Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Gabriela Montero

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/30/60minutes/main2220358.shtml

did any of you see this her 60 mins?? has anyone else heard of her??? check out this interview and tell me what ya think???

there is a video of this on the left and of her playing.

truly gifted!!! Amazing!

Yes, I saw 60 minutes last night and thought she was amazingly talented and gifted. The amazing part was that she can improvize on the spot .

Kawaigirl--exactly!!! that is so awesome!!! incredible!!! i was like wow, we are always taught to be strictly from sheet music, and she improvises on it. reminds me of some people around here!!! simply amazing and incredible!!!

http://www.gabrielamontero.com/index.php

her website where you can listen to some of her music if you like it

A jaw-dropper!

Fantastic musician; I'm already deciding how many of her CD's I NEED to have.

She may also have more than a small effect on those who think they don't like "classical" music. After hearing her improvise or jazz up a classic tune at a club or lounge they may decide to listen to her or even someone else perform the classical stuff.

I missed her on 60 minutes, darn it! But I heard an interview with her on NPR and bought her CD, Bach and Beyond. The CD is great, she is amazing.

Montero and I actually share something in common. We both studied with Rosalina Sackstein at the University of Miami. Montero got a scholarship from Venezuela to study in the US, and I think she started with Sackstein in the mid 70s when she was eight or nine, which would have been just as I was going off to college. I actually remember Sackstein talking excitedly about this amazing kid from Venezuela. Sackstein is a great teacher and performer. I'm so thankful I had those two years with her while I was in high school, and I wish I had started with her years before that.... not that I would ever have been in Montero's league. Sackstein always has a set of prodigious young talents in her studio. They are amazing to behold. It's actually very motivating (to me at least) to see what genuine talent coupled with real determination can achieve at an early age.

I love the clip! I felt so inspired by it.

In fact, after watching it I decided to try some improvisation for the first time in my life. Here is my own improv on Star Wars.
http://www.box.net/public/yrerru42yz

Please let me know what you think.

Sarah, that is some really good improv for the first time!!! very nice!!! i guess you dont do piano magic?? that was really good!!! my husband and i knew right off what it was. that was great!!! if you keep at it i am sure you will be so good at it you can do anything by ear. how long did that take you to put together??

Piano Dad--that is way too cool. and you never know you could have been:) out of curiosity did she teach to learn the sheet music as it was written first then to change it up how you like it or interpretted it???