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 2nd
Francisco:
Overworld Theme: Practice the left hand for the B section, and the bit seen in class with both hands. The idea is that you manage to play the left hand without looking at it.
Piano Adventures, p. 44-45: “Ode to Joy”. Since you already know the melody, on page 44 focus on bars 9-12, and always try to read the notes in the staff, even if you know how to play it. For page 45, focus on reading and playing with the left hand. If you have any doubts regarding the lower notes, go see p. 43.
Maria Ines:
“City of Stars”: Practice the B section with both hands. Try to go slow. The idea is that you can hear the left hand going evenly in quarter notes through the section. After that, you can try to play the complete song.
“Another Love”: Practice the chords of the song, playing the root note in octaves in the left hand, and the chord in the right hand. Don’t jump between chords, try to search for the common notes to link them together.
Noreet:
“Bells of Great Britain”: practice with dynamics. For the first line, the first time is loud (f), and the second time is soft (p). For the second line, make sure she moves one octave higher each bar, and that she gradually plays the right hand softer.
Read p. 68, “Come on, Tigers!”.
Miabella:
Scales: practice the C major scale, with both hands (separately), in one octave, up and down.
“The Brady Bunch”: Play it slow, and pay attention to the rhythms. I marked every time you have to wait one beat to continue. Keep using the metronome to practice, it’s a really good habit to have!
May 10th
Gerardo:
“Tchaikovsky’s theme”: Practice with the metronome at 40 bpm. Before playing, think about the eight notes. But once you start playing, try to feel the “big beats” (dotted quarter note). Take a few minutes to practice the dynamics in the last 2 lines of the piece.
“Willow Tree”: Practice the A section, following the instructions given in class.
Choose a song or two that you want to learn on piano. Can be any style, but if it is jazz or bossa nova, all the better.
Caedan:
Practice the complete song (“Luigi’s Mansion”). Choose another song for the next class.
Read Kites in the Sky. For this piece, you have to cross your left hand over your right hand in bars 3, 7, and 11.
Zoe:
“I know it won’t work”: Practice the ostinato (repeated notes in the left hand) by itself first. The idea is that you get used to playing the notes softly, without feeling that you are straining your hand.
As a separate thing, start putting the melody and the accompaniment together. Remember that if you feel your lefthand tired, you should stop immediately.
“A little piece”: Speed it up. you can pick a metronome and gradually increase the tempo.
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
