Piano with Vanessa

Biography

I was 18 months old when I began sitting at the piano with my grandmother.  At 3, she began teaching me how to read music.  I remember the excitement at being able to play those first pieces by myself.  I knew that I wanted to make the music she made, and my journey began.  I started formal lessons at the age of 6 with Judith Preto in Houston, Texas, where I played until I graduated High School.  I then went on to study at the college level at the University of Central Florida with Dr. Gary Wolf, an accomplished pianist and Fulbright Scholar.  Also at UCF, I studied composition with composer Stella Sung, and jazz theory with jazz musician and educator Scott Wilson.

 

During my college years I played with the Orlando based band Red Shift Mantra where I contributed compositionally.  We had the honor of having our music played nationally on radio programs such as Hearts of Space and Echoes, and then later internationally on the BBC’s Radio 1 when one of our songs was remixed by drum and bass DJ Blame.  We recorded 2 albums together.

 

After my time with Red Shift Mantra and receiving my Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from UCF, I moved to Tokyo for several years where I taught English to children, ages 2 - 18.  I moved from Tokyo to Austin, Texas in 2008 when I became pregnant with my first child.  Since moving here I have lead a very full life raising two precocious, lovely babies.