Teaching

Sue Keller

Sue Keller began her ragtime obsession in 1974, after graduating from DePaul University with a degree in Music and Theater. Since then, Sue has treated audiences to her piano and vocal performances throughout the world. Her appearances have ranged from the grand opening of Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston Harbor, to the fabled Mikado nightclub in Tokyo, across the continent of Australia, and even to the Great Wall of China.

Back in the USA, Sue has been recognized as one of the world's top ragtime pianists. Appearances have included the prestigious Scott Joplin Festival in Sedalia, Missouri, the Alexandria Bay Ragtime-Jasstime Fest, Lake Superior Festival, the Indianapolis Classic Ragtime Festival, and Zehnder's in Frankenmuth. Sue is a member of the board of directors for the Old-Time Piano Championship in Peoria, Illinois, having also judged for several years. Most recently she has been chosen, with John Petley, as co-artistic director for the Scott Joplin festival for the upcoming year, 2005, having also performed that function in 2004.

Sue has also been active in promoting the ragtime form. Sue's recording projects have employed a unique and exciting digital process.

Her first project produced in this manner, KeLLeRIZED, released in 1992, includes both contemporary and traditional ragtime, old-time, novelty, and stride pieces. Her second, Ol' Muddy, continues in this regard. In her last three recordings, Nola, Ragtime Sue, and I Got What It Takes, she mixes some exciting vocals together with the more traditional repertoire.

All are available on Compact Disk as well as cassette, and feature contemporary rags by Glenn Jenks, Christopher Seppe, Jon Jensen, Galen Wilkes, Frank French, George Schneider, and Ross Petot. The sixth recording. entitled "Those Irresistible Blues", containing tunes written from 1912 to 1927, has received favorable notice in BLUES REVUE magazine, EUPHONY REVIEW, the MISSISSIPPI RAG and the RAG TIMES. She has released a follow-up blues CD, “Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues”.

The latest additions to Sue’s recorded works are two Christmas CDs: “She Loved Christmas”, dedicated to her mom, Betty Keller, and “My Reindeer Don’t Like to Fly”, which has just been released in time for this holiday season.

In pursuit of her endeavor to bring to light the work of original ragtime composers, Sue has established the Ragtime Press, whose sheet music offerings include two folios: “The Music of Robert Russell Darch”, 28 pieces by “Ragtime Bob” Darch, and “A Little Lost Lamb”, a volume of eighteen previously unpublished Joseph Lamb pieces.