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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May 16th
Francisco:
Piano Adventures: Read p. 47 “Hungarian Dance” for next week. Remember that the dot means that you play each note detached from the other. Bars 1-8 are played loud the first time and repeated in soft dynamic.
Memorize the last phrase of the Mario song with each hand separately. Keep practicing the other sections of the song.
Maria Ines:
“Another Love”: put the melody and the chords together. Always remember to search for the easiest way to go from one chord to the other one via common notes. Remember that you have to transpose the melody in other to fit the chords (start the melody in G).
“City of Stars”: Keep practicing the B section Don’t rush it, and play the notes in the upbeat (mm. 26-27 and similar) a little faster. That will help you keep the beat steady.
May 31th
Gerardo:
Willow Tree: Focus on the B section of the piece. Practice first with separate hands, and then put them together slowly. Go line by line, and be particularly careful with the accidentals in the piece (sharps, flats, natural).
Play the A section slowly, and try to pick up a faster tempo gradually.
Eliam:
Piano Adventures p. 54 “Elephant Ride”. Make sure to keep your hands on the keyboard at all times, and to start with your right thumb in C. Play slowly, but don’t stop between the first and the second lines.
Caedan:
Piano Adventures p. 32 “Flute of the Andes”. Read complete for the next class. The last two notes are played one octave higher (8va sign). The piece is also played with the pedal.
Practice the Zelda song, including the parts with both hands. Go slowly first, but make sure the rhythms are on the spot. Try to figure out what’s next.
Zoe:
Etude: Practice the etude with a metronome, and make sure every single note is falling with the beat, not before or after. If it is not working, go slower. Practice it with the long-short-short rhythm as well, and make sure you are passing from one hand to another smoothly.
Polonaise in G minor: Practice at the tempo indicated in class, not faster. Make sure you are following the fingerings, especially the ones indicated. For the second to last bar, try to lift your wrist a little when playing the eight notes.
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
