that there would be any other surprises. Wrong. Never let your guard down! Saturday arrived and I was rushing in to get to my &ldquo;gig&rdquo; for 8 o&rsquo;clock. I opened the doors to Fat Tuesdays to find half of my family nonchalantly sitting round the bar and thought it was nice that a bunch of them just decided to come out. But as I made my way up to the piano I realized I had fallen for the trap. There was no early gig at all &ndash; instead there was a huge cake on my piano along with all my favorite toys from when I was a kid. I made my way around the room thanking friends and family, still in disbelief that I had taken the bait. I was asked to go to the piano where some of my music buddies were gathered around Jeff Rogers at the piano. I thought he was going to play happy birthday, but instead he broke into the Superman Theme song. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Superman to the point where I would wear a full superman suit under my normal clothes. As he played the song, I turned around to see my cousin dressed up in a Superman suit and he presented me with a big cake with the big 30 candles on it. I gave a little bow and accepted my cake. What happened next was to date, one of the strangest and funniest things that has happened to me. It seems like a weird dream. With everyone in the entire room looking at me, my mom videotaping and all my friends singing me happy birthday, I felt like I should do something funny with all this attention. What I meant to do and what I actually did was completely different. It was a split second decision in my head. I thought it would be funny to pretend to put my face in the cake and and eat a piece of icing right off the top (I may be getting older but I refuse to become more mature). As I leaned in to the cake, my long hair caught the candle&rsquo;s flame, and the next thing I knew &ndash; the side of my head was on FIRE! Of all the moments for this to happen, it was in front of all my friends and family at the exact focal point of the entire celebration. Timing is everything. I saw the flame crawl up the left side my hair from the corner of my eye and I tried to very calmly pat my head to douse it out but that didn&rsquo;t work . I quickly moved towards Mel thinking that she would be able to put me out but then I thought, what if I light her on fire too? Thankfully I didn&rsquo;t, and she was able to put out the flame. I find it ironic that my head was on fire while Superman was standing right behind me with a look of shock on his face. In the end Mel saved the day. Hey, maybe I have gained my own super powers&hellip;If I can light myself on fire and get away with that, what can I get away with next? Tyler Kealey &ndash; hair of steel &ndash; invincible to humiliation. Is it strange that I have just finished recording a Michael Jackson tribute song and played a show for Pepsi two nights before? The night carried on with drinks, music and laughter and the smell of burnt hair which stunk up Fat Tuesdays. I had a great time. And of course there were some great requests (here come the fire jokes) and some hilarious drunken song titles from my brother Shane. I feel pretty lucky to have a really great group of friends and family around me. It really is the best feeling you can get. Good times like these are not only for the joy of the present moment but I have found them to serve a purpose like a warm reminder when things don&rsquo;t look good at all. Let&rsquo;s not kid ourselves about real life, there will be moments that will be tough. Moments that feel like a frostbite. The people you share great laughs with are the same people you might cry with some day, so having those people around will be the key to survival. They are the key to keeping the fire going. If you’ve ever been the victim of a surprise party, you will find it’s like having clever prank pulled on you, but you have to admit when you’ve been fooled. You find yourself tracing back the little moments like clues that you missed in retrospect.

I was a victim of a surprise party for my 30th birthday this year at Fat Tuesdays where I play my dueling piano show every weekend. I was booked by the manager of the bar for an early gig for January 29th, before the regular show that starts at 10:30pm and I thought it sounded good to me. An extra gig and some extra cash, sure! Book me in.

Though I realize now I never thought to ask who the party was for.

Since 30 is a milestone birthday I was somewhat suspicious of this kind of thing and to my credit there were a few clues that did give me the impression that something was up. My uncle nearly spilled the beans when he called me from Alberta weeks before wishing me a Happy Birthday and then backpedaling and talking randomly about a party in Montreal, when I told him the big day wasn’t for awhile.

My dad also phoned and asked to talk to Mel about some “pictures.” That was suspicious too. I guess I thought I was in the clear since we had invited my family over for dinner on Sunday, and Mel had confessed that she was trying to surprise me with tickets for a trip to Australia, but that she couldn’t get it organized in time. I think that defused my suspicions that there would be any other surprises. Wrong. Never let your guard down!

Saturday arrived and I was rushing in to get to my “gig” for 8 o’clock. I opened the doors to Fat Tuesdays to find half of my family nonchalantly sitting round the bar and thought it was nice that a bunch of them just decided to come out. But as I made my way up to the piano I realized I had fallen for the trap. There was no early gig at all – instead there was a huge cake on my piano along with all my favorite toys from when I was a kid. I made my way around the room thanking friends and family, still in disbelief that I had taken the bait.

I was asked to go to the piano where some of my music buddies were gathered around Jeff Rogers at the piano. I thought he was going to play happy birthday, but instead he broke into the Superman Theme song. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Superman to the point where I would wear a full superman suit under my normal clothes. As he played the song, I turned around to see my cousin dressed up in a Superman suit and he presented me with a big cake with the big 30 candles on it. I gave a little bow and accepted my cake.

What happened next was to date, one of the strangest and funniest things that has happened to me. It seems like a weird dream. With everyone in the entire room looking at me, my mom videotaping and all my friends singing me happy birthday, I felt like I should do something funny with all this attention.

What I meant to do and what I actually did was completely different. It was a split second decision in my head. I thought it would be funny to pretend to put my face in the cake and and eat a piece of icing right off the top (I may be getting older but I refuse to become more mature).

As I leaned in to the cake, my long hair caught the candle’s flame, and the next thing I knew – the side of my head was on FIRE!

Of all the moments for this to happen, it was in front of all my friends and family at the exact focal point of the entire celebration. Timing is everything. I saw the flame crawl up the left side my hair from the corner of my eye and I tried to very calmly pat my head to douse it out but that didn’t work . I quickly moved towards Mel thinking that she would be able to put me out but then I thought, what if I light her on fire too?

Thankfully I didn’t, and she was able to put out the flame. I find it ironic that my head was on fire while Superman was standing right behind me with a look of shock on his face. In the end Mel saved the day.

Hey, maybe I have gained my own super powers…If I can light myself on fire and get away with that, what can I get away with next? Tyler Kealey – hair of steel – invincible to humiliation. Is it strange that I have just finished recording a Michael Jackson tribute song and played a show for Pepsi two nights before?

The night carried on with drinks, music and laughter and the smell of burnt hair which stunk up Fat Tuesdays. I had a great time. And of course there were some great requests (here come the fire jokes) and some hilarious drunken song titles from my brother Shane.

I feel pretty lucky to have a really great group of friends and family around me. It really is the best feeling you can get. Good times like these are not only for the joy of the present moment but I have found them to serve a purpose like a warm reminder when things don’t look good at all. Let’s not kid ourselves about real life, there will be moments that will be tough. Moments that feel like a frostbite. The people you share great laughs with are the same people you might cry with some day, so having those people around will be the key to survival. They are the key to keeping the fire going.

]]> Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:30:00 GMT A899E2FA1490EF3E11DC7E56B273D3A2 Getting My Act Together http://tylerkealey.com/blog.cfm?feature=2711743&postid=1264003 As January rushes past and I close in on another birthday, I&rsquo;m trying to get things together for this summer&rsquo;s round of festivals and events. As always, it&rsquo;s a struggle between following my passion by booking solo shows of original material, and juggling gigs to pay the bills like weddings and corporate events. Do I book a date a year in advance and hope that it doesn&rsquo;t mean passing up a great opportunity later on? How much time do I devote to working on writing great songs and crafting clever lyrics, and balance social media obligations, networking, and inputting receipts for tax time? One thing that I did manage to get done recently is an electronic press kit video. Brendan McNeill is a local filmmaker and he put together a great video from bits of footage for me. Two of my new, recently recorded tunes are in there as well &ndash; check it out! Tyler Kealey Electronic Press Kit As January rushes past and I close in on another birthday, I’m trying to get things together for this summer’s round of festivals and events. As always, it’s a struggle between following my passion by booking solo shows of original material, and juggling gigs to pay the bills like weddings and corporate events. Do I book a date a year in advance and hope that it doesn’t mean passing up a great opportunity later on? How much time do I devote to working on writing great songs and crafting clever lyrics, and balance social media obligations, networking, and inputting receipts for tax time?

One thing that I did manage to get done recently is an electronic press kit video. Brendan McNeill is a local filmmaker and he put together a great video from bits of footage for me. Two of my new, recently recorded tunes are in there as well – check it out!

Tyler Kealey Electronic Press Kit

]]> Mon, 24 Jan 2011 02:15:00 GMT 6E3446D5944B0D3ACBF805C2546EF5BD