quigleywayne

3:24

And Can It Be (Music Lessons)

"And Can It Be" is the last track on the 'Music Lessons' CD. I placed the song at the end, because it was what I always understood to be my Mom's favorite hymn. Now - I don't mean I moved it to last instead of first to prove any point! Save the best for last, right? Well, this is not what I consider the best recording on this CD, but meant it to be a special ending for Mom. As a young child, it was my parents' vinyl 78 record of a pipe organ ("A Mighty Fortress... an album of hymns for organ; Porter Heaps at the organ) that literally propelled me into music. I wanted to be able to play such a majestic, powerful instrument! However, starting piano lessons at the age of 6, I was not able to take organ lessons until I was 12 - until my legs were long enough to reach the organ pedals! In 1982, I altered the arrangement a bit of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" off this very album to play for competition, placing 2nd at State and 1st at Nationals. I have been blessed to play many great church and pipe organs in my lifetime. This song was recorded with a mix of pipe organ settings from both my Hammond XK-2 and Kurzweil PC-6 keyboards, using various pipe organ sounds. "And Can It Be" deserves an enormous pipe organ sound, as did my Mom on this track.

24 days ago 49 views

AON Tutorial: Don't Stop Believin' (Play Key=C)

4:13

2:59

Burdens Are Lifted At Calvary (Music Lessons)

My Dad used to lead the singing for Sunday evening services. When I was around 13 years old (circa 1976), I was the pianist for Sunday night. I did what I could to suggest songs that I could play, for there weren't many at that point...and heaven forbid they take requests!! Burdens Are Lifted - had only 1 flat, my favorite key at the time. I don't think I even was aware of the actual key (F). So I am pretty sure we did this song many times, but it was strictly because I could play it at the age of 13, in public!

3 months ago 60 views

2:39

Faith Is The Victory (Music Lessons)

In 2019, I made a very simple and crude recording for my Mom as a Mother's Day gift. The videos I am posting will reveal many aspects related to this project. I selected the title of the project/CD/album to be "Music Lessons". The CD I gave my Mom contained these notes: "Music Lessons is a recording to express my thankfulness for my piano and organ lessons, as well as all the early influences of music and the life lessons I have learned from it. " My desire for music sprang from listening to vinyl albums on my Mom and Dad's huge Victrola stereo. The quartet records consumed me with the vocal harmonies, and the majestic, powerful pipe organ album with "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" drove me to want to play the organ. These were the "early influences" that I recall.

3 months ago 99 views

1:31

2:22

Quigley 2023

The Christmas Eve video 2023 takes a break from the traditional Mannheim Steamroller music/video projects in the past few years. I remember as a kid watching the Peanuts special "A Charlie Brown Christmas", and the end where "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" was played and sang. For some reason that sounded great to me, so I went to the piano to play that song. It never really sounded right! The original song was recorded using a Hammond Organ in St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Vince Guaraldi). With my new Hammond XK-4, I thought I would record this song for Christmas 2023. Being a young kid when I first heard this, I thought the video should just contain kids (and grandkids!). Starring (in alphabetical order): Alayna, Brenna, Carissa, Emily, Eric, Grant, Isla, Jack, Jake, Johnathan, Karter, Olivia, Rachel, Ross, Ryan, Serena. Merry Christmas 2023!

5 months ago 75 views

30:01

19:51

3:22

4:28

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (2021)

Continuing the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas tradition, 2021. In In 1995 I had the privilege to record it for an RVCC project with good friends Phil Gadson and Steve "Murph" Murphy. This 2021 version is a complete reproduction comprised of 13 tracks recorded only from my Kurzweil SP6 over the past several weeks. This is the first Christmas without my Mom, who gifted me with one of her drawings a few years ago which is shown in this video. Merry Christmas to all my family and friends.

1 year ago 83 views

5:44

27:26

4:42

Hallelujah

The tradition to play and record a Mannheim Steamroller Christmas song continues...2022. "Hallelujah" was the most extensive recording yet, taking 17 tracks, percussion and bass track, and a couple of months to complete. My freshman year at Bethel College (University), our concert choir performed the real "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah in churches of northern Michigan and all over the Upper Peninsula... I was the organist for this 1983 Spring choir tour, but obviously this version is quite different, and every bit as challenging. Merry Christmas to my family and friends! See you in 2023 :)

1 year ago 209 views