Bio
Short Biography: Desmond Ivey
I am a native of beautiful Caribbean Island Jamaica W.I. I am self taught to play the Guitar, after experimenting and made my first Guitar, because I couldn't afford to purchase one from a music store. The Guitar body was made from plywood, the guitar neck from cedar wood. The keys were also made from cedar wood (pegs) The guitar would not stay tuned because the pegs kept unwinding, therefore, I had to keep a bottle of water to keep the keys wet. When cedar wood is wet it expands, and keep the pegs from unwinding. I use regular wire for strings therefore (you know) the sound was unpleasant but Hey, that's my Guitar. While banging on it, I learn to play Rhythms and keep good timing. I would take it with me every where I go, to make a long story short, after about a year or two I found A shop where I could buy the guitar keys, strings, and the Fret wire and guitar picks (I usually made my picks from plastic bottles, of different thickness) The frets were placed at equal distance and the Guitar action was very hard. (but it strengthen my fingers) After seeing a real guitar up close, I examine it carefully and build my first real Guitar.
I suddenly became known, not only as a Guitar player, but a guitar builder as well.
After drawing a diagram of the Guitar keyboard, and naming all the notes, a few years later when I bought my first Mel Bay Guitar Book, and saw the same diagram exactly like I drew it years earlier, I was in a state of shock, I felt like my head was expanding. I thought I had some Psychic ability, abviously I was just on the right track...long story.
I study Music Rudiments and Theory and accomplished the Graded test examination, which was offered by The Royal School In England. I also accomplished the Jamaica School Certificate Examination (J.S.C.E.), which Include English Language, Mathematics, Health Science, General Science A., General Science B, Civics, History, Biology and Bible knowledge. I taught these academics subjects in the Public All age School For two years before I was accepted at the Jamaica School Of Music, where I study music and "School Music Teaching". Lastly, I taught music at the "Holy Childhood High School" in Kingston, and the "Oberlin High School", In St. Andrew where I was born.
I played Guitar Duets with my classmates and also with the School's music ensemble. It was really a lot of fun for me, I was also featured on the cover of the School's first, "School Magazine". Then I was discovered by Professor Rex Nettleford (who was the Minister of culture Affairs in Jamaica at that time, 1979) he was also the director of the company called the NDTC (National Dance Theater Company) He needed someone who knew the "Spanish Romance" for Guitar and was able to play it live at the theater, instead of using the recorded version. The piece was choreographed beautifully for a very talented dancing couple, which I enjoyed playing for. The performance was seasonal, and was held at the "Little Theater" in New Kingston Jamaica.
I travel with the NDTC company, to New York City, in November 1980. We Performed at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music (BAM) and the John Jay School Of Criminal Justice in Manhattan. I reside in NYC since then working outside the music business trying to make ends meet. No one knew in NYC that I know how to play an instrument, but music is always my first love, I enjoy playing the guitar for everyone, even on the Air Jamaican Airline during my 3 & 1/2hr. Flight to NYC. USA
I wanted to learn more about the Guitar, so I answered an Add, offering Guitar Lessons for All Levels. I was told to bring a note book and my Guitar. I scheduled my first lesson, when I arrived the teacher asked me to play so he would know my level of playing. I played the same selection,"Spanish Romance" for the guitar that I mentioned above, The teacher stared at me as if he saw a ghost, and said I'm sorry I can't help you, your playing is too advanced, Everybody I told this Story to, had to laugh, it's funny, and they said I should have gone to The Juilliard School. Of Music, and I took their advice. I enrolled in the evening division because I had to work. The School. Is Great and I also had a great teacher! "Dante Rosati" who show me the real playing principles, and the tremolo techniques which you will hear in my CD recordings. I could tell you about my 30yrs+ experience with concerts, TV. Radio and family in Jamaica W.I., but time and space won't allow this. I played all the instruments on all my recordings, and I hope you'll enjoy it.
Bye for now. I hope we'll meet one day, somewhere, in the music world.
Love,
Desmond Ivey
I am a native of beautiful Caribbean Island Jamaica W.I. I am self taught to play the Guitar, after experimenting and made my first Guitar, because I couldn't afford to purchase one from a music store. The Guitar body was made from plywood, the guitar neck from cedar wood. The keys were also made from cedar wood (pegs) The guitar would not stay tuned because the pegs kept unwinding, therefore, I had to keep a bottle of water to keep the keys wet. When cedar wood is wet it expands, and keep the pegs from unwinding. I use regular wire for strings therefore (you know) the sound was unpleasant but Hey, that's my Guitar. While banging on it, I learn to play Rhythms and keep good timing. I would take it with me every where I go, to make a long story short, after about a year or two I found A shop where I could buy the guitar keys, strings, and the Fret wire and guitar picks (I usually made my picks from plastic bottles, of different thickness) The frets were placed at equal distance and the Guitar action was very hard. (but it strengthen my fingers) After seeing a real guitar up close, I examine it carefully and build my first real Guitar.
I suddenly became known, not only as a Guitar player, but a guitar builder as well.
After drawing a diagram of the Guitar keyboard, and naming all the notes, a few years later when I bought my first Mel Bay Guitar Book, and saw the same diagram exactly like I drew it years earlier, I was in a state of shock, I felt like my head was expanding. I thought I had some Psychic ability, abviously I was just on the right track...long story.
I study Music Rudiments and Theory and accomplished the Graded test examination, which was offered by The Royal School In England. I also accomplished the Jamaica School Certificate Examination (J.S.C.E.), which Include English Language, Mathematics, Health Science, General Science A., General Science B, Civics, History, Biology and Bible knowledge. I taught these academics subjects in the Public All age School For two years before I was accepted at the Jamaica School Of Music, where I study music and "School Music Teaching". Lastly, I taught music at the "Holy Childhood High School" in Kingston, and the "Oberlin High School", In St. Andrew where I was born.
I played Guitar Duets with my classmates and also with the School's music ensemble. It was really a lot of fun for me, I was also featured on the cover of the School's first, "School Magazine". Then I was discovered by Professor Rex Nettleford (who was the Minister of culture Affairs in Jamaica at that time, 1979) he was also the director of the company called the NDTC (National Dance Theater Company) He needed someone who knew the "Spanish Romance" for Guitar and was able to play it live at the theater, instead of using the recorded version. The piece was choreographed beautifully for a very talented dancing couple, which I enjoyed playing for. The performance was seasonal, and was held at the "Little Theater" in New Kingston Jamaica.
I travel with the NDTC company, to New York City, in November 1980. We Performed at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music (BAM) and the John Jay School Of Criminal Justice in Manhattan. I reside in NYC since then working outside the music business trying to make ends meet. No one knew in NYC that I know how to play an instrument, but music is always my first love, I enjoy playing the guitar for everyone, even on the Air Jamaican Airline during my 3 & 1/2hr. Flight to NYC. USA
I wanted to learn more about the Guitar, so I answered an Add, offering Guitar Lessons for All Levels. I was told to bring a note book and my Guitar. I scheduled my first lesson, when I arrived the teacher asked me to play so he would know my level of playing. I played the same selection,"Spanish Romance" for the guitar that I mentioned above, The teacher stared at me as if he saw a ghost, and said I'm sorry I can't help you, your playing is too advanced, Everybody I told this Story to, had to laugh, it's funny, and they said I should have gone to The Juilliard School. Of Music, and I took their advice. I enrolled in the evening division because I had to work. The School. Is Great and I also had a great teacher! "Dante Rosati" who show me the real playing principles, and the tremolo techniques which you will hear in my CD recordings. I could tell you about my 30yrs+ experience with concerts, TV. Radio and family in Jamaica W.I., but time and space won't allow this. I played all the instruments on all my recordings, and I hope you'll enjoy it.
Bye for now. I hope we'll meet one day, somewhere, in the music world.
Love,
Desmond Ivey
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Genres:
Classical, Other, Acoustic, Contemplative, Easy Listening, Good Music, Inspirational, Instrumental, New Releases and Singer/songwriter
Classical, Other, Acoustic, Contemplative, Easy Listening, Good Music, Inspirational, Instrumental, New Releases and Singer/songwriter
Location: New York, NY
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Profile Views: 1066
Song Plays: 180
Member Since: Dec 22, 2007
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Nixe, who has also included your piece, "Let's Dance", in a playlist and I have been discussing "Epic Sounds". I have included Let's Dance in this grouping and would be grateful for your input about this song at my Playlist commentary [just click on "Epic/Experimental Sounds"] below. Your views as the artist would greatly enrich the experience of the listerners of this piece and its setting in the "Epic Sounds" playlist. I take the liberty to "copy and paste" a note that I just wrote to Nixe that will make more clear the reason for my request. Many thanks in advance and Happy New Year to you.
[cc of my note to Nixe follows]:
Nixe, you overwhelm me with your detailed comments on my playlist, Epic/Experimental Sounds. In truth, this complilation grew iteratively "like Topsy" after I put together three or four pieces that seemed to have a common theme that reasonated with one part of my minds-ear which is given to open spaces and limitless horizons. I then kept adding, re-arranging, and even dropping songs [as in the good old days on a rainy Saturday afternoon sorting through those vinyl round things called "records" now, sadly, in storage] to reinforce and add nuance to that feeling that I think is universal and hard-wired into our DNA. [You or listeners of this playlist may find of interest the link to a separate blog thread (just provided) that makes for thought-provoking reading, particularly as this playlist is all the while reasonating in the background!]
Your own perspectives will greatly aid the current and, hopefully, growing listeners of my "Epic Sounds" playlist [whoever they may be] in appreciating what was, to me, an intuitive effort to combine a sense of grandeur and adventure [caravans and sweeping vistas of the mind and spirit] with innocence [which was, indeed, why I added "Baibaba Bimba" - what an uplifting piece.] Both the "externalized and internalized sense of universal wonder" as you well describe the over-all intent of the playlist was created in positive counterpoint and marked contrast to much of what is dark and brooding in our music today - also, for a reason [but that is another subject].
Thank you for sharing such experienced aural and intellectual sensibilities with the listeners of these pieces who can now take their own view of the combined works of these artists to another level. To me, as I tinker with this list, it can only get better.
On my side, I will now try to pull in the artists who make up this evolving list to add commentary if they wish. I hope some of them will, but, of course, that will be up to them as I can appreciate that many artists prefer for each piece to speak for itself. To me, the "name of the game" to advance music in the web-based era, however, is increased, rather than diminished, engagement between artist and listener. Let's see what happens next here [if anything] as I "copy and paste" this blog thread on the artists' sites.
Again, many thanks.
You are a real talented musician!
When you have a chance, check out my music
Cheers!
Brad
Have fun here at Fuzz.
BB