Gary Rametta’s first exposure to musical performance came from listening to his father play polkas and Italian folk songs on the accordion. Those childhood experiences – sharing an ineffable joy that music imparted – lead to a natural desire to emulate his dad. At age 10 he began studying accordion, learning music theory and performing at local accordion festivals.

In junior high school, he joined advanced band, picking up the clarinet, then moving to the trumpet. Soon after, when his other musically-inclined friends began carrying drumsticks or guitar picks in their pockets, Gary decided that he would make the piano his primary instrument.

Primarily self-taught since, Gary began building a repertoire of pop and rock tunes, later adding standards from the American songbook – as well as a few Joplin rags when the movie “The Sting” became a national phenomenon. In high school, the vast expanse of classical music opened up, and he developed an affinity for the music of Chopin, Beethoven, Liszt, Strauss, Ravel, Debussy and others.

At U.S.C., Gary was introduced to the work of jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans. He quickly became immersed in Evans, and that influence largely guided his playing and studying preferences for the next 15 years. By the mid-’90s, wanting the rhythmic discipline that ragtime’s 2/4 beat commanded, he discovered the Pasadena-based Rose Leaf Ragtime Club. He has subsequently become a regular performer there, has served as meeting MC, and has contributed reviews to the club’s monthly newsletter.

The enormous body of ragtime literature offers performers the opportunity to select pieces that match their playing styles, technical abilities and personal interests, and build a repertoire accordingly. In that spirit, Gary leans toward compositions that can convey a sense of story, emotion and humor.