I decided to finally start surgery on a Williams Overture 2 Console Digital Piano. It's been in my workspace for 2 months now, staring at me.

I have been a little frightened to attempt a repair on this model, but today is the day!

There is always surprises waiting for you whenever you dismantle a keyboard, digital piano or acoustic. 

ALL of this, ( 66 screws , ribbons, etc ), to repair ONE dead key, which is probably just dusty and dirty.... 

It will either work out fine, or I'll have some really cool upcycled keyboard parts art available really soon!🤓

Either way, I'll post the results. I'm hoping this only a two day adventure....but we will see!

The Beechwood Home is a special place to me. For the last decade, I've been sharing musical space with the wonderful residents and staff of this care facility . I have friends there. 

I had the honor to present Christmas music and other soulful favorites for their 2021 Holiday event on December 13th 2021.

The Beechwood Home is an long-term care facility specializing in neurological disorders which include but are not limited to those with a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Huntington's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, ALS and those who have suffered a stroke.

I simply love sharing music at this place! They give me more than anything I could ever give them. I always feel an unspoken vibration of love and kindness from the moment I enter this home

For the last decade, I've been invited in to perform for the residents and staff. They love the music. They bathe in the sound of the baby grand piano. The music takes them to places they been before. It transports them for an hour.

Most don't talk and are non verbal. The ones who do talk do so with much labor. What they can't do with words, they make up for with smiles. Their eyes light up with the warmth of a candle.

We do the things together that words can't express anyways. We giggle together, we cry together, and most of all, we smile. 

I hope they know that they give me so much more than I can ever give them.

When It's time to leave, I never want to go. After the performance, I get a chance to go hold hands and listen. Words are a chore for them. Sometimes it takes a long time for them to complete one sentence, so they choose all words with great intention.

If we all chose our words that carefully, our world would be a more peaceful, loving, and better place.

I love this place. I have friends there. I learn so much every time I perform there. I become a better listener. I get a chance to see what courage looks like in real life.

I would like to thank activities director Megan Randolph for inviting me to performance multiple time per year at Beechwood. Megan is an angel and she does God's work.

I also want to thank saxophonist Matthew Irvin for joining me for this years Christmas program.

I love The Beechwood home, and look forward to sharing there in 2022!

To learn more about The Beechwood Home, please visit:

https://www.beechwoodhome.com/

What A Friend We Have In Jesus 

Hymn No: 457 

The Lutheran Hymnal of 1941 

Hymns have been a part of my musical journey as long as I remember. One hymn that has always brought me deep personal comfort is “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” . I went to St. Paul, a small Lutheran grade school in Cincinnati OH.  We had chapel every Wednesday. Chapel exposed me to three musical elements that still bring me great joy: church bells, pipe organs, and hymns. The Hymn “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” spoke to me as a little child, and still does. 

I think it's the notion that you have a friend, that you can take your issues or problems to, without judgement or  reservation. That type of friendship is hard to find ,both as a child and adult!  

The Lutheran church sang this song 4/4 time. This song was also sung at our home church.  Our home church had a  predominately black congregation, in contrast to my Lutheran schooling. Our home church would sing this song 6/8 time, which means the melody would “swing” . This is common practice in the American black church.  

I have so much gratitude for both of these musical treatments. The differences of arrangements gave me musical freedom. It taught me that there isn't a ‘right or wrong” way to play or sing a song. It gave me courage to explore outside of the musical norms. It exposed me to the long table of beautiful musical styles. My life long musical journey has been heavily influenced by this liberation of musical interpretation .  

 Below is my solo piano improv arrangement of this beautiful hymn. 

A SPECIAL THANK YOU to my first grade teacher at St. Paul Lutheran, Lana Kittenbrink, for giving me the hymnal info for this hymn . You and your family will always be cherished by my family and I.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

I took this photo at Fernbank Park, in CIncinnati OH, on 2/22/2021.

"Always and Forever" is a love song written by Rod Temperton  It was first recorded by the Heatwave in 1976. Heatwave was a band from Britain.  This song was released as a single on December 3, 1977,and included on Heatwave's debut album Too Hot to Handle . 

This beautiful ballad has been covered by many vocal artists. 

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN to my solo piano arrangement.

I've recorded a solo piano version of gospel music classic "Thank You Lord".

This song was released in 1975 on Savoy Records as on of the tracks on the album :

Rev. James Cleveland And The Charles Fold Singers – Jesus Is The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!

Charles Fold organized a choir called the Charles Fold Singers, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The choir burst on the national scene when they teamed up with the Reverend James Cleveland on Jesus Is the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me. A gospel version of You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me, written in 1971 by Jim Weatherly and immortalised in 1974 by Gladys Knight And The Pips, was the title track of a double album recorded live at Cincinnati’s Bible Way Church of God in Christ. Released in 1975 on Savoy Records, the album maintained a steady presence on Billboard’s Top Spiritual Albums chart and was named the top gospel album of the year on Billboard’s 1976 Talent in Action list. It was the first of several Savoy LPs featuring Cleveland and the Charles Fold Singers. 

Like the James Cleveland / Angelic Choir partnership of the 1960s, the James Cleveland / Charles Fold partnership provided music ministers with soulful performances and arrangements of songs that they could teach to their church choirs. Among their most memorable performances were Touch Me (1976), Tomorrow (1978), Never Will I Turn Back (1979) and Lord, Let Me Be an Instrument (1979). The latter song earned Cleveland and the Charles Fold Singers a Grammy Award in 1981 for Best Gospel Soul Performance, Traditional. 

For decades, Fold was an active member of James Cleveland’s Gospel Music Workshop of America, serving as president of the Cincinnati chapter, board member of the national organization and co-chairman of the international chapters. The Charles Fold Singers were inducted into the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2002.

I took this photo at The Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park. I can see God in the picture.

Time Flies. Your babies become adult faster than you can ever imagine. It seems like yesterday that we were sitting around the dinner table laughing together, or watching Lion King for the one hundredth time. Now, all three of my girls are adults. They are all doing life on their own terms now, making big girl decisions, and most of all, they see generally happy. We would not  have it  any other way. It makes me so happy to see their wings wide open. I listen to their adventures with curiosity, and sometimes with the worry of a daddy.  I tried to keep my mouth shut mostly, because this is their time to fly, and they don't need me constantly grabbing the controls! I give my opinion when they ask, but for the most part, I listen.  but...

But I miss them. And today I miss my middle baby Myla a bunch. She took her adventures to Spain for the next 6 to 9 months. She's teaching in Madrid. She does check in, via facetime or whatsapp, but I miss hugging her. I miss seeing her with my own two eyes, in person. I miss being able to get to her in 15 minutes or less. She is doing EXACTLY what we told her to do: Live your life, your way, fearless, and write your own story. That sounds dandy on paper. But I'm a girl dad. I miss my baby.  She's having a blast! Lot's of fun! She calls home and talks about the different culture, food, and experiences like hiking with pure bliss!

....but know this, if she needs me, I'll go running..

Dear Myla,

This song is for you.

When you're down and troubled 
And you need some love and care 
And nothing, nothing is going right 
Close your eyes and think of me 
And soon I will be there 
To brighten up even your darkest night 

You just call out my name 
And you know wherever I am 
I'll come running, to see you again 
Winter, spring, summer or fall 
All you have to do is call 
And I'll be there 
You've got a friend

Carole King

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!

This photo is from our family photo album. Myla is the big girl in the photo. Malea is the baby in the highchair.

"I'll Make Love to You" is a 1994 number-one hit single by R&B group Boyz II Men for the Motown label. The song, which was written by Babyface, was the lead single from their second album II. The song was a commercial success, spending 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. 

This song was so hot that even my grandma loved it! She would call me into her room and say " baby can you turn my Boyz and Men tape on" ( yes she called them Boyz and Men) 

I've always wanted to do an solo piano cover of this song , so I did it! 

Happy Valentines Day to my girl Kris first....then to my three lovely and grown daughters ( i loved you first)....then to all the other ladies in the place "with style and grace". 

Love is my religion. The piano is my paint brush.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!

I took this photo at Eden Park in Cincinnati OH

This composition is the sound track to a poem I wrote. Both are called:

The Fire Will Keep Us Warm

The cold of winter and the pastel gray clouds, 

The bright deep white snow and super slick ice, 

When it's like this outside, everything seems eerily silent. 

Gray days used to make me sad and physically drunk. 

Not anymore. 

Now,  

I'm faithfully present with you. 

And the fire will keep us warm.

Daven Roberson

Click Here To Listen To The Song!

The Photo is courtesy of my dear friend Scott Ginn / Ginn Photography.

Streams & Waterfalls is a song that I composed to accompany  a video by multi media artist Scott Ginn. I have had the pleasure of working with Scott on projects, and it is always a pleasure . I truly love collaborating with Scott! Check out the short video below!

CLICK HERE TO HERE MORE OF THE SONG!

"The Reason Why We Sing" was released by gospel music star Kirk Franklin in 1993. It was a big hit then, and is still a staple song of worship in the black church. I have always loved the lyrics as well as the melody of this song. The Chorus is my favorite:

I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free 
His eye's on the sparrow
That's the reason why I sing

Below is my solo piano arrangement of this beautiful gospel classic.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!