Vanessa, Piano, Vocal, songwriting, improv, composition
Vanessa is in love with music. She started playing piano when she was four and worked her way to grade 10 RCM. Searching for wider experience, she travelled to India where she became fascinated with classical tabla playing and studied tabla intently both there and back in Vancouver. Although she had always secretly wanted to, she began singing seriously in her early twenties, completing an honours BFA in vocal jazz and improvisation at York University in 2004. She has been teaching voice and piano for over 10 years—tailoring lessons to her students individual needs and interests while weaving in improvisation and composition as important ways of developing musicianship and a personal connection to music. As a musician she has toured in Canada and across the U.S., released five albums, written over a hundred songs, enjoyed some radio play, played in a variety of styles with some wonderful musicians, and is currently performing around Toronto and working on an album of orginal indie pop songs in her band Deciduous, a collaboration with her husband.
