Review of Robert Long


	Robert Long News Journal Review Mississauga Business Times, April/06

THE MISSISSAUGA NEWS

City music man is 'Long' on talent

Thirty-plus song cycle moves from classical to ragtime

Mike Beggs
Mar 22, 2006

He's excited to release his second CD. But pianist Robert Long is far from your typical indie recording artist. Over the past 20 years, he has played only the occasional club or wedding gig. Instead, he has substantiated himself as a ballet accompanist for several area dance schools, and as the organist/pianist for the Unity Church of Mississauga.

As such, his new CD, Etudes II is another assortment of original solo performances for students to dance to in class - leading them on the traditional path through barre work, centre practice, pirouettes, adage, petit allegro, batterie, and grand allegro.

"It's very specifically designed for what it does, which helps me sell CDs to my classes -- but to very few other people", he says.

That said, this also makes first-rate music to, say, wash the dishes to. Long proves a deft hand on the ivories, as he moves from classical to ragtime in this 30-plus song cycle - which he composed, arranged, and performed singlehandedly.

He took the Royal Conservatory route, before earning a four-year Music Bachelor of Arts in history and theory from U of T. The totally self-effacing Long "sort of stumbled" into his ballet gigs (for the local Giggs School of Dancing, among others). He's also long-time accompanist/synth arranger for the Bangor Lodge variety show in Cottage Country.

"The playing came when I couldn't end up doing anything with the history and theory," he quips.

"When I got into the ballet accompaniment, for whatever strange reason I seemed to be able to manage fairly well at it - even though I didn't have a clue. It's a curious thing, in the sense there are pianists who could probably play circles around me and yet might not work out doing this job."

And while this Port Credit bachelor is as likely to roll into Roc 'N' Doc's for some blues, as to listen to his classical favourites (Debussy, Tchaikovsky), he does have an appreciation of the dance.

"If I'm ever having a bad day, I can usually kick myself into gear by just watching them," he says.

"It can be graceful, but to me it's more the idea of motion somehow relating to music."

While "unfortunately" he doesn't sing, Long did provide the piano accompaniment for vocalist Marlene George on her "Visualizations" CD. He realizes there's a "very, very narrow market" for his original music, and it was only the coming of age of the Internet that pushed him to put out his debut disc, Ballet Etudes in 1999.

"It's funny. I don't think it's a retail product for the simple reason you'd never sell enough of them. So much of the business is how you market it," he comments.

"But, with my web site and Internet commerce, you can go far and wide. On my current CD, 90 per cent of the sales have been to the U.S. I think I can claim to have sold in every state. I'm hoping to tap into the European market, now."

His web site (www.rlongballetmusic.com) provides sound samples, and testimonials. And because his style of music is very specific, he benefits from a good search engine listing on Google, and the like.

He hopes to put out as many as five CDs, and says, "the Internet will be a constant replenishing source of customers."

"For my projects, at least I know my customers. I know who they are, and what they need. I've had some modest success, I'm not losing money," he continues.

"I will be very interested to see how this new one does, because customers have requested another record. I will directly contact them as much as I can, via e-mail. And it will be interesting to see if the two CDs will feed off each other - if they buy one, will they buy the other? I don't have a budget for market appraisal."

For More Information:

Ballet Etudes CD (released in Spring of 2000)

Listen to Selection samples; Selection Outlines
General Information; Customer Testimonials

Etudes II CD (released in Spring of 2005)

Listen to Selection Samples; Selection Outlines
General Information; Customer Testimonials

Performance Photo

At Roc'n'Doc's, Port Credit, ON.
Robert Long ("Bobby Keys") on keyboard with singer/songwriter Marshall Dane

Marshall Dane & Bobby Keys