Bachelor's Degree in music from Mount Holyoke College 15 yrs classical lessons 27 yrs playing experience 14 yrs teaching experience
Biography At a very young age I took an interest in learning to play piano. My family had owned a small Estee organ than I used to play. My older siblings would show me short songs which I was able to copy and before long I was exploring easy play books on my own. At 10, my parents bought a digital piano and signed me up for lessons. I was with my first teacher for 3 years before he left to go further his music degree. I then enrolled in lessons at the Community Music School Of Springfield where I studied with my second teacher for the next 5 years. We focussed on technique, relaxation and control, Bach inventions, and Mozart sonatas. Once I graduated from high school, I attended Holyoke Community College. My whole world of music opened with the addition of classes such as: sight-singing, ear-training, music theory, music history, choral, jazz improvisation, piano ensemble, and of course more piano lessons. I studied piano with my third teacher/professor for the 3 years that I attended HCC and the 2 years following graduation. Because of my excellent academics and performance skills, I was nominated by the professors in the music department to perform an Honor's Recital--solo recital offered to some students who perorm very well during juries (a final exam for performance where there are 5 professors who all have copies of your music and critique your performance on the material you have prepared for the semester). In the fall of 1997, I performed that recital, playing works from Brahms, Beethoven, and Debussy. After graduating from Holyoke Community, I taught piano lessons full-time for 2 years--teaching over 70 lessons a week. When I continued my education at Mount Holyoke College in 2001, I became interested in writing music. I took composition classes in addition to the core classes required for music majors. I performed a special solo recital there as well in the spring of 2003. I played pieces by Beethoven, Chopin, Granados, Billy Joel, and several originals that I composed at Mount Holyoke that complemented my program. I was the pianist with the Holyoke Civic Orchestra in a weekend production of South Pacific in 2004. In 2005, I had saved enough to purchase my first acoustic piano--a Chickering grand which still graces my living room. In addition to studying music in college, I also majored in art--learning and enhancing my skills with: drawing, oil painting, sculpture, welding, printmaking, and art history. I enjoy teaching others how to play the piano. Through teaching, I have explored other musical styles such as jazz and pop. I encourage students to try many different styles to help broaden their appreciation and to make music fun. Music has directed my life in a very positive way, and I hope to inspire others.
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