About SCYM & The Founder David Ketley

David F Ketley was born in Liverpool, and showed signs of an aptitude for music at an early age and could play the piano by "ear" long before he had lessons, and in fact the first instrument for which he had formal lessons was the Guitar. When the family moved to Cheshire, David attended Crewe Grammar School, where the then head of Music Glynn Hopkins recognised his musical ability and became his piano teacher and mentor for many years.

After four years at the Royal Manchester College of Music, where he studied Piano under Gordon Green, and Cello with Paul Ward, he started a career as a Music teacher in a Secondary School in Manchester, but found the work not to his liking and soon left teaching somewhat disillusioned and in fact gave up any thoughts of pursuing a career in music, even to the extent of selling his piano.

He then had various jobs - as a salesman, factory worker, warehouseman, civil servant in the Ministry of Agriculture, and Telephonist with B.T. It was whilst working for B.T. that he was offered an unwanted piano, and he started giving a few private lessons as well as working as a freelance artist when made redundant from B.T.

This time his musical career really took off, and he soon had many private pupils and was working as a peripatetic teacher in local Schools, including his old Grammar School, now Ruskin Sports College. He also began to compose, and soon found a publisher who was interested in publishing his works, and many have since been performed and recorded.

Having known many talented young musicians with little prospect of being heard and appreciated, he approached the Head Teacher at Ruskin Mr P.Mottershead, himself a fine musician, with the idea of forming an association dedicated to giving young musicians opportunities to perform in public, and supporting them in any way possible. Support and help was given willingly and freely by the School, and thus SCYM was born.

David now dedicates much of his life to SCYM, and with help from many people, he organises regular concerts at Crewe Hall, an annual concert at Ruskin School, and an annual young composer's competition, as well as spending what remains of his spare time in composition. He also undertakes work for Schools and individuals arranging music, and accepts (when time allows!) commissions for new works.