Tom Anderson

Tom Anderson fell in love with Scott Joplin's ragtime in his twenties, which spilled out into many ragtime compositions and places he’d never thought he would go.

 

Anderson played piano at nursing homes for eight years, from the mid 1990s, and was a keyboard player with the Blowhole Busker Ukulele Group (2011-18) playing at local nursing homes and ukulele festivals. He also helped to run a successful monthly piano group with six other pianists.

 

In 2012, Anderson’s “Rags and Classics” was published by Reed Music an educational music publisher in Melbourne, Australia.  Anderson has had numerous pieces placed on the piano syllabus of St Cecilia Examinations Tasmania. 

 

Six of his recent ragtime pieces have attained top ten positions in the Australian Songwriters Association Contests (instrumental category) between 2016 and 2019: 

 

“Ragtime Palpitations”  (1st place)

“A Walk Down Ragtime Lane” (2nd place)

“Lilly Pilly Rag”  (3rd place)

“Frangiapani Rag”  (7th place)

“Minute Rag”  (9th place)

“Carousel Rag”  (10th place)

 

Australian concert pianist and composer John Martin is set to record one of Anderson’s rags in 2021 on an album of Australian ragtime and jazz piano music.

 

Anderson has collaborated on multiple works with Tricia Donohoe, including Mass of Divine Mercy (2011), Sweet Nostalgia – Suite for Flute and Piano (2016), Carnival of the Birds – Suite for Flute and Piano (2019), and Suite Rustique for Violin and Piano (2020).