2012 RESUME and selected C.V.
SHORT BIO:
Keith Lay (b. 1958) grew up in rural Ohio experimenting with magnetic tape and recording techniques, performing on saxophone, and conducting his compositions for symphonic band, piano, jazz orchestra and chamber ensembles. After receiving a Bachelors and Master of Music Composition from the University of Akron, his career focused on engineering and producing music and videos for record labels, education and broadcast and university teaching.
Keith won national awards for his work as both producer and composer for national jingles, broadcast television and Synclavier work in the 1980s. In 1990, he joined the faculty of Full Sail University to teach production and popular music history. In concert music Keith has also won many awards, commissions, honors, and performances across the US and Europe, including the Riverside Symphony International Composition Grand Prize. The important classical music magazine Gramophone described his "Earth Caoine", recorded by Richard Stoltzman and the Warsaw National Philharmonic as "unapologetically emotional". New York Times' Antonio Tommasini hailed Keith as "a composer to watch for".
LONG BIO:
Born in 1958, Keith Lay's early music experience was supported by strong school programs that offered respected teachers, private lessons and a loaner instrument (tenor saxophone) to kids from low income families. His passion for modern classical music grew out local LP cut-out bins that contained revered recordings of Ives, Crumb, Varese and Hindemith. His passion for music technology began by recording his favorite music on old reel-to-reel tape machines. This led to experimentation with tape techniques, recording and mixing. Beginning serious composition at 15, Mr. Lay had already composed many works for piano, winds, jazz band and symphonic band ensembles when he entered the University of Akron's Firestone Conservatory of Music in 1976. He acquired both a Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Music Composition with David S. Bernstein and Electronic Music techniques with Ralph Turek. During his mid-twenties, Mr. Lay taught Electronic Music (Moog, ARP, tape), Music Theory I and Introduction to Music Theory as an adjunct professor at the University of Akron.
His commercial music career began with 12 radio and TV spots for the Akron Zoo and over the next several years established himself as a skilled music producer in Northern Ohio. By the late 80's Keith had developed a healthy clientele list as a Synclavierist and producer for Kopperhead Studios, a commercial music house in North Canton. These production skills brought him to the attention of Full Sail Real World Education (now Full Sail University) in Winter Park, Florida where Mr. Lay taught "Tapeless Studio" production skills. In 1991 he was promoted to the Music History course and designed a curriculum and authored a new textbook to introduce his students to a wide world of music:Classical, Folk, Country, Blues, Gospel, Jazz, Boogie, Rock, Pop, Broadway, Soul, Funk, Jamaican, Metal, Punk, Dance, Hip Hop, Industrial, Death Metal, Performance Art, World Music and Electronica styles to thousands of students. His students' passion for music reignited his love of fine art composition, beginning with "Earth Caoine", which was recorded and released on CD by Richard Stoltzman and the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra in 1995.
While not prolific in number, Keith Lay's work benefits from seeking a well balanced life through skillful living as a father to his children Christopher, Emily and Brendon, a good husband to Joy, a good leader at Full Sail University and a good listener to his students.
The New York Times raved his Lincoln Center premiere and hailed him as 'a composer to watch for' in 2004. Grammophone Magazine called his Stoltzman recording "unapologetically emotional". Beyond the honor of having his music performed by so many great musicians around the world, Mr. Lay has been thrice awarded Full Sail's top accolades (Top Gun 1995, Outstanding Educator 2001, Artistic Achievement 2005) and twice awarded a United Arts of Central Florida grant, as well as a Florida Artist Fellowship and Margaret Jory Fairbanks grants, the Riverside Symphony International Composition Contest Grand Prize and a National Telly Award. He is a founding judge of the National Young Composers Challenge competitions, and has received a certificate of appreciation from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Grammys) for his teaching and community support.
