Amy Lu's View

Chad got me a super cool Yamaha Reface keyboard for Christmas. It’s main claim to fame is that it can make really awesome organ sounds. It’s the second in the Reface line that we have. Now all I have to do is figure out how to use and how to get it to make all the super funky sounds I want (or get Chad to figure it out and show me).

All I can really say at this point is that it’s red, and I’m really psyched. I hope I can figure it out enough to be able to play it for our church’s zoom coffee house soon, and that I can play it with one of our bands in the not-too distant future.

Not only is this an amazing present, it’s sentimental because one of the first “big” presents that Chad ever gave me (other than an engagement ring) was a Casio keyboard. We were living in our rented house in Cedar Rapids, IA, in the mid-90’s and I was missing have a piano and had aspirations of spending more time playing keys.

I don’t remember how much I ended up playing immediately following that Christmas, but playing keys has been a constant in my life since then. It’s certainly become more important since I became the keyboard player for our band Pigeons From Hell and during COVID when I’ve been doing almost weekly keyboard/vocal solo coffee house offerings.

Chad’s gift way back then laid a foundation for my 30ish year journey of playing piano/keys as an adult. Sometimes the music I make is made badly or half-assedly (I often joke about embracing my inner-Linda McCartney, RIP), and I’m a much more confident drummer than keyboardist, but I’m so grateful to have the outlet. (Especially as it’s hard to do a drum/vocal solo and a keyboard is much more mobile. If I ever decide to go busking it will be eaiser to do it wtih a keyboard and amp than a drumset).