Justyn Keeble

Location: Suffolk, UK

Challenge: Charcot Marie Tooth

Website: justynkeeble.wixsite.com

Justyn comes from a long line of musicians in his family, so having started to play piano at three years old it was always likely he'd end up playing on a stage somewhere though it this point he was still struggling to stretch to an octave with his tiny hands!

At 23 years old, and having just been made redundant from his job, he figured it was time to give music a fair go and despite being completely self-taught it was either sink or swim. Between 1993 and 2011 he played keyboards at gigs ranging from small bars to theatre stages both solo and with bands, and also played some guitar too. In 1998 Justyn was diagnosed with Charcot Marie Tooth, a condition that effects around 25,000 people in the UK.

CMT is a hereditary neurological condition that effects motor skills and subsequently leads to muscle wastage in the lower legs and hands. Justyn adds "This has an effect on my mobility and my hands. The muscle wastage and reduced motor function means that I cannot expect to play as I once did, so I am finding ways to adapt my playing style to suit my new reality.

I retired from full time music in 2011 I went to University to study for a Bachelor's Degree and eventually sold all my gear in 2015; as it turned out this was not a smart move as I fell into a depressive state".

During a therapy course in 2023 it was quickly identified that music had always been a huge part of Justyn's life from an early age, and by pure chance this therapist was also a musician! She advised him to obtain another keyboard, a music software package, and start to play at home which he did and fell in love with music all over again. "I've always preferred the thrill of live gigs to recording, so it wasn't long before I hankered after playing live again so here I am starting to work on live musical projects once more" Justyn says.

So after a few years away, the story continues!