LONDON’S BOOGIE WOOGIE TUBE SENSATION BEATS UP CHURCH PIANO THIS AFTERNOON
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
GRAVENHURST — Who knows where the best public piano is in London’s Tube system?
Or that video games have some “amazing music.”
And that one of Britain’s best boogie woogie players was beating up the piano this afternoon at Trinity United Church — requiring a tuner next Monday.
Kylan Haffie was on fire for the second of four noon-hour concerts.
And he likes it like that.

“I like to believe I’m leaving a trail of fire.”
Last year he left blood on the keys; this year it was a contact lens that flew out of his left eye.
Not bad for a guy who doesn’t read music gave up piano lessons at six when he had to take his first test.
A video games programmer with PlayStation in London, he just loves to sit down and play — and plays by ear.
That’s how he knows Batter Sea Power Station has the best tube piano anyone cane play on the London transit system. “But you’re not allowed to busk.” And that St. Pancreas Station has the second best, “but it is declining and some the keys don’t work.
Haffie, whose mother taught him the early beginnings of music, seeks out any opportunity he can to travel the tube by way of Batter Sea.

Today he was with his girlfriend Meg, who was a Japanese study student in Gravenhurst a dozen years ago and was back visiting one of her friend’s hosts Bill and Barb (Ruttan) Boyer.
His first number was Plastic Love, an ’80s hit in Japan.
It was their second return visit after last summer — and he took advantage of any opportunity he could to play again at Trinity.
He calls himself a “hobbyist” and “not a professional.”
He’s considered playing professionally, but worries coaching and structure could constrain his style and frenetic freedom to be all over the keyboard at once.
Besides, “PlayStation pays more,” laughs Meg, who works in fashion.
For now he’s “satisfied” with what he’s doing.
Haffie has worked on a couple of popular PlayStation games including Astro Bot and Kingdom Heart.
“You’d never know video games had so much amazing music,” like the Mario Brothers, which he shared a piece of.
He’s working on his own game now that he said definitely will include some of his own music he has written.

Like the so far incomplete When I’m Rockin’ the Station about his experiences pounding in the tube.
He loves songs “that get the attention” of the passersby.
Such as Fat Girl Boogie that also had today’s audience bobbing their heads and shaking their shoulders along with him.
“That was fun.”
To prove he’s not all boogie woogie (though close enough that Jerry Lee Lewis would feel the heat) he played a lovely version of the jazz classic Misty and Virtue Precision, a classical piece that demonstrated the virtuosity and depth of his understanding of the origins of his music.
And he dedicated You Raise Me up to the Boyers.
He even sang a little with a nice voice, though it was hard to hear.
Next year he promises a return visit and says he will again take advantage of the church’s the Yamaha piano.
But they’d better get it tuned in advance because it’s going to take a pounding.
Because even thought he’s bought a new electric piano for their loft — giving up on a digital keyboard he beats up in his closet — it’ll be Batter up for another year.
In the meantime, the TUC concerts continue next Wednesday noon, July 16, with another pianist. This time it Brent Mayhew, of St. David’s Anglican/Lutheran Church in Orillia, who was in the audience this afternoon.
On July 23 Greg Ulrick is back on the pipe organ for his third appearance.
The summer series wraps up July 30 with another returnee, young Abby Liang, a former student of Kyung A Lee.

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