Paulene Manning

I studied with Paulene Manning only a short time.  A couple years in my lower teenage years.  She is my dad's cousin and was my next-door neighbor at the time.  It was convenient at the least.  At the most, well - it was wonderful.

I studied quite a bit of classical rep with Paulene but my lessons with her seemed to revolve more around creativity.  I wrote my own songs, made my own arrangements.  I started to understand what it meant to feel the music.  That has been invaluable to me as a pianist.  There are pianists out there that have to analyze music in order to understand the feeling, the emotion.  That has never been a problem for me.  Part of that is instinctual, part is the training I had with Paulene.

Paulene also helped me feel more comfortable in performing situations - particularly in chamber and accompanying situations.  As any musician should know, that is an invaluable skill.  This is something that I am continually working on but she helped me to realize that I could do it.  She boosted my confidence.

Thank you Paulene.  I am the artist I am today because of what you taught me both about music and about myself.