Meet Kandice
"I began playing the piano when I was 6 years old. Inspired by my marvelous grandfather – a pianist, accompanist, drummer, and born performer – he was everything I aspired to be. I completed my Grade 8 piano with the Western Conservatory of Canada when I was 14 along with my theory and began teaching almost immediately. From there I completed my studies in piano and theory with a prominent local teacher while accompanying many church choirs, Sunday schools, adjudicating festivals, and running my own studio. Somehow throughout those busy years, I also managed to have 5 children of my own -all of them sing, all of them play instruments and all of them learned to love music in their own ways. My teaching is mainly focused on the Royal Conservatory (by popular demand) and Conservatory Canada. This is a path that many parents and students choose as it sets goals and expectations, prepares for examinations, and when paired with the necessary theory requirements, can give students the opportunity to obtain high-school credits through their piano studies. Check out my theory summer kamps - Keys with Kandice krash kourses! (they might just be my favourite part of the year!) Although this a very popular approach to learning there are many other styles and disciplines to try and many opportunities to mix and match exactly what suits each budding musician at any age. Music is for the young, the young at heart, and every age in between!
In these recordings you are listening to 2 of my students – Kaitlyn Stouffer – performing a popular version of All of Me by The Piano Guys and in stark contrast -Theresa Do - performing a famous classical piece by C.P.E Bach called Solfeggietto."
Meet John
As Keys with Kandice grew it was clear that “one” was not enough and John Littler joined me to teach lessons on Friday evenings. John added diversity to the studio that many studios only dream of. John has also been teaching for more than 30 years but as you can hear in this recording has a much different style than my own. This piece was recorded on a Friday afternoon when I asked him to “just play me something” - he sat down at the piano with no music or sheets in front of him and pulled this lovely tune from his heart. That beautiful swing with a jazzy flavour is just a taste of that comfortable old style that comes with many, many years of loving to play and playing what you love. John’s experience comes from many years as a church organist, having a weekly gospel jam session with his besties, and even earning some extra money “back in the day” playing live at the Roller Skating rinks in town (for those of you old enough to remember those!). (If you’re interested, John even has a fabulous CD that he and the “gang” recorded a few years ago!) John teaches with a “chorded” bass, making everything sound richer and fuller right from your first lesson. John is a master at the electronic keyboard and uses a wonderful series of books called the Pop Keyboard Course to teach chording and the blending of sounds, rhythms and instruments to really “jazz” up your music! John will teach you how to read an easy melody and transform it into a beautiful piece with a little improvisation as well as training your ear to be able to create some wonderful music of your own!
Meet Jack
Jack Wyndham is a new addition to Keys with Kandice and I’m especially thrilled about the modern music component he adds to our mix. Jack is an absolutely inspired musician. He has been playing the piano since he was 4 years old and is currently enrolled in Eastwood Collegiate as a music major. Jack is studying to complete his Grade 8 piano through Conservatory Canada and completed his Advanced Rudiments theory 2 summers ago. Although piano is Jack’s go-to instrument, he also plays almost anything he happens upon – including the baritone sax, tenor sax, string bass, electric bass, ukulele, and guitar. Jack excels at “playing by ear” and as he demonstrates in this recording - loves to mash together popular songs to make toe-tapping, hum-along songs on the fly! You name it, Jack can play it – even a few bars off the radio or iTunes and before you know it he’s playing it live in front of you. Older beginners or kids just wanting to jam and play like their favourite popular bands – Jack is just the teacher to show you the riffs. Jack’s classical training continues as he strives to further his studies in composition and performance at University or even perhaps the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City.
MEET IRENE
Irene began playing violin at the age of 8, inspired by her cousins, who were playing in a group of Suzuki students in Switzerland. From that moment, she knew she wanted to play like them. Irene studied the Suzuki Method under Olga Kalyniak, then studied more traditional methods through Alec Catherwood, Julia Dixon, and Lance Ouellette. Irene Played with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Youth Orchestra from 1999 - 2004 and won the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony VC - Mabel Lane Krug Memorial Scholarship in 2003. Irene decided that she would enjoy teaching and became a Certified Suzuki Teacher in 2003 and started teaching young children and adults. Irene continues to play and love the violin, performing in her local church orchestras.