Keyboard ability
Expert
Composer ability
Expert
Producer ability
Expert
Favourite genres
- Electronic
- Hip-hop
- Jazz
- Classical
Influences: Musical Theatre, Prince, Cat Empire, Talk Talk
Versatility and enthusiasm comes free! :)
Perfect pitch & sight reader.
UK CV:
*Kings of Swing Rat-Pack show (MD/ Pno/Co-Arranger) “Amazing that just a six-piece band - under the direction of MD Simon Walters - could have provided such a convincing solid musical backdrop, reproducing arrangements of masters such as Nelson Riddle so effectively” (South Wales Evening Post,28 Jan 04)
*Masters of the Musicals (Calibre Productions) (Assistant MD/ Keys/ Co-Arranger/ Sax/ Clarinet).
2009 Arrangements for film "Morris: A Life With Bells On" (feat. Sir Derek Jacobi)
2007 MD/Keys/Click for ‘Summer Spectacular’ @ Bournemouth Pier: (Openwide/ Paul Holman)
2005 Keyboards for G4 in Classic Response Tsunami Aid @ Royal Albert Hall.
2004 MD/ Keyboards/ Arranger for ‘Dick Whittington’ @ Theatre Royal Nottingham : also MD/Keys for ‘Aladdin’ @ Nottingham Playhouse Jan 04
2000 MD/ Keyboards for "Passion, Poetry & Things" (dir./ devised Colin McIntyre @ Pomegranate, Chesterfield: "Simon Walters plays the piano with 1 hand & coaxes a 17 piece orchestra out of a keyboard with the other" (Derbyshire Times July 6)
1999 MD/ Keyboards for "The Sound Of Music" & "Little Shop Of Horrors" @ White Rock Theatre, Hastings (Bruce James Productions)
1997 (& 96) Audition pianist for "Maddie" -West End & Salisbury Playhouse runs (Kenny Wax )
1996 MD/Pianist for tour of "20th Century Musicals" "he kept everything brilliantly together - felt the music with every note" (Newbury Weekly News 31 Oct 96)
1996 Audition/rehearsal pno for "A Chorus Line" @ Derby Playhouse
1995 Keyboardist/ Rehearsal Pno/ Audition Pno/ Studio for Lionel Bart's workshop 'Quasimodo' (Kenny Wax)
(choir) Frankston Ladies' Choir (MD), arrangements/ pno for One Voice feat. Café Royal 98 (1998-2004) & Actors’ Choir Richmond.
(electronica/eccentric rock): drum/bass & techno with Waterson inc. finalist in BBC covers competition (Recovered) 2002
(arrangement/ transcription): (perfect pitch )
- scoring for 3 musicals (Alexander Bermange)& ‘Haunted’ for Stagecoach, & 7+ musicals for Starshine Music (www.starshine.co.uk)
-orchestration/ arrangement/ complete production of demo on computer for "When Harry Met Barry" (Vivian Ellis New Musicals finalist 2000)
(showcase) MD/Keys/ Arranger for Harlequin Agency @ Baron's Court (2001 & 1998), Old Red Lion (1997)
(talent shows): Grays Theatre, Compass Theatre, Ickenham, Haven.
(incidental music) inc. Macbeth, The Bloody Chamber (Birds’ Nest Theatre) “Simon Walters’ enjoyable silent screen piano music … maintain(s) suspense” – Time Out (11 Dec 96)
(auditions): Spirit of the Dance/ Broadway/ Rock Legends etc., A Stage Further, Premiere Productions, Derby Playhouse, Courtyard (Hereford), Oldham Coliseum, Edward Snape etc.
(bands/.deps:) Relax (80s tribute), Empire State, Soulfish, Lost in Music, function bands
(education): Millenium Dance/ Central School (for assessments, audition coaching + workshops with John Barrowman),Telford/ Stafford Youth Theatre for summer projects (Grease, Godspell, etc.) , Stagecoach, BRIT School of Performing Arts (full time 1993-94)
(ballet/operatic societies/cabaret/backing tracks); various
(restaurant/cocktail pno), ‘Piano karaoke’, Joe Allens, Covent Garden; China Blues, West 5, parties, corporates etc.
CURRENT EQUIPMENT includes
Mac running East West Goliath, Symphony Orchestra Platinum Plus, Samplemodelling sounds latest Logic Pro & Sibelius
Nord Stage 2 Keyboard (full size)
Roland FA06 workstation (sampling etc.)
Roland Fantom X6: (+additional pno expansion board)
Roland XP50 kybd (JV1080 sounds)+ 60s/70s expansion board
Fatar Studiologic SL990 XP Master Keyboard (full length)
Roland System 100 (70s analogue monophonic)
Shure SM58 Microphones, Alesis SR16 Drum Machine, Vocoder, Alesis Keytar