Audition Prep with Andree-Ann D.

Hello! Welcome to my profile - I can't wait to start working with you! I have been teaching piano and general music topics for over 10 years; I have taught private lessons, college lectures, and high school classes - needless to say, I've seen students from all ages, all backgrounds and all levels. Lucky for me, they all one thing in common: a strong desire to learn music, and an open mind! Some of my younger students have gone on to audition for arts high school in the greater LA area, and I've also helped a few prepare for college auditions. I've also been working with several students to prepare Certificate of Merit exams (in California) and I have been affiliated with the Southwestern Youth Music Festival as well. Other little ones were quite content learning how to play their favorite Christmas song or impress their friends at their school's talent show. I have also taught adults, who used to play and decided to pick it up again - or newbies wanting to discover the wonders of jazz standards. In short, whatever your personal goal is, I can help you achieve it and hopefully inspire you to set a new goal to achieve right after that! I can also help with music theory entrance exams, tutor for AP music classes or college classes, etc. *Quick note on online lessons: Many prospective students are wary of online lessons and not sure if it's the right way to go for them - I always tell them that you'll never know until you try it for sure! I have taken online lessons myself in the past and loved the experience. I can also attest that several students get a much deeper musical understanding this way, because teachers can't just play an example and have the student copy it - the teacher actually needs to explain how to perform the passage, which leads to the student understanding clearly what is expected and how to achieve it, rather than just copy someone's hand movements without understanding why they are doing it in this particular way. I'm sure you'll also be more relaxed in the comfort of your own environment, at your own scheduled time! Professional Bio: Through her four albums and extensive performance schedule across North America, Canadian pianist and doctoral candidate Andree-Ann Deschenes is recognized as one of the world’s foremost advocates of the Latin American piano repertoire. For her efforts, The Whole Note celebrates her as a “very gifted pianist” with “a tremendous amount of energy, humour and astonishing talent”, while her career has gained the attention of outlets such as The Villa-Lobos Magazine, Classical Post, MainlyPiano, and Voyage LA. Characterized by its catchy melodicism and evocative chromaticism, the music of Latin America has held a special reverence in Deschenes’ heart, beginning with her pursuit of a master’s degree in Afro-Latin music. “Some of history’s most brilliant composers,” Deschenes says, “come from Latin America, but the average audience has never heard of them or their work. My mission is to create a resurgence for this music, which deserves to hold equal weight with more familiar European composers in the canon.” At the age of 30, Deschenes’ recording career is formidable, with an output as decorated as it is prolific. All of her first three albums–Cervantes, Lecuona & Nazareth (2014), Milhaud & Ginastera (2016), and Villa Lobos & Castro (2017)–were each awarded a Silver Medal for Outstanding Achievement by the Global Music Awards. Praise in the media comes from the blog Music for Several Instruments, who remarked that Deschenes “puts across the regional Brazilian folkloric flavour with cool clarity,” as well as The Whole Note, who celebrated her third album, Villa Lobos / Castro, as “a rich program revealing… skill and artistic mastery.” Further recognition has come for her most recent album, The Ovalle Project (2018), a comprehensive two-disc record that revives the work of late Brazilian composer Jayme Ovalle—as of now the only commercially available recording of his piano works. In reviewing the album, Classical Post called Deschenes “the perfect person to take on [Ovalle’s music] and bring life back into his works,” while Mainly Piano remarked that “the variety in the moods, intensity and tonal colors is vast [in The Ovalle Project], and Ms. Deschenes has taken the time and attention as well as research to get inside of the music.” Based in Los Angeles, Deschenes maintains an active lecture and performance schedule. A three-time semi-finalist for The American Prize, she currently serves on faculty for the California School of the Arts, Los Angeles. Her education includes a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Claremont Graduate University, a Master of Music degree in Afro-Latin music from California State University Los Angeles, and an Advanced Diploma in Jazz from Toronto’s Humber College. She is grateful to her pedagogues, Dr. Jenny Soonjin Kim, Dr. Paul De Castro, Dave Restivo, David Virelles, Linda Brady, Yvan Leduc, and Elisa Chaput. Deschenes’ albums can be found on all major retail and streaming platforms.