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Bradkay - BrianA-065-EditOR.jpg
at the piano
at the piano
at the piano
at the piano
Group 2.JPG
at the piano

                                                                                                                        My bio:

                           Pianist/Keyboards/Composer/Arranger/Accompanist/Teacher/Musical Director/Sessions
                                                                          Email: contact@briadmusic.com
            Qualifications: Bachelor of Music degree (B. Mus) Melbourne University; Dip. Media Composition (London);

                                        Member of Teachers Association of Queensland (QMTA - Prof): qmta.org.au

                                                          DANCE COMPANY WORK, THEATRE AND EDUCATION

2014-2020     Accompanist/Repetiteur for the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Creative Industries Faculty
2005-2013     Accompanist/Repetiteur for the Queensland Ballet, QUT, Royal Academy of Dance and QDSE
2001-2004     Elmhurst Performing Arts School, UK. F/T musician for classical/contemporary/jazz/tap/musical theatre                                 repertoire. Arranger for theatre productions (backing tracks and live music)                                                        1999-2000    Freelance pianist at Rambert Dance Company, Adventures in Motion Pictures, Royal Ballet School, London                             Contemporary Dance School, Central School of Ballet, Laban Centre, Danceworks etc

1996-1999     Company pianist (class and rehearsal) for the Finnish National Ballet in Helsinki and the Deutsche                                         Oper Berlin Ballet Company                                                                                                            

1986-1996    Full-time staff pianist at the Australian Ballet School for classical, contemporary, repertoire and character                                                                                          THEATRE MUSICIAN

1988-1996   Resident Musical Director, arranger and keyboard player (combining click-track material and live music)                               for each annual production at ‘Hunchbax’ Theatre Restaurant, Melbourne, Australia

         -          Rehearsal pianist and keyboard player for ‘Cats’ at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne
         -          Other professional shows include ‘Pippin’, starring John Farnham, ‘Irene’, ‘Irma la Douce’,

                   'Two Gentlemen of Verona', 'Irene', 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat', 'Caroline'

                                                              SOLO/HOUSEBAND MUSICIAN IN LIVE VENUES

 1980's      Musical Director/keyboard player for entertainment package on Chandris Line cruiseship ‘Amerikanis’

         -        Cocktail/Bar pianist at the Hotel EuropaischerHof, Hamburg, Germany

         -       Toured the Middle East and Scandinavia with the international showband ‘Smile’
         -       Keyboard player with resident group at the Tiberio Restaurant in Mayfair, London. Was a popular                                           meeting place for famous visiting American stars in those days. It was a pleasure to play in the presence of                           Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, Liberace, Raymond Burr etc. .

         -       Keyboard player at 'Chaplins' nightclub in London's West End

         -       Pianist for the Manning Jones Trio, resident houseband at 'Bienvenu' Reception House, Melbourne, Australia

                                                           ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS and ARRANGEMENTS (in reverse chronological order)
               
- Books 1&2 Original Dance Class Music (in a variety of styles); 52 compositions (more pending)
               - Music, lyrics and arrangements for an original musical ‘Doubled Up’ (incomplete)
               - Music, lyrics and arrangements for the show ‘The Prophecies and Stunts of Nostradamus’ for Hunchbax Theatre                  Restaurant, Melbourne, Australia
              - Piano solo arrangement for the ballet ‘Cinderella’ adapted from the orchestral score of Rossini’s opera
              - Composed the music for the contemporary ballet ‘The Gospel According to Crow’ inspired by the poetry of Ted                      Hughes and choreographed by Scott Ambler
              - Musical score for an original musical written in collaboration with Ray Lee, ‘Povorello’
              - Composed, orchestrated and conducted ‘The Prodigal Son’, a rock-opera starring Australian stage and recording                  star John Farnham (thesis for final year at university). Lyrics by Ray Lee. See attached excerpts from a live                              performance (hence limited sound quality)
                Original score for the documentary film ‘Six Wheels North’
             - Composed a set of melodic rock music for modem church services at St Pauls Cathedral, Melbourne
             - Selection of arranged and recorded media music, piano compositions, songs and dance class music                                                                                                     
RECORDINGS AND FILM
             - Piano/keyboards on the original cast recordings of shows ‘Pippin’, ‘Caroline’ and ‘Fetch Me a Figleaf’
             - Pianist in scenes from the Australian movie ‘Bushfire Moon’, starring Bill Kerr
             -Yemenite musician in ‘King David’, a biblical epic starring Richard Gere                                                                                                                                        
ACADEMIC AWARDS and QUALIFICATIONS
            - Victorian Exhibition in music theory (highest mark)
            - Bachelor of Music Degree
            - Diploma in Media Composition (‘Music for the Media’, London)
            - Member of the Queensland Music Teachers' Association (Prof) Website: qmta.org.au

Three excerpts from a live performance of original composition

The Prodigal Son with John Farnham and Kerry Lee

music project program
Chopin Study in Ab 32 bars (excerpt)
00:00 / 01:25
Bach's Italian Concerto 32 bars (excerpt)
00:00 / 00:59
Elton, Adele, 'Frozen' etc 128 bars
00:00 / 04:09
'Blue Moon' bluesy improvisation 32 bars
00:00 / 02:15
Brian's Boogie Blues & Musicals medley 64 bars
00:00 / 02:16
'Wonderful World' easy listening 32 bars
00:00 / 02:05
Jazz medley & improvisation 'La La Land' 128 bars
00:00 / 04:30
Funky & solo 'Easier Said Than Done' 32 bars
00:00 / 01:42
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