Colby Kegley, a former Iowa State math professor who retired at the end of the fall semester, has been cultivating his love of music since he was 4 years old.

“I can remember when I was 3 years old my parents invited a friend over who played the piano and sang and I can still remember being absolutely fascinated by how this woman played, how she moved her fingers,” Kegley said.

When he was 4, his parents signed him up for piano lessons and he started playing the piano at church when he was 10.

At 13, Kegley became interested in another instrument, the organ.

He competed for an organ scholarship through his high school in Cedar Rapids in conjunction with Coe College and won.

Kegley said his piano teacher was dismayed when he started playing the organ because she thought it would interfere with his piano playing prowess.

“I know I play the organ differently than I play the piano, but I don’t really think about it when I go from one to the other,” he said.

Kegley began playing the organ for his church when he was 14.

He has played at three churches in the Ames area in the past 20 years and is now the organist at the United Church of Christ-Congregational in Ames.

Kegley performed for the weekly ISU after-work concert on Monday. He performed on the Brombaugh organ in the Recital Hall of the Music Building.

Her performed with two fellow mathematicians, Roger Maddux, professor of mathematics, who played the recorder, and Chris Westermeyer, who played the trumpet.

Kegley said there are several mathematicians and scientists who are musicians, even around ISU. Albert Einstein, he said, is one of the greatest examples.

“People get the idea that mathematics is a totally left brained activity and it’s not,” Kegley said.

Kegley said he will try to prepare a concert each semester for the after-work concerts.