On Oct. 30 in the Student Union Building the Dueling Pianos came to the University of New Mexico.
It consisted of two pianists, Kirk Garrett from Yosemite, California and Rich Wyman from Allentown, Pennsylvania under the name “Killer Keyz,” each playing their own piano and singing at the request of audience members — though there were duets as well as individual songs sung by the two.
The pair has known each other for six years and have been playing together since meeting. This stop at UNM was part of their current fall tour that started Oct. 11 in Riverside, Wyoming.
“We play nationally, we are currently on tour and have been for the past few weeks,” Garrett said. “We’re just finishing up our section in New Mexico and then heading to Reno, Nev. and after that we’re going to California.”
The two have been to New Mexico and UNM multiple times throughout their careers and separate tours.
“We’ve been doing this for many years, I believe we’ve been here at the University eight or 10 times before this,” Garrett said.
Garrett has had 16 years of experience with the Dueling Pianos company and 17 years of experience playing solo in various locations, performing his whole life and eventually making it his career.
With both of the pianists performing music as their full time job they try and give as much advice as possible when people approach with questions they have, Wyman said.
“The piano is a very versatile instrument that you can play in hotel lobbies, restaurants, bars, bands, dueling shows; if your instrument is a trombone it limits the amount of places that you can play when looking for work,” Wyman said. “I would recommend that if you would like to make a living playing music and become a professional musician then get piano skills, because every musician should know how to play the piano regardless of what their main focus is in music.”
Wyman also believes that going out and understanding life in different places gave him the experience he needed to be a full time musician.
“I lived in New York City for eight years and I think it’s a great education in itself spending some time in a place like New York because it’ll change your life by inspiring you and toughening you up,” Wyman said.
The two encouraged people who are pursuing a career in the music field or even looking into it as a possibility, to keep going even when things get hard.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
“You have to stay motivated and keep being persistent, if you are lazy or trying to wait for the work to come to you it’s just not going to happen,” Wyman said. “You have to be motivated at all times.”
The both of them have played piano since the age of four and they said they wish new musicians to continue pursuing their passions no matter what they may be and keep trying when hitting walls looking for work.
Their fall tour will continue and end on Nov. 30 in Hesperia, California.
Tiffani Watteyne is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted by email at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @tiffanirosew.
