Cheryl Keyes launched her musical journey in the heart of bayou county, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Immersed in Louisiana’s rich musical culture from blues, gospel, zydeco, soul, jazz, rhythm ‘n’ blues, and funk, Cheryl Keyes began seriously studying piano at age 7 and flute at age 11. Influenced by her older brother, saxophonist-arranger Willie Keyes, Cheryl took an interest in jazz arranging, orchestration, and composing. She wrote her first band arrangement at the age of 13. Upon graduating from high school, she entered Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans on a music scholarship. During these years, Keyes was invited to be a member of the Clark Terry’s All-Girl All-Star Band as pianist and flutist, which culminated with a final performance at the Wichita Jazz Festival. Having plans to pursue concert piano (and a side at jazz flute), she soon changed directions following her stint with Terry’s band. Performing occasionally on the local scene with jazz clarinetist Alvin Batiste and as a studio side musician, she culminated her New Orleans years with two LPs. Her first album performance was with New Orleans rhythm ‘n’ blues piano legend Eddie Bo in which Keyes performed on flute, piano, and composed-arranged the instrumental track “First time Around” for the album Other Side of Eddie Bo. She followed Bo’s project as keyboardist on Alvin Batiste’s contemporary jazz LP Musique D’Afrique Nouvelle Orleans. Keyes musical interests shifted gears while taking a music history class in her senior year at Xavier. She remembered how her final class project on French Impressionist music piqued her research interest in African-derived music. However, only then when Keyes realized that few books then were written on this music by its originators that she pursued the study of African American music via the field of Ethnomusicology. During her graduate years at Indiana University in Bloomington, she devoted time honing her research skills while occasionally serving as a music director at a local Baptist church. 

Cheryl Keyes has returned to the music scene with noted credits. Last summer marked her Los Angeles debut with the Lady Jazz Orchestra here at the Ford Amphitheatre as well as a recent performance with Lady Jazz alumni Lesa Terry and the Women's Jazz Orchestra of Los Angeles at the 28th Annual Playboy Jazz Festival at legendary Hollywood Bowl.  She is near to completing her solo-debut CD, entitled Let Me Take You There, which is exemplary of her multi-musical talents.  In addition, Cheryl Keyes is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ethnomusicology at UCLA, with a specialty in African American music.  Among her noted courses include Women in Jazz, Cultural History of Rap as well as a course on the blues.  She is also the author of the book Rap Music and Street Consciousness, which received a CHOICE award for outstanding academic books in 2004.