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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January 17th
Francisco:
Piano Adventures p. 30. Read to the end. Pay attention to dynamics.
The entertainer: practice the phrase learned with both hands. go slow first, and progressively work to match your current tempo for the rest of the song.
Maria Ines:
Arcade: Practice the chords (Left hand) with the melody (right hand). Sing the lyrics while you play the melody, in order to know where the chords fall in relation to the right hand. Go up until the chorus of the song.
In the Stars: Take 10-15 minutes of your practice time to remember what we have seen of the song. Pay attention to the chord positions.
Noreet:
Piano Adventures p. 48 “Rodeo”. Read to the end. If you can, ask Noreet to name some of the notes in the score (specially the A in the left hand and the G in the right hand).
January 25th
Gerardo:
Snowflake Rag: Practice from beginning to end and if possible, memorize the piece. Take a few minutes of your practice time to review the transitions between each part (from the introduction to the melody, from the melody to the chords section , from that section back to the melody, and from there to the end).
Caedan:
Piano adventures p. 18. If you are not sure about the notes in the staff, see the top of the page. Remember to count to 3 for the dotted half notes.
Practice the Underground theme up to where we left.
Note: It was really helpful to have the parent involved in Caedan’s class today, so I would like to ask for their support for the next classes if possible. Thanks!
Zoe:
The 1:
Practice the piano and the singing separately. For piano, play the song and figure out ways to break the established pattern. You can add notes on the bass (from the chord you are playing, just make sure that you fall in the right note when the next chord comes), or do arpeggios on the chords in the right hand.
To practice the melody, figure the notes out on the piano, and sing while playing the melody. If needed, play slow so you can correct yourself if a note is too sharp or too flat.
Preferred Books for Colomba’s Students
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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
