Musical Background
Luckily
piano was taught to her since the age of 6 in a musical family
where musical training was a part of her daily life as she spend her
entire childhood and teen years studying practising and performing piano
music, attaining Grade 8 at the age of 12, Grade 9 at the age of 13,
Grade 10 at the age of 14 and A.R.C.T. Piano Performer's Practical at 16
with the completed Theory Co-Requisite requirements at the age of 17.
Additional
musical experience during her high school days included playing
piano/keyboard in Big Band Stage Bands for 4 years; and being the piano
accompanyist for the junior and high school choir's Musical Productions 3
times starting at the ages of 12; as well as playing clarinet in
Concert Band orchestras for 7 years.
A
bonus unparalleled level of training came with performing Piano Duos
and Duets since the age of 12 with her sister in a multi-award winning
journey often attaining marks of 94%, 96% and 97% in festivals, including a first place in Canada in Canadian Music Competitions and featured in the Kiwanis Stars of the Festival Final showcase.. In
Piano Duo playng there is a necessity to have a complete mastery of the
instrument in order to be fully prepared for the added element of
unknown with another musician.
She
took all of this knowledge into practice when at the age of 20 she took
her first of many jobs playing in restaurants. There she was able
to incorporate and fuse all of her musical and pianistic knowledge into
playing for 3-5 hours of arrangements of music and compositions of all
styles from classical, light classical, jazz standards, broadway
musicals, popular, contemporary, light jazz, classics from the 1920's.
1930''s and each decade, into artforms and elegant cocktail piano
stylings.
Having studied
and been inspired only by the world's greatest pianists and musicians
of numerous genres she has devoted over 30,000 hours of practice and
experienced over 12,500 hours of performing piano. Where 10,000 hours
is the minimum amount of time required in many activities to reach the
level of mastery, she has highly refined rare skills in playing,
interpreting, comprehending and teaching piano. Inspired by the world's greatest classical and jazz pianists and musicians of the past century and now.
Classical Pianists - Vladimir Horowitz, Earl Wilde, Arthur Rubinstein, Sviatoslav Richter, Martha Argerich, Shura Cherkassky, Van Cliburn, Labeque sisters, Ivo Pogorelich, Yuja Wang
Jazz Pianists - George Shearing, Bill Evans, Marian McPartland, Art Tatum, Chick Corea
Jazz/Fusion Musicians - Miles Davis, Pat Metheny, (more coming)
Having
taught students in the hundreds, she is proud to instill her passion
and knowledge of one of the most amazing art forms to our next
generation.
