(Scroll Down For Recordings)
I began my music career at age 5 by taking piano lessons with Elizabeth Cavallero. My parents were renting a house that had an old upright piano in it, and I spent many hours practicing my assignments in hopes of getting a “Nice Job!” or “Well Done” sticker on the page at my lesson. By the 7th grade, I was accompanying the Jr High choirs at the church and at school. Mrs Olga Hardman gave me the opportunity to accompany the choirs at both the Jr High and High School as I was growing up. That was a wonderful part of my life, and one that led me to a career in music.
In High School, I began taking organ lessons from Betty McWhorter on the Casavant 3-manual pipe organ at our church. I played a hymn or special music from time to time. Over the next 40+ years, I would serve as organist in over a dozen churches as we traveled the world.
When I was a Junior in High School, I began taking piano lessons with Dr James Miltenberger at WVU. His care and guidance led me to be a music major, earning Bachelor of Music and Master of Music Degrees in piano performance in 1980 and 1983.
After teaching piano privately for 2 years, I auditioned with the US Air Force Band at Langley AFB, Virginia in 1985 and was accepted. My 20-year career in the USAF included band assignments in Virginia, Alaska (LOVED IT!!), Nebraska, Germany, and Illinois.
Click Below For Some Of My Recordings
Alfred Burt Carol Medley : Caroling, Caroling / The Star Carol / Some Children See Him / Come, Dear Children (Recorded at home in Dec 2020)
After retiring in 2005, I returned to serving as organist/pianist at 2 churches in Illinois before moving back to West Virginia in 2008, where my final position was at Wesley United Methodist Church in Morgantown. I retired from that position in 2021, and we still live in Morgantown.
Unfortunately, in the past 2 years, I have had problems with joint stiffness and pain in my left hand. In spite of having injections and various medications, I am limited to playing only 15-20 minutes at a time even on a good day.