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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November 8th
Francisco:
Use both hands for the first phrase of “The Entertainer” as shown in class. Memorize the second part of the melody tat we reviewed there.
Piano Adventures: Practice the song seen in class “Roman Trumpets” and memorize it (p. 22).
The go to p. 25 and read “Chant of the Monks” with both hands. Pay attention to the position of the notes in the staff for the left hand.
Maria Ines:
“In the Stars”: Practice the verse of the song as seen in class. For the second part, practice first with the right hand, then right hand + singing the lyrics, and finally put the octaves for the left hand.
Noreet:
Writing book: pp. 42-43, invent a melody and write it with the rhythms used.
Lesson book: pp. 84-85 (the last song of the book). Be careful about which hand plays which part. Above the “lyrics (in blue) it is always the right hand playing, and below the lyrics it is the left hand playing.
November 23rd
Gerardo:
“Allegro in D major”: Review the last four bars of the piece, specially the notes indicated in class. Practice that passage slowly, paying special attention to those notes.
“Ice Skaters”: practice with the dynamics indicated. Before playing, think a tempo that suits you for the eight notes. After that, think what the quarter note is in that tempo and start playing at that tempo.
“Snowball Rag”: Read the first page with separate hands. Be careful with the fingering for the chromatic scale, and focus in the left hand chord changes in particular.
Eliam:
Piano Adventures p. 72 “Oh! I Love Snack Time”: Play it from beginning to end (72-73) without stopping. Keep your fingers on the keyboard all the time, so you don’t have to reposition them every few notes.
Caedan:
“Super Mario Theme”: Practice up to what we saw in class. Try not to stop in between parts.
Piano Adventures p. 15 “The Haunted Mouse”: Remember to play the A in the left hand when it is indicated. Read with both hands until the end.
Zoe:
“Sonatina in C major” – 2nd movement: Study the first page with both hands. While reading try to identify the chords the composer used in the arpeggios. Study the fingering in mm. 9-10 (when you reach the F in the left hand, move your hand immediately so the 4th finger is over E).
“Snow on the Beach”: Memorize the lyrics, so you can focus on singing and playing. Study with a metronome.
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
