Keyboard Fantasies (2019)

Keyboard Fantasies (aka Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story) review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso

Beverly Glenn-Copeland is one of those low-key inspirations that seems like an absolute treat to be around. He was a composer who found great joy in tapping into the new technologies that computers had to offer. Fascinated by synth sounds, he set out in 1986 to use the computer to compose something wonderful. The result was a self-released album entitled Keyboard Fantasies, a whimsically transient collection of music that can best be described as folk-electronica. What started as a fun little project soon turned him into a notable name.

Now as Glenn Copeland, feels more comfortable making his gender transition in a world more accepting of transgender people, he both speaks about his experience and goes on tour in this charming documentary. It’s amazing how open and vibrant Glenn is with his storytelling, getting incredibly excited about wanting to tell you everything about his upbringing and his passion for music. His presence just exudes a certain warmth and love that is intoxicating. You just want to spend all day with him in a coffee shop and talk about anything, if only to see his radiant smile.

As we later learn from his concert settings, that happiness carries over into his performances. He plays to a crowd with such emotion and passion, taking great joy in both those who help better compose his melodies and those in the crowd to take pleasure in his treats for the ears. He goes on interview shows of folks who grew up with his music that inspired them to carry on for another day. Even just casually walking the streets looking for a place to eat feature him being just a real charmer with energy that becomes infectious.

The honesty within Copeland makes his insight all the more rewarding. He won’t hesitate to speak about how tough it was to change his gender and feel comfortable with his body when society was far more discriminative. Make no mistake, there’s still a mountain of bigotry in this world that still needs to be toppled and Copeland certainly doesn’t deny this. But after having spent so much time concealing who he truly is, he’s not averse to celebrating the road paved so far. I particularly loved his passages when talking about the youth of today feeling more open and comfortable with themselves than they ever did in the past. It’s easy for us millennials to scowl at the generation prior for scorning us and yelling about their lawns but it’s refreshing to learn there are still people like Copeland in this world; people who are impressed with youth and want to help us rather than demean us.

If you’ve never heard Copeland’s music, you’re in for a treat. The film takes a few breaks to lavish on his synth melodies and enjoy his warm vocals. It’s as much a documentary about music as it is about being transgender considering how much Copeland has to say about his inspirations and his love of music. I really loved his sweet story about how effortlessly it was to sing with his mother, where a mere embrace in bed could trigger a new song. The old photos against ambient songs have this certain indescribable allure that just satiates the soul.

Keyboard Fantasies is essential viewing if you’re a patron of electronica, devoted to transgender representation, or hopefully both. There’s both comfort and honesty in such a biopic that highlights an aspect of both topics that may not be known to most but deserves to be seen and heard. For what it may be worth, Keyboard Fantasies the album kicks ass and it’s sure to draw a crowd for being a self-released cassette hit of its era. Right from the opening scene of Copeland showing off one of the older cassette tapes of his first release with a toothy grin just makes me feel so good, as though someone is showing off a lost treasure or digging out something from a record store that you just have to hear. A must-watch movie for sure.