M.Mus (York U) in-progress
B.Mus (Pontifical Catholic University of Chile)
B.Arts (Pontifical Catholic University of Chile)
Colomba is a Chilean Canadian pianist and musicologist. Born and raised in Chile, she has been a piano and music theory teacher for over six years. She is currently studying an M.A. in Music at York University with the York Graduate Scholarship.
Colomba completed her Bachelor of Music as well as her Bachelor of Arts (Major in History) at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. During her time there, she served as Teaching Assistant in Harmony, Analysis and Music Theory courses. She also had worked as private Piano Teacher from 2016 and at Schlotfeld’s Online Music Academy throughout the pandemic.
As a pianist, Colomba served in 2019 as keyboardist in the 2022 Pulsar Award Winner (Best Jazz & Fusion Album) “Ensamble Escondido”. She also has experience as a pianist for private events and weddings. Colomba seeks to encourage her students to discover their own music tastes and creativity by balancing traditional skills and innovative methods.
Get to know Colomba…Beyond the Bio!
Hobbies: Piano, music research on Classical and Latin American Popular Music, History, Drawing.
Music influences: Music from the Romantic and Impressionist era; Chopin, Satie and Debussy in particular. Popular Music genres such as Classical and Progressive rock. Folk-rooted Latin American genres (Peruvian Landó, Bossa-Nova, Cuban Son).
Favourite food: Any dessert will do the trick. I also like Italian food, Arepas, Asian food. I’m not a picky eater so I enjoy almost any food.
Least favourite food: Beet salad. It doesn’t have too much flavor.
Favorite music: Anything that has an interesting rhythm and melody. My favorite genres are Jazz, Rock, and Latin American Folk Music. Regarding Classical Music, I’ve always been a fan of the Romantic Era.
Favourite song: I like too many songs to choose just one! Negra Presuntuosa- Susana Baca
Time – Pink Floyd
Favourite movie: No Country for Old Men.
Favourite movie music: Pirates of the Caribbean, The Incredibles.
Favourite musical theatre/opera: Carmen – Georges Bizet.
Best quote from your teacher: “a hard-working student in the long term will surpass a prodigy”.
Favourite quote: “Fools who don’t respect history are doomed to repeat it.” “Traveller, the road is only your footprint, and no more; traveller, there’s no road, the road is your travelling.”
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel García Márquez.
Best thing about teaching at ABC: Helping people to develop a love for music.
Latest Homework from Colomba
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February 14th
Francisco:
Piano adventures p. 32-33 “A little Night Music”. Read both pages for next class. Remember that the dotted half note lasts 3 beats. Pay attention to the accents and dynamics of the piece as well.
Practice the first part of “Athlete Theme” with separate hands.
Maria Ines:
Payphone: Put the melody with the chords together. (Chord sequence is always F-C-Am-G). For the pre-chorus and chorus of the song, try to add different rhythms to the left hand. Avoid playing just the block chord on the first beat,
Noreet:
Piano Adventures p. 54 “Elephant Ride”. Read for next class. Make sure she starts in the right hand position (LH: ring finger in G; RH index in D).
Miabella:
“Come See the Parade”: Play from beginning to end. Be particularly careful about reading the notes in the left hand correctly and starting in the right position. Try not to stop between lines.
February 22nd
Gerardo:
“The Girl from Ipanema”: First, take your time to practice the chord changes only with your left hand. Then, practice the B section with both hands at a slow tempo. Make sure you don’t pause when the chord changes happen. After that, practice going back to the A section through the melody learned in class.
Caedan:
Piano Adventures p. 20 ” The Lonely Pine”. Read for next week.
If he can start figuring out the melody for Underwater, it would be great. This is the song:
I will make sure to make an easier arrangement this time.
Zoe:
Sonatina in C major 2nd movement: Practice paying special attention to the dynamic marks in the score. Visualize the melody growing up to the f and then decreasing in volume. At the end of the phrases, remember that the second and third beats are less accentuated than the first.
Start reading “Little Melody”.
“August”: practice playing the melody in the right hand and bass in the left hand. Try to add a second note in the right hand besides the melody.
Preferred Books for Colomba’s Students
Click to buy them here, and they’ll come right to your house! What could be easier?
Belting - A
Written for ages 5 and 6, My First Piano Adventure captures the child’s playful spirit. Fun-filled songs, rhythm games and technique activities develop beginning keyboard skills.
John Thompson's Modern Course for the Piano
Time-tested bestseller around the world! The legendary Modern Course series provides a clear and complete foundation in the study of the piano that enables the student to think and feel musically. It’s known as the method for quick, dedicated learners. It’s also well-regarded as a self-teaching method for the mature player. The First Grade may be preceded by Teaching Little Fingers to Play and/or Teaching Little Fingers to Play More .
Mikrokosmos
Béla Bartók wrote the first four volumes of the Mikrokosmos as a series of beginning piano exercises for his son Péter. The great Hungarian composer’s complete six-volume collection represents one of the most comprehensive anthologies of contemporary technique ever assembled. This edition, consisting of the first two volumes, presents more than 100 pieces of study material suitable for first- and second-year students.
Rational Principles of Pianoforte Technique
