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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Saturday, May 17
Jack
We are making major steps in terms of making a drum beat and keeping it in time! Developing on our beat last week, we added extra hits on the eighth notes off beats. We also explored the three different sounds! Open/close hi hat through pedal, ride cymbal and the bell of a ride cymbal.
We will look to move on from Thriller next week and try a simple rock song to practise playing a regular drum beat!
Aleksander
Living On a Prayer is going so so well! From start to Chorus is now completely solid with excellent time and sense of groove. Please work through Guitar solo section by yourself and identify spots that you find challenging! We will be finishing this one real soon.
Jonah
We worked on double stroke rolls and I wish to bring emphasis on the bounce stroke. Right now there is a tendency to play the second one lighter. Practise playing the initial hit softer and pulling the bounce stroke fast with fingers to create a louder hit. I have assigned Etude number 9 to Jonah and please try to practise this at a comfortable speed WITH metronome. The aim is to play rolls at controlled lengths and not to move time with a longer roll.
Tracie
We started new song Last Nite by The Strokes. Think of the fill as a boomerang! We will work our way up to the speed. The speed we are aiming for is 216bpm. There also seems to be some other material in other sections, so we will identify those next class!
Jared
Great fun continuing with the Hip Hop beats stuff that you worked with Keshav on Tuesday! One big take away is to in general play more sparse until a certain climax in the tune, which is something we can keep in mind for any style of improv going forward. Think of funky syncopation fill and perhaps limit yourself to choice of drums until the climax. We will try to play through Silhouettes from Naruto next week.
Mario
My Friends by RHCP is slowly getting into shape! For that one tricky lick, remember to always start lower than you think as it starts with eighth notes and the second bar is twice as fast in 16th notes subdivision! We read through till Guitar Solo and we see that same rhythmic motif returning again and again. Whenever in doubt, listen to our recording. Give Guitar solo a read, we will work on that next week!
Preferred Books for Katie’s Students
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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.
