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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Homework for Efe – Week of Sep 21st-26th
Goals
- Get your hands and arms used to positioning as we’ve been working on in class.
- Memorize the Left Hand fingerings of the Am pentatonic and C major scales.
- Get a feel for both standing and sitting while playing.
- Aim to practice for 45 minutes a day if you can. If that’s not possible then still do as much as you can in one day. Even if that’s only a little bit.
Warmup
- Play the C, Em, and G chords. Get the blood flowing in the fingers and arms of both hands. 10 minutes.
Chords
- The G and D piece. Play a G chord and let it ring for 3 beats, then transition to a D chord on beat 4. Then play a D chord and let it ring for 3 beats, then transition back to a G chord. Be mindful of letting the chords ring for all 3 beats; don’t rush to the transitions. It should never feel too fast.
- I’ve attached a picture of the fingerings of the G and D chords.
- Saying “Hey!” On beat 3 could help.
- 40 BPM.
- This piece is supposed to train the Left Hand to adjust its positioning accordingly with each chord. Pay close attention to the position of your Left Arm.
- 20 minutes.
Memory
- Memorize the Left Hand fingerings of the Am pentatonic and C major scales. Before you even attempt to practice them.
- 5 minutes.
Scales
- Am pentatonic. Try playing it with using only fingers 1 and 4. Then try playing it with the fingerings you’ll have memorized from above.
- C major.
- Both at 42 BPM.
- 10 minutes.
Additional notes
- Do half your practice sitting and the other half standing.
- Do this stretch at the end of each longer guitar session. It’s demonstrated and explained in the following link. (If you only did about 10 minutes of practice in one day then don’t worry about it. Do this stretch if you did any more than that.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tC6sVlnpqY
- Stretch your fingers and hands in any way you want after a longer guitar session. As long as you do some, it counts.
- I have your notebook and pencil, Efe :) just don’t forget to take it home next time. I’ll have it for you next lesson.
- Please buy the book in this link. We’ll be working on some pieces from it in class. This is the only book I’d like you to get for this week. https://www.amazon.ca/GUITAR-METHOD-BOOK-SONGBOOK-CD/dp/0793533929/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1480282241&sr=8-14&keywords=hal+leonard+guitar+method+cd+book+1&linkCode=ll1&tag=abacofmu-20&linkId=c46d9f40616531bb8a5d685c39b486e0
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.
