Welcome to another Weekend Warrior profile, where we chat to a fellow keyboard player on the front lines of music making. If you’d like to be profiled yourself, here’s how.
Say hi to Juergen Horn! Juergen is in no less than four bands and is a previous professional that’s still kicking big goals on weekends.
Band Name (or names)
Fleetwood X – https://www.facebook.com/FleetwoodX
Dreams Unwind – A Stevie Nicks tribute – https://www.facebook.com/DreamsUnwindBand
Winter’s Night – Trans Siberian Orchestra tribute – https://www.facebook.com/wintersnighttso
Sapphire Dreams – Piano/Vocal Duo – http://sapphiredreamsband.com/
What genres / eras does your band cover?
The tribute bands cover rock from the 70s and 80s.
The TSO covers Christmas with a hard rock edge.
The duo covers rock, pop, and country from the 70s to current.
How many years have you been playing gigs?
I started playing in my first band 38 years ago. I started playing professionally 31 years ago. I am currently a weekend warrior with a day job I have held that status for about 14 years, but I spent 17 years before that working full time in the entertainment industry as a keyboard player in bands and for a while I ran my own studio/production company where I wrote music for corporate clients, among other things.
What inspired you to become a keyboard player in the first place?
I started piano lessons at 7 and took them for 2 years then quit. After 1 year my parents bought a home organ with a small synth section. Not much, but it had headphones, I could tweak it, and it was a whole new world for me. I never looked back. By the time I was 17 I started writing. Writing is what inspired me to make music and keyboards a lifelong passion.
What is the keyboard rig you currently use when gigging?
Kawai MP11SE
Yamaha Montage M6
Crumar Mojo Desktop Organ + Neo Instruments Ventilator II
Behringer Xenyx X1622USB Mixer + Mackie IEM
For the TSO tribute, I use a Roland Fantom 08 in place of the Kawai since I do not play any piano in that band.
In my studio I have Native Instruments Komplete 12 and Garritan Abbey Road CFX piano running on PreSonus Studio One with a UA Apollo Twin interface.
Is there a piece of gear you’re lusting after?
My live rig is complete for now. If we are talking about pure lust, I would say a Moog One.
Aside from keys duties, do you have other roles in the band?
Harmonies.
Most memorable gig you’ve played and why was it memorable?
I was playing with Penny Gilley opening for Barbara Mandrell in a colosseum for a sold-out crowd of 6,500.
If that weren’t enough, while I was playing a piano solo, Penny introduced me to the audience and the whole place started screaming. My fingers went on autopilot as I looked up with a huge smile and just soaked it in.
Has anything ever gone spectacularly wrong for you at a gig that you’re happy to share?
In 30+ years, never. Wait, there was that one time I was playing The Dance by Garth Brooks. I was supposed to start the second verse with piano and strings. Instead, it was piano and a very loud sheep. The whole place laughed.
Are there songs you love or hate to play?
Love:
Any of the instrumentals with the TSO tribute. We have 3 keyboard players, and I handle most of the orchestra parts. It’s fast and hard, but it is so much fun!
I haven’t done it since my first band, but I always loved playing Subdivisions by Rush.
New York State Of Mind in my duo. That song made me believe I could carry the music with just the piano.
Hate:
I hated playing Summer Time Blues in country bands. Hated it!
Who are your keyboard player inspirations and why?
Ray Manzarek – I learned a lot about independence from him since he played bass in the left hand.
Rick Wakeman – Saw him live from the 8th row. Mind blown.
Floyd Cramer – When I started playing in country bands and had no experience, he was an obvious choice. I built my country foundation from his influence.
Tom Scholz – I love his organ playing!
Many others from the who’s who of rock bands from the 70s and 80s. Even a little 60s in there, like Billy Preston.
Fantasy time: you get a call from your favourite band of all time, asking you to play keys next week at their gig. Who is that band and how would you pull it off?
Well, Boston is my all-time favorite band, so I would have to pick them. Musically, I would pick a different band to cover more than organ/piano. TSO comes to mind! Stevie Nicks would be cool too. I was very surprised how much her music ticks all of my boxes as a keyboard player.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
This year I have determined to focus heavily on my vocals, both lead and harmony. I want to eventually be able to play solo gigs. I will continue to play gigs until I am no longer physically able to. At that point, my plan is to continue writing and recording. And when I have time, I will try to master jazz.
Your 5 Desert Island Discs
- Boston (eponymous)
- Don’t Look Back – Boston
- Moving Pictures – Rush
- 90125 – Yes
- Tango In The Night – Fleetwood Mac
Anything else you’d like to add?
Although I am mostly self-taught, while I was enrolled at UNT I went rogue for 3 semesters and took nothing but music classes even though I was a computer science major. I studied jazz and classical theory, jazz piano, and jazz history. That made a huge impact on my ability to fast track learning songs. My ear grew exponentially, and I am also able to easily communicate with musicians of any level. And then there’s the improvisation!
Lastly, my favorite compliments are when people tell me they can feel what I am playing and that it moves them. This is truly why I play, to touch people and make them feel. I love to share my gift!
