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Interview with Lindy
Kerby
by
Edward Weiss
Lindy Kerby is a singer/songwriter who
composes both New Age piano music and Christan inspirational vocal
music. She released her first New Age CD, "Little Miracles" in 2005.
Many of the sheetmusic for her songs are available as free downloads
on her website. More info below.
Edward: How Did
You Get Started Playing New Age Piano?
Lindy: I've been
playing the piano ever since I was little. I never took real piano
lessons, except from my mother who taught me the notes. I actually
learned most of my theory and about chords through the classes I
took at college and from teaching my beginning piano students. I
found music theory to be very interesting and enjoyable. I found New
Age Music as I
listened to composers like Jim Brickman, and David
Lanz. I loved listening to them, and I would listen to their music
in an effort to understand it. I broke it apart, figured out what I
liked about the pieces I liked, and tried to duplicate those things
on my own.
Edward: What Inspires and
Informs Your Music?
Lindy: Music is such an
amazing thing. It can touch you in a myriad of ways. I am inspired
by great music, and great musicians. Sometimes when I'm just playing
at the piano, it is my way of escaping from the world. All of the
sudden, I'm taken to a new place. It can go wherever I want it to
go. It helps me to work through feelings that I have. Much of my
music is very expressive of my life, and what I'm going through at
the time!
Edward: What Is
Your Method for Composing a Piano Piece?
Lindy: This is an
interesting question, because it's changed through the years. I
write out my own sheetmusic, and so I don't have a great knack for
remembering all the songs I've ever written. I have to get it on
paper pretty quick or it's gone. I have also found that if I write
it down too quickly, I lose some of the spontanaity of the song. So,
what has worked for me recently, is to keep playing through song
ideas, and if something hits (Something I like) I play the
particular part over and over again until I can atleast play that
particular part again, then I grab my tape recorder and play
whatever comes.
I don't rely on
the recording unless I get blocked, or I don't know where it should
go next, and then I can pull back from that first tape. Once I get
most of the song down, I record the whole thing into my computer so
I can write out the sheetmusic. It helps that I know how to do this,
and can work out the little problem areas right away, being able to
have the completed sheet music as soon as the song is
done
Edward: Do You Get
Blocked Creatively, and If So, How Do You Get Past
It?
Lindy: I can't write a song if
I'm just trying to sit down and write one. In my opinion, you almost
can't. I have found two things that help me. One, is a prayer. I
pray that if there is a song that God wants me to write, that he
will help me. Since I have added this step, I've had many more
miracles in my life happen. Secondly, I write. Not compose write,
butw write- 3 pages of stream-of consciousness. It started as I read
a book called, "The Artist's Way". I would highly recommend it. I
get up early in the morning, before my kids are up (I have 6) and I
write 3 pages.
What
does this have to do with playing the piano? Everything. I get
everything out of my head that might be a distraction. All those
little details of life, that you might find yourself dwelling on.
Doubts about yourself, etc. As I get all those little things out of
my mind, I find that when I do sit down and write, the spirit can
flow, and the music does as
well.
Edward: What
Advice Would You Give To Aspiring New Age
Pianists?
Lindy:
I remember reading
these types of interviews, so ready to do whatever they might
suggest. Listen to good music. Listen to the songs that you
particularly love. Try to figure out what it is about those songs
that you like. Is it the chords? The rhythm? Take the song apart and
analyze the song form. Try to write a song, using the same form.
Experiment
with different keys, and different hand positions.
Don't be afraid to try something different. My first song
that I tried to write like Jim Brickman, didn't sound anything like
him. But I found out some of the things that I really liked in
music. I love using harmony. I love counter melodies. I love to have
9ths in my chords, and I'm learning that not every song has to say
the same thing. They each have a voice of their own. It's
interesting to me, that as I write songs for me, the songs speak to
others as well, but in a totally different way, and with it's own
personal meaning for the listener. That's the way music is!
Lindy Kerby is a
singer/songwriter who composes both New Age piano music and Christan
inspirational vocal music. She released her first New Age CD,
"Little Miracles" in 2005. Many of the sheetmusic for her songs are
available as free downloads on her website at http://www.kerbymusic.com
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