Rongey's music education began at the piano at age 7 and he wrote his
first tunes shortly thereafter. During
his teen years, he became a dedicated rock drummer and performed (variously
as keyboardist, singer or drummer) in a string of very active recording and
performing bands, always demanding that the focus be on original music, and
the more strikingly original the better.
After formal classical piano and composition studies, he carried out
graduate and post-graduate work at TCU, The Royal
College of Music and Keele
University. While at the Royal
College of Music, Rongey found
time to complete his first solo album Book in Hand. This album, sonically redolent of the
archaism of London and filled
with deeply personal songwriting was released in 1991.
After Book in Hand, Rongey cultivated a career in classical music radio,
eventually earning a position as programming manager for Dallas
station WRR. He still holds this position, directing
programming for this media entity serving hundreds of thousands of classical
music fans.
He developed and recorded an elaborate concept album entitled That Was Propaganda, which observes the explosive clash
between individualism and collectivism in Russia
and Eastern Europe.
In addition to Rongey’s compositions and keyboard orchestrations, That Was Propaganda featured the playing of the stupendous
virtuoso guitarist Bill Pohl. In 1994, Rongey and Pohl began a
collaboration that culminated in the formation of The Underground
Railroad.
Rongey’s third solo album, With Form It Threatens Silence, was released
on May 12, 2007.
Here's a selected Kurt Rongey discography:
·
Kurt Rongey-Book in Hand,
released 1992 by L,DM
·
XEN, released
1995 by Esotericity Music
·
Kurt Rongey-That Was
Propaganda, released 1998
by Mellow Records of Italy
·
Happy Hour
for a Pack of Screaming Monkeys (various artists-Kurt does a version of
Raymond Scott's "Oil Gusher") a tribute to the music of Raymond
Scott, released 1998 by Esotericity Music
·
XEN-Master of
Night, released 1999 by
Esotericity Music
·
The Underground Railroad-Through and
Through, released 2000
by The Laser's Edge
·
To Canterbury and Beyond-(various artists; the Underground Railroad performs the Egg classic "Wring Out the Ground
Loosely Now"), released 1999 by Mellow
Records of Italy.
For those who have wondered what Kurt Rongey’s solo albums are like, he has made _Book In Hand_ (1991) and _That
Was Propaganda_ (1998) available for digital download at www.mindawn.com. Both are available in true
CD quality "FLAC"
format. Full tracks can be auditioned up to three times free of charge to see
if you really like them or not.
Book in Hand - "...highly recommended to those who want to know what
real progressive music sounds like...one of the best albums of the last six
months..." - Background, 1991
That Was Propaganda - "It's easily one of the best progressive releases
of the year, maybe of all time. No kidding.... If you like complex symphonic
keyboard work, I think you'll agree with me that this is the greatest."
- Fred Trafton, Gibraltar Encyclopedia of
Progressive Rock
www.mindawn.com/artists/KurtRongey
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