Composition with Anabelle C.

When did you begin playing [instrument], and why?: I've been singing since I was about 8. I began to play piano when I was a teenager, because many of my classmates were very skilled at the piano, and I became inspired to be like them. What are your personal goals as a musician?: I love opera, and my goal is to compose my own. I plan on working closely with the librettist, since I'm a poet as well. Do you have a memory of a time when a musical concept or technique really clicked? Something you'll remember forever?: I never knew what perfect pitch was until I was much older. I also didn't realize I had perfect pitch until a professor at an audition made me aware of my ability. Since then, it's become a wonderful tool. What is your favorite piece of advice from one of your past (or current) teachers?: Being compassionate with a student will allow them to fearlessly open up to their potentials. What was your most challenging moment learning an instrument?: In the winter months, my body feels tight and cold, and sometimes this causes tension during playing or singing. That's why to me it's important to work in a warm environment, do proper daily stretching, and have a healthy lifestyle (good diet, exercise, proper sleep). What is your biggest musical achievement?: Composing a fugue. Favorite thing about teaching?: I love sharing my passion for music with other human beings. What is a piece of advice you would like to share with anyone learning music?: If at first you don't succeed, try try again. Music is meant to be fun, enjoy it! Personal music projects: i.e. bands, groups, shows, recording, etc. (if any): In 2015, I composed the music for my sister's walk down the aisle (wedding piece). Additional compositions underway, member of American Composer's Forum, member of Contemplum (composition club at Temple), participant in the Oticons Film Score Contest. BIO: About Anabelle... Anabelle has been involved with sounds and music from an early age. Her greatest forte is her hearing. When she was young, people thought she might become a voice actor, because her skill at replicating voices was quite apparent. Still, she loved to sing and had been regularly involved in choirs. She dabbled in violin in the fifth grade, but she didn't feel a "click." Without despairing, she tried her luck with piano and felt instantly in sync. She knew this was the right instrument for her. During her piano studies, she continued to work on her voice. In addition, she studied the workings of a sound board, and was head sound chief at her high school. At the college level, she began to pursue composition, while still continuing with piano and vocal studies. She holds an A.A. with a music focus (piano performance), a B.M. in music theory, and a M.M in music education from Boston University. She has been teaching music since 2006 and has worked with a wide range of ages and various group sizes. Her joy is working with people in a field that she is passionate about. Her interests include music (jazz, classical, opera, new age), ballet, composition, yoga, meditation, going to the gym, hiking and camping, scuba-diving, sailing,Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture, cooking and baking, film-editing, sound engineering, poetry, reading good books, building websites, and watching documentaries.