Beverly Glenn-Copeland is a supremely talented musician, best known for the 1986 cult classic Keyboard Fantasies. But it wasn’t always this way.

Glenn lived in relative obscurity for much of his life until a chance email in 2015 led to the album’s resurgence. His ambient electronic sound quickly found a new generation of fans, who were drawn to his inspirational outlook on life as a Black trans elder.

This is Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s remarkable story – of discovery, deep spirituality and a joyous musicality that is finally shared with the world.

EARLY LIFE: BACH, BEETHOVEN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN SPIRITUALS

Born in Philadelphia in 1944 to Quaker parents, Beverly Glenn-Copeland recalls a happy childhood deeply embedded in music. His earliest memories are of his father playing Bach, Beethoven and Mozart on the piano. Sometimes, his mother would sing spirituals, filling the house with the music of his ancestors. You can hear the influence of both the European classical tradition and African American spirituals on Glenn’s music today.

UNIVERSITY: AN EDUCATION IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

An undoubtedly gifted child, Glenn won a scholarship for classical music at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where he studied traditional European styles such as German lieder (songs for piano and voice, set to lyrics by Romantic poets).

Reflecting on his childhood, Glenn describes feeling shielded from the daily struggles faced by many African Americans and LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. This changed at McGill when he began identifying as a lesbian and dating a woman. Homosexuality was still criminalised, and Glenn eventually left the university after an isolating period.

FIRST ALBUMS: BLUES, FOLK, JAZZ

Fresh on the performing circuit, Glenn was keen to explore music outside of his classical training. He sold his oboe, bought a guitar and began experimenting! By age 26, he had recorded two self-titled albums. Glenn’s early work is more mournful, leaning into the blues-folk tradition, and sprinkled with jazz and classical influences.

Despite his impressive vocal range and musicality, Glenn’s record label struggled to market the album. He left for a quieter life in rural Ontario, carving out a career performing in children’s TV shows like Sesame Street.

KEYBOARD FANTASIES

In the early 80s, Glenn discovered the computer. Fascinated by the new technology, he purchased a drum machine and keyboard. Suddenly he could create sounds that a piano or traditional acoustic instrument could not. He speaks of the experience with childlike wonder: “it was like finding a toy you’d always hoped you might find”.

Glenn’s days took on a mechanical quality: shovelling snow, feeding the family and writing music. And so Keyboard Fantasies was born. Glenn pressed 200 copies, of which around 50 were sold. The album found an audience among new mothers, who soothed their babies to sleep with Glenn’s calming voice. The story could have ended here.

CAN AN EMAIL REALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE? YES!

In the years that followed, Glenn forgot about Keyboard Fantasies. He became a practicing Buddhist and, in 2003, began identifying as transgender after discovering the vocabulary for how he had always felt.

In 2015, everything changed when a Japanese record collector, Ryota Masuko, emailed asking for copies of Keyboard Fantasies. Glenn sent all the remaining copies. Soon he had multiple offers from record companies to re-issue his previous work.

In 2016, Keyboard Fantasies was reissued by Toronto record label Invisible City Editions to widespread critical acclaim. The rest is history!

TOURING IN YOUR SEVENTIES

Not one to let age get in the way, Glenn hit the road with band Indigo Rising. Crowds of people turned out to hear him perform across Europe, which is lovingly documented in Posy Dixon’s Keyboard Fantasies (2019) – a gorgeous, kaleidoscopic film that follows Glenn on tour.

The film emphasises Glenn’s wondrous musicality whether he is composing on the piano during a soundcheck or holding an auditorium of people in silent anticipation of his next note. But what shines through is his infectious personality and spirit.

In a particularly moving scene, Glenn speaks of the importance of having a multi-generational family with a group of young trans people or ‘youngers’ as he calls them. In 2024, Glenn re-recorded ‘Ever New’ with Sam Smith for Red Hot’s compilation album TRAИƧA in celebration of trans musicians.

In a further sign of Glenn’s influence on younger musicians, Romy of The xx fame sampled the song ‘La Vita’ on her track ‘Enjoy Your Life’.

A GIG TO REMEMBER

In October 2025, Beverly Glenn-Copeland comes to Aviva Studios during Black History Month, performing alongside his wife and artistic collaborator Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland despite a dementia diagnosis last year.

They are joined by the radical F*Choir – a 70-strong, queer-led ensemble founded by composer and multidisciplinary artist Jenny Moore and co-conducted by Bianca Stephens. The choir performs music by women, trans, non-binary and queer artists – including Glenn himself.

Glenn added ‘La Vita’ to his setlist after discovering F* Choir have a particular connection to the song. It is a beautiful encapsulation of Glenn’s spirit and a reminder to live in the moment. My mother says to me “Enjoy your life” – that Glenn has certainly done.

Beverly Glenn-Copeland performs at Aviva Studios with special guest Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland on 19 October 2025. Find out more here.