Pianist Jay Pfeifer is a slightly overweight middle-aged man living in Kansas (hold your applause). Growing up, he had some lessons with very patient teachers but was mostly self-taught. In 1994 he was accepted into the UMKC Conservatory of Music in Kansas City, where he studied with Richard Cass. That same year he began performing and recording with the Christian band Waterdeep, and is featured on 4 of the band’s albums.
Since his departure from Waterdeep in 1998, he has split his time between teaching private piano lessons in Overland Park, KS, recording as a session musician on a number of albums, performing with local jazz bands, and composing and arranging music for dance, musical theater, and independent albums. Jay was the Director of the Culture House School of Music in Olathe, KS from 2004 – 2016 and in collaboration with The Culture House, provided the score for Störling Dance Theater’s Underground, which premiered in 2008 and has been performed annually in Kansas City ever since, with positive reviews.
Nowadays, Jay’s playing style serves a more therapeutic and spiritual need, and could be described as neo-classical, new-age, or just ‘mellow’. You can find his music on Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, and YouTube.