Abuse

Personal Statement

I was first presented to the piano by my neighbor who had an old player piano in her basement. I was very young and was so highly amused by this instrument and started to play on it. Immediately, I liked the touch and the sounds that came out and was attracted to the piano.

My first teacher in Louisiana was Iva Gunness. She introduced me to piano instructions during my kindergarten and 1st grade years. She was really strict on me, and the most vivid memory I have of her is when she would get angry if I dropped a nickel off my wrist playing scales. I enjoyed her presence and learned a lot from her. After I moved to Colorado, I continued my studies with Michelle Baker. Michelle Baker began given me 30 minute lessons each week which I practiced religiously. In 1999, the piece, Flight of the Bumble Bee sparked my interest in difficult piano passages. She helped with my technical developments on the piano. In January of 2003, Michelle Baker turned me over to Crystal Lee in Boulder, Colorado. For three years she has helped me manage my time on the piano and at school. She helped me perfect everything, and no little detail has been overlooked. Crystal Lee has also helped me find the music inside of me.

My intended career path is to be a solo piano performer. Ever since I was young, I liked playing for an audience. The look on people's faces after I just played makes me feel so much better in general. Though I still get nervous, hearing the applause and the cheers from people is an indescribably feeling.

After achieving a Masters in music at the Eastman School of Music, I see myself performing as a professional pianist and possibly conducting. This is a goal of mine. Even though I have lived in Colorado for most of my life, I was born in the east coast and have been to Rochester, New York when my cousin was attending the Eastman School of Music. I enjoy the east coast atmosphere