I credit piano to providing me with the discipline to perform well in school and other activities. I started to play piano when I was 5 years old, mainly because my older sister played piano, and I wanted to be like her. I
performed at recitals and competed in festivals on a monthly basis when I was in elementary
and middle school. Most of the musical pieces I played were in the classical style and composed by Mozart, Beethoven, and
Tchaikovsky, so I developed a solid technical foundation.
In high school my piano teacher moved, so I began taking lessons with Kristin
Yost at the Centre of Musical Minds studio. Instead of viewing piano as a chore,
I began to view it more as a hobby. Kristin encouraged me to try out other
piano styles like jazz, contemporary pop, and even improvisation. At first, I
felt completely out of my element as I only had experience with classical, pop,
and baroque musical pieces. With time, I soon began to enjoy piano and played
more for fun and relaxation rather than just competition.
Having played piano for over a decade already, I consider myself a well-rounded pianist. Below is a video of me playing “Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton on an electronic piano for the 2012 Roland Piano Festival . Having complete creative control over the song interpretation and sound effects was a neat, refreshing experience for me.