From his youngest days, Casey Abrams’ musical imagination became focused on trying to play every one of the music teacher Mrs. Purdy’s collection of exotic world instruments at elementary school, McKenzie School in Wilmette, Illinois had in their collection.
While in Wilmette, he took piano lessons, and while he couldn’t read or write music very well, he composed a song called Jamaican Beach. His piano teacher Gloria Yun, was so impressed by his music that she wrote it down and had it published in a publication for piano teachers and played it at his first recital. Casey’s first public singing performance was at a karaoke café in Wilmette, where he bravely got up to sing the Bee Gees hit Stayin’ Alive to a packed audience of college students, many of whom got up to dance and to raucously accompany him on stage. Casey was elated, and a star was born!
