Grace Johnson

18 Sep | Post By dddd | Comments Off | in |

Profession:

Piano, English and Essay Writing

Qualifications:

Associate Diploma in Music, Australia;

Experience:

5 years experience of teaching fora wide range of ages and levels;

About:

Grace began studying piano when she was four years old. She had a creative childhood, filled with books, drawing and music, and she loved learning from her teachers and parents. In her final year of high school, Grace experienced the most academically and creatively challenging year of her life. She had a strong focus on English (4-unit), Music (3-unit) and Art. It was also the year she completed her Associate Diploma in Music, Australia (AMusA). Grace studied Communications (Journalism) for a year at the University of Technology, Sydney, before moving to the Conservatorium of Music, Sydney to pursue music. She first majored in musicology before transferring to a piano major, studying with Gerard Willems. Apart from her studies, Grace provide piano accompaniment for other instrumentalists, teach piano and English, and write regularly for university publications, ranging from reporting and news styles to short stories.

Anecdotes:

What are your earliest memories of study Music?
“
In my earliest memories of learning music, I remember my mother beside my piano every day. She would help me to read the notes and clapped the tempo as I played along. She sat with me in my lessons every week and listened to what my teacher said, learning with me so she knew how I should improve each week.
”

Anecdotes:

What has been a stand out in your life?
“
The most recent standout in my life recently was going to Europe. For the first time I was able to see the origins of the music I had studied for so many years. I spent time at the graves of the composers and walked in the streets they did. In Bonn I saw where Beethoven lived and the room in which he was born, even the last letters he ever wrote. I could understand the historic depth and weight of the pieces I played.
”

Anecdotes:

What inspires you to sit down and play music?
“
What always fascinated me about music, and what inspires me to play, is how it is really just a journey into and from the mind—we are able to delve into the psyche of the composer through their music and incorporate our own thoughts and emotions into the music. Furthermore, when we play, we are part of the storytelling that we communicate to the audience.
”