Bachelor of Fine Arts (York University)
Katie Thurman is a singer, pianist, accompanist, and teacher based in Toronto. Her passion for music has been with her since childhood, and she is excited to have recently completed her undergraduate degree in music at York University.
Trained classically in piano, she continues to explore other styles including pop and jazz, as well as write her own compositions. Her vocal training is in both classical and musical theatre styles, as well as lengthy choral experience both in and out of school.
Katie spent 6 years singing with WIBI A Cappella, a collegiate-based group, during her time at York, and is proud to have competed with them twice in the ICCA (the very competition the Pitch Perfect films were based on!). Currently, she sings with the Toronto-based That Choir.
Katie loves all types of music, but spends most of her time listening to pop, indie, and alt-pop records.
Katie also writes her own songs and is working towards putting together an EP. Aside from music, Katie’s other passions include baking, film, and psychology. She loves teaching and is always pushing herself to grow pedagogically and musically!
Get to know Katie…Beyond the Bio!
Hobbies: baking, watching movies/TV, writing, yoga, hiking
Musical influences: Classical: Natalie Dessay, Maria Callas/Pop: Arcade Fire, Lana Del Rey, BANKS, Florence & the Machine, Rhye
Favourite food: Pasta
Least favourite food: Seafood
Favourite music: pop & alt-pop, indie/folk, dance, and all things Celtic
Favourite song: currently “Favourite Boy” by Half Moon Run
Favourite movie: Eighth Grade
Favourite movie music: A Single Man, music composed by Abel Korzeniowski?
Favourite musical theatre/opera: Les Misérables
Best quote from your teacher: Vocal teacher: “Just go for it! We want to hear ‘Katie-and-a-half'”.
Favourite quote: Motivation comes from work
Favourite book: The Handmaid’s Tale
Best thing about teaching at ABC: I like sharing my knowledge with students, and I learn from them too!
Latest Homework from Katie
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Thursday March 28 Lessons – Erin P
Hi everyone! Everyone’s really putting in the work lately and I can tell! Happy Easter, enjoy the time with your loved ones <3
Exam folks: here is an awesome resource. These are some short (3-5 minute) videos that simulate exactly the pacing, difficulty, and quantity of how the ear assessment part of your exam will go. Simply put on the video, follow her instructions, and watch until the end to see the correct answers!
Level 1 Ear Training mock exam (Marco and Greta)
Level 2 Ear Training mock exam (Daniel)
Level 3 Ear Training mock exam (Liam)
Level 4 Ear Training mock exam (Sara)
Liam
Sonatina in G major – GREAT progress! This week I want you to practice it in tiny chunks, like 1 or 2 bars. Some of the measures I put brackets over are ones I want you to focus on, but anything that feels tricky should be isolated. You don’t have to play the whole song in a practice session!
Walk the Talk – dust this off and look at the page to ensure accuracy to the page. I want to know what things YOU think you have to work on.
Harlequinade – dust this off and look at the page to ensure accuracy to the page. I want to know what things YOU think you have to work on.
Technique – amazing tempos. Play scales from the top down with focus on fingering.
optional bonus – Ragtime medley in Piano Pronto. You did a stellar job counting and playing HT for Hello My Baby.
Katarina
Choose any two of the four pieces in the Water unit.
You’ve gotten so good at identifying skips vs steps – it was very fun playing the Star Catcher game with you.
Marita
Lonely Shepherd – etude book. Even tho this piece changes between many key signatures, the steady pulse of the 8th notes Never changes. You can count aloud based on how the beams of the notes are connected, (example 1-2-3 1-2) rather than 12345.
Sara
Air in Bb – really nice! More detached notes to add to the Baroque vibe. Only legato if it says so, or if they are 8th notes moving step wise. Any quarter notes or any leaps, detach detach detach.
Sonatina in C – Work on phrase endings. They are almost always 2 note slurs so go loud-soft. Here is a nice recording and I love how she handles the phrase endings.
Nighttime – be picky and precise with your rests in the accompaniment hand.
Ballade – amazing dynamics! Try only having the melody grow in the dolce section and keep the LH quiet. Top of page 2, make sure you are playing staccato as notated.
Cloud Dance – I didn’t hear this one today.
https://www.rhythmrandomizer.com/ You can use this if you’re interested. You can toggle it to only include the rhythms you know. The trickiest rhythms you’ll have are dotted 8ths with a 16th note – or a dotted quarter note with an 8th note.
Marco
Cranky Cat – HT up until star now. Good note reading and fingering. *priority*
Jump Pop Hop – Great work! Next week I want to hear nooooo hesitations between positions in the 2nd line. Go as slow as you need to achieve this at a steady tempo.
Superman Theme – Let’s add in just big LH whole notes in the B section. It will be a nice texture change and easier to manage. All Cs and then one F near the ending. Watch the Ab in that final measure.
*New* Universal theme – Watch the Eb major key signature. Play just the top notes for the opening line, but the triads are necessary for the 2nd line. You can use both the written notes and the “pop chords” written above to help you identify the triads. I wrote in the LH notes and also drew arrows to show you which notes are actually played, since there are soooo many tied notes.
***Technique – the contrary motion scale is supposed to be 2 octaves and it slipped my eyes. Fingering will be normal except instead of putting your pinky on the outside C, you will tuck your thumb under so that the fingering pattern can be reset and begin again. Ex RH 123 1234 *1*23 12345
Daniel
Periwinkle Twinkle – I wrote on your paper there are 3ish little details to fix. One rest in the RH, and a few moments where you are not going up to the treble octave when you should. Great job!
Breezy – Isolated slow practice of boxed measure in the final line. Where I’ve drawn in lines, be sure to break the line, like taking a breath while singing.
Entree – nice nice work on the RH! Woo! This week get the LH up to that level. Make sure we are detaching most notes (unless they have legato markings over them) to create that Baroque feel.
Look for your copy of the Wind and dust it off.
Great job on the formula patterns, now you must get rid of the extra C you are playing after the first octave.
*Please bring back my Randall book, the one with the spooky man on it*
Greta
Minuet in F – great work! nice 3/4 feel. Trust yourself more and play deeper in the keys. As we continue into this B section, there will be more black keys and crunchy harmonies, trust your reading. Every phrase ending where the LH jumps down 3 notes it is always going 1-5-1 (like for example in F it would play high F, then the 5th note of the scale = C, then a lower F). This pattern appears in almost all baroque and classical pieces so get used to how it feels. The suspension in the RH is also common, it will build tension with a dissonant sound for the first 2 notes and then release the tension on the third beat.
Technique – get comfy with 2 octave scales. Both the single hand scales and the HT contrary motion scale both use two hands. The only thing this changes is you have to set yourself up to continue the fingering pattern by putting the original starting finger on the next octave. For example RH 2 octaves would be 123 1234 *1*23 12345. This means you will crossing over or under using finger 4, which is a new feeling.
If you have time, refamiliarize yourself with Red Satin Jazz and look at the page to ensure accuracy.
Preferred Books for Katie’s Students
Click to buy them here, and they’ll come right to your house! What could be easier?
Faber & Faber Piano Adventures
The 2nd Edition Primer Lesson Book introduces the keyboard, note values, and the grand staff. Students play in C 5-finger scale patterns, develop recognition of steps and skips, and learn letter names independent of finger number. Musicianship is built through the use of dynamics and coloristic experimentation with the pedal. The book is organized into units which represent the major concepts and skills. As new units are introduced, earlier concepts and skills are constantly reviewed.
Alfred's Adult Basic All-In-One
Alfred’s Basic Adult All-in-One Course is designed for use with a piano instructor for the beginning student looking for a truly complete piano course. It is a greatly expanded version of Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course that will include lesson, theory, and technique in a convenient, “all-in-one” format. This comprehensive course adds such features as isometric hand exercises, finger strengthening drills, and written assignments that reinforce each lesson’s concepts. There is a smooth, logical progression between each lesson, a thorough explanation of chord theory and playing styles, and outstanding extra songs, including folk, classical, and contemporary selections.
RCM Voice Repertoire
A Comprehensive Voice Series serves as the official resource for voice assessments of the Royal Conservatory Music Development Program. Featuring an outstanding selection of voice literature and supporting materials, this series offers a truly enriched learning experience to help ensure student success. As in previous editions, Resonance encompasses a rich and varied selection of Repertoire, Vocalises and Recitatives that students of all ages and voice types will find appropriate to their musical interests and level of technical ability.
Vocal Workouts for the Contemporary Singer
The vocal workouts in this much-anticipated follow-up to Peckham’s The Contemporary Singer are based on Berklee College of Music’s highly effective vocal method. This volume will help vocalists develop the voice through good vocal health, warm-up exercises, advanced techniques, stage performance advice and more. Includes companion online audio for ultimate interactive education!
Alfred's Teach Yourself to Sing
Learn to sing and open up a brand new world of musical knowledge with this exciting method from Alfred Music. Beginning with the fundamentals, you will learn about equipment used by singers, vocal health, and getting acquainted with reading music. You will then move right along to breathing, vocalizing, proper warm-ups, and singing songs, lesson by lesson, all while continuing to increase your knowledge of reading and understanding music. You will learn to sing an array of musical styles including pop, jazz, classical, and musical theater. Near the end of the book, you will be introduced to the idea of individual interpretation, which will help you color your songs with your own unique style. The book features a chord and scale chart for reference during and after your lessons.