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My Story

I started taking piano lessons when I was years old

from an extraordinary teacher who happened to live across the street from me in Attleboro, Massachusetts. What was extraordinary is that she studied with the late Raymund Mauro, a student of Cortot and Casadesus, and the late Madame Avis Bliven Charbonnel of Providence, a pupil of Leschetisky in Vienna. If this sounds fancy it is! Imagine having a teacher of this brilliance in your backyard! I didn't fully appreciate this fact until I went to the Boston Conservatory of Music as a piano major and realized that my preparation was unparalleled to many. But oh... if I only practiced more growing up!   

Fast forward through a failed marriage, single motherhood, and trying to make ends meet as the primary breadwinner.  I continued teaching piano lessons privately and became a full-time classroom music teacher in the public schools. I loved teaching children and became a strong advocate for quality arts education in our schools. Before my retirement in 2012, my focus was to bring the arts to as many children in the community through in-school and after-school programs. I am very proud of my accomplishments and fortunate to have these opportunities during my career. 

But like many creative people, I was starving for something new. I literally was having dreams of playing the piano without mistakes... just playing on and on! These were beautiful dreams. I felt as if I was gliding among the clouds with my eyes closed enveloped by sounds that were calming, uplifting, exciting, and sublime without words. That's when I started improvising on the piano and like my dream... I could do this with my eyes closed not thinking of key, meter, or tempo. Usually, you can't replicate your dreams, but I did... the music was there and it needed to get out.

I started composing in 2016 and haven't stopped.  I hope you enjoy my pieces as much as I do to create them.

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My first piano teacher,

Hazel Masiello

(1997)

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