NYC Performance with Tilly Key

Photos of me at the show
Wow! What a great show! I had a fantastic time in the Big Apple.

I arrived at JFK at 6am Tuesday morning, and drove to my friend's home in New Jersey, right across the GWB. I spent the morning reviewing the music for the show, and periodically passing out on the sofa from exhaustion having taken a red-eye flight with a stopover in Vegas. Later that evening I drove into Manhattan, struggled to find a parking space, and went into rehearsal. When I lived in NYC, I never did gigs, so I never took equipment around, and therefore only took the subway when I needed to go midtown. For this show, I had to take my keyboard, and had no intention of lugging that thing around on the subway! It's nearly as big as me! lol Suffice it to say, I was utterly shocked at the pricing for parking. Wow!

At the rehearsal, I met the rest of the band: Of course, my girl Tilly and Tim, the man; Luciana Padmore, drums; Zaid Shukri, bass; Richard Padron, guitar; Nabate, trumpet; Orlando and Allakoi, percussion. All of the musicians are incredibly talented and great people. I had such a wonderful time meeting, playing with and getting to know them all.

On Wednesday, I went to the Ouidad Hair Salon and got my "hair did". Afterwards, I met my friend Elaine, who recently relocated to NYC, at the famous Aquavit restaurant. I had the prix-fixe lunch of Cauliflower soup w/ croutons, olives & capers, Hot Smoked Salmon with Celeriac puree, asparagus salad, and apple-horseradish broth, and the signature dessert, Arctic Circle: goat cheese parfait, blueberry sorbet, and honey tuile. All quite amazing.

Wednesday night was the gig at The Cutting Room . I showed up early for the sound check and was able to park in a free legal spot after 6pm (a rarity in NYC). Right before the show, I needed to run to the car and get something and had a wonderful moment of Divine intervention. After I picked up the item from the car, I quickly turned to get back onstage since showtime was fast approaching, but a little voice told me to "stop and turn around right now". Normally, I would have ignored the voice and said to myself "I'll deal with whatever it is later". Well, this time I chose not to ignore it. I turned around and noticed that mine was the only car parked on that side of the street while the other side of the street was packed with cars! Clearly a problem! I walked about 20 feet forward so I could read the sign on my side of the street, and in small print it stated "no parking between 11pm and 2am". Can you believe that? However, without panicking, I looked up and down the street, and by a miracle there was only ONE spot available on the entire block; a spot exactly parallel to where I was parked. I quickly moved the car and said counted my blessings! If I hadn't taken the moment to become aware of the situation, not only would I have been ticketed, but most likely towed! I would have been out of probably $400! If that isn't Divine Intervention, I don't know what else to call it!

With that bit of wind behind my back, I skipped back inside The Cutting Room, and went on stage to do the show with Tilly. The energy and musicality were incredible. In fact, you can hear clips of the performance on Tilly's live myspace profile: Tilly Key Live. Tilly is such an incredible performer, and the audience loved us! I can't wait to perform once everyone has had a chance to really learn the music and get a feel for each other's playing. It was a very free, loving musical environment. Tilly allowed us all to be partially improvisational and to contribute to the overall vibe, which was wonderful. I always enjoy being able to organically create music. Structure is fun too (obviously, as I'm a classical pianist), but I also truly enjoy musical freedom, and love when artists have the confidence and security in their own performance to allow it from others. Tilly's talent and musical confidence make her a joy to play with and for.

After the show, a bunch of us went to Cafeteria Restaurant for a late night dinner and energized conversation. I didn't get to bed until nearly 4am. It was a blast! I haven't been out that late in ages! lol

Thursday was my last day in NYC. I slept late and didn't get out of bed until around 1:30pm. I got dressed and headed into the city to West 57th Street, home of Carnegie Hall. Across the street from Carnegie is Steinway Hall. I walked in, was greeted by the staff somewhat coldly, and asked about playing a piano. The young man at the front desk informed me that the public can access pianos on the ground floor for about 5 minutes at a time. I signed in and walked to the rooms that he pointed me towards. Inside, I found a series of very nice, but small pianos: nothing but baby grands. Yeah, those are nice, but I wanted a CONCERT GRAND and nothing less! : ) So, I walked back to the front and asked about their 9 foot concert grands. I think that let them know that I was serious. A salesman walked over, introduced himself and took me up the elevator to the next level where they kept the "real" pianos. He pointed me towards a row of concert grands and stood back as I started to play. I began by playing a Rachmaninoff Etude from the Etudes Tableaux. Upon hearing me, the salesman excused himself and shut the door behind him! I must have played for over an hour! I would have gone longer except that I had it on my agenda to visit Central Park. I thanked the people at Steinway, who insisted I let them know who I was, and walked towards the park...only to find another piano store with more concert grands! I'm such a sucker for a beautiful piano. Same procedure, but this time on a Shigeru Kawai. Lovely piano, but I'm still Steinway biased. At the next store, I played a Fazioli, but it wasn't as nice as the one I've played in San Francisco. In all, I spent my 4 hours that I was supposed to be touring the city inside of piano stores. Oops! No Central Park, no Ground Zero, no Harlem. Next time! lol

After my piano-gasm, I walked to Le Bernardin, known to be the premiere seafood restaurant in the country, changed clothes in their bathroom (I had to look gorgeous for my night out of course), and had dinner. I ordered the Le Bernardin Tasting menu, pricey at $130 per person - but worth every cent. Here's what I ate:

Amouse Bouche of poached lobster in Watermelon Soup. My eyes closed and rolled back in my head. I could barely contain myself...
I was also offered complimentary glass of Gosset Champagne. I tried a few sips...and I still can't stand the taste of alcohol. Oh well! As for Champagne though, it was better than others I've tried.

TUNA
Layers of Thinly Pounded Yellowfin Tuna, Foie Gras and Toasted Baguette, Shaved Chives and Extra Virgin Olive Oli
This was the most amazing tuna dish I've ever had (and I've eaten the extraordinary Tuna Tartare at Michael Mina in San Francisco, so I know good tuna!). I have never before eaten foie gras and enjoyed it, but this I adored!

BACALAO
Grilled Salted Cod Salad; Avocado, Romaine, Aged Jerez Vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Light and delicious.

SOFT SHELL CRAB
Crispy Soft Shell Crab on a Bed of Jumbo Lump Crab Meat in a Fragrant Coconut-Lime Broth
I would eat this everyday if I could. Unbelievably delicious.

HALIBUT
Poached Halibut, Sweet and Sour Golden and Red Beets, Citrus and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Emulsion
Yummy!

LOBSTER
Baked Lobster; Braised Endives, Enoki and Black Trumpets; Bourbon-Black Pepper Sauce
Fantastic.

PANNA COTTA
Buttermilk Panna Cotta, Lemon Basil Gelée, Rhubarb Citrus Compote
If it weren't considered disgusting to lick the bowl...

CHOCOLATE CASHEW TART
Dark Chocolate, Cashew and Caramel Tart, Red Wine Reduction, Banana and Malted Rum Milk Chocolate Ice Cream
Super rich and delicious.

The meal was finished off by a series of petit fours, which I could barely finish, but did, because I was so full.

The service was excellent, all except for at the end when I was charged for a glass of Champage ($19) and it took a full 5 minutes for the waiter to understand that I didn't order Champagne. I think he should have offered me a discount for the stress of feeling like he was trying to pressure me into paying for the complimentary Champagne I barely sipped. But otherwise, I HIGHLY recommend this place.

After dinner, I went to see The Color Purple at the Broadway Theater. I had an EXCELLENT seat! Right in the orchestra center. I could see and hear everything perfectly. The story, as you all know, is fantastic, and the performers and music were wonderful. The singing and dancing made me want to jump up and sing along! I absolutely loved it! After the show, my friend Kemba, a phenomenal dancer, took me backstage so I could meet the cast. What beautiful amazing people! I just love performers!

In all, I had an excellent trip. I stayed with a dear friend, her husband and their beautiful children, got to spend a little bit of time in my old stomping grounds, and got to make music! Can't beat that!

I didn't get the Beyonce gig

Today I heard from several friends that Beyonce has chosen her band. Though I thought I played well at the audition, I never got a call back. Oh well. It seemed like such the perfect gig for me, but apparently it wasn't meant to be. I guess I'll just have to ramp up my practicing and be even better prepared next time! Though it would have been a dream come true to work with her (she is unbelievable), there's sure to be something out there that will be perfect for me.

Now that I've taken a foray into the auditioning world, I think I'll start going down to LA a couple of times a month. I should do more to let people know about me....

I can't wait to hear the band. The women must be FIERCE. I'm very glad to see that women who've dedicated their lives to excellence on their instrument get a chance to shine. We ladies don't always get the lucky breaks, so I cheer them on. It's an inspiration to me as I continue my quest to be more and more fierce.

Time to hit the keys... at least this experience has inspired me to strive even harder to reach the next level with my music. Wish me luck!

ps Ms. Knowles, if any of the keyboard players don't work out, call me! ; >

I auditioned for Beyonce's all female band

I auditioned for Beyonce's all female band yesterday in Burbank. I was stunned that so few people showed up. I think there were only around 75 women auditioning all together. I expected so many more. I thought I'd get there and it would be like American Idol, with lines around the block. Not at all. Very surprising.

I drove to Burbank Sunday night, after having played in church Sunday morning and played the final opera performance (Malcolm X in Oakland, for which I got a great review!) that afternoon, and that's after having had a tough week playing for the opera every night, playing for graduations and teaching. Once I got home that evening, I still had to compile my resume, head shot, etc., pack a bag, prepare my dogs to stay with my mom, go pick up my cousin, Donte (who served as my guy Friday...thank God for him! It made the trip SO much easier), drop off the dogs and then drive south. Since I was working so much, I had no time to learn the assigned song until I was driving down Hwy 5. I played it over, and over, and over, etc., learning it totally by ear without a keyboard. By the time I got to bed, it was 4am Monday morning.

Thanks to the person who previously occupied my hotel room, the alarm went off at 7am. Ugh! Feeling anxious about my chances to be heard, I threw on some clothes and rushed to the audition site (Center Staging, which was only a 5 minute drive from my hotel). Much to my dismay, there was NO ONE there! So I went back to the hotel to sleep more. I woke up again at 9am and decided to have Donte hold my space in line at Center Staging. I had packed a couple of small lawn chairs and an umbrella so that we could at least be comfortable as we waited. While Donte held my spot in line, I went back to the hotel to get dressed and practice for an hour with the keyboard I'd brought along. Feeling very confident and energetic (despite the lack of sleep), I went to Center Staging at 11:45am.

The people running the auditions, presumably from Beyonce's camp, started auditioning people around noon. First they called drummers. Then bass players, then guitarists. I thought, surely, keyboard players are next...NOPE! Sax players. Then, finally, around 3:15pm, they called for keyboard players. I swear, it seemed that no more than 6 women came forward. I couldn't believe it! 2 of them were friends of mine from the Bay Area, great players both. Perhaps there were more keyboard players who came later in the day, but I was totally surprised by the low turnout.

I was the 2nd keyboard player to be auditioned. I decided to present myself in a manner that exemplified what I hope Beyonce is looking for: I looked sexy, but classy, in a really nice bikini top, a mini skirt and heels (I don't do all that working out for nothing! I HAD to show off the 6-pack!), donned some lovely drop earrings and strutted into the room, confident and beaming with a smile. The music director walked over, shook my hand and introduced himself (I promptly forgot his name, my adrenaline level was so high). The only people in the room were him, a camera man and a tech guy who made sure I could access the sounds I wanted on the Triton keyboard (which I don't own, and therefore don't know). So, music director guy sat down with his guitar and asked me to "jam" with him in E using a clav sound. I did just that and felt like I did a great job. After about a while (I have no idea how long, but it felt like a minute) he asked me to solo, and I did. He was a GREAT guitarist, so it was really fun to play with him. Next, he played some chords on his guitar in a ballad style and asked me to play with him and solo over that too. I picked it up immediately (which I hope impressed him) and played a really pretty solo, very delicate and sensual, but with rich, contemporary chord voicings. Next, he asked me to play some jazz in C, but before we could start, the tech guy asked "shouldn't you have her play the Beyonce song?", and music director guy said "oh yeah". He said I'd be playing with the DVD track, starting in the middle of the song. The music came on, and I nailed it! I had the horn line, the string lines, the keyboard parts, all the hits, etc. I was bopping along, doing my little dance moves, having eye contact with the camera and music director guy, really getting into it, and when the music stopped, I wanted to keep going! Music director guy kind of laughed at me and said "you really want to keep going, don't you?", and I replied with an enthusiastic "yes". But, my time was over, so we exchanged thank you's and I exited the room.

Based on what the other keyboard players told me, he had me play more than they did, but it still seemed SOOOO short! I wish I'd had a chance to play some jazz and really show off my skills, but hopefully I'll get a chance to do that at the call back.

So far, I haven't heard anything. It's been a full day since I auditioned, and I'm eagerly anticipating a phone call. I'm so anxious about it I can barely keep my mind on anything else. I want this job so much! I think I'd be just perfect for it and it's perfect for me! I love the idea of being glamourous and supporting Beyonce in her band. I can totally envision playing a ballad with her where it's just me on the piano accompanying and responding to her musically. That's one of the things I do best! I've been an accompanist forever and to be able to accompany someone of her caliber!??? It takes my breath away to just imagine it.

Anyway, beforehand I prayed about it, meditated on it, did my best, felt confident, think I played well and believe I looked the part! I'm waiting on pins & needles. This job is sooooo perfect for me! I KNOW I can do it. I just hope they call tomorrow so I can breathe...

Wish me luck...say a prayer...pull some strings...whatever it takes! I want this job!!! lol

Piano Lesson Feedback

Hello friends,

It's the end of the year, and it is my practice to look back at the end and find where I can improve. I'm writing to you for your feedback on me as a piano instructor. Please let me know:

• How I can be a better teacher?
• What you enjoy(ed) about studying with me?
• What is/was not so great about studying with me?
• What you like(d) about my curriculum?
• What you dislike(d) about my curriculum?
• Do/did you find my teaching style inspirational?
• Do/did you find my teaching style overbearing, dull or frustrating?
• Do/did you find my fee to be too much, too little, just right for what you get/got in return?
• Any suggestions for improving my teaching practice?

Feel free to answer these questions anonymously here on my blog!

Thank you and HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I hope to see you in 2009!

Best regards,

Victoria