Cloie & Chloie
A teacher takes a hand, opens a mind and touches a heart
You must first teach a child he is loved
Only then is he ready to learn anything else
About
Born and raised in Italy I started playing the piano at the age of 8, it was love at first sight! Music has always meant a great deal to me and played a big role in my life. It has been such a rewarding experience to share it with others.
I attended the Scuola di Musica Pietro Edo in Pordenone where I was mentored by Professor Paola Rodaro and then completed my studies at the Conservatory of Music ‘Jacopo Tomadini’ in Udine under the guide of Maestro Umberto Tracanelli graduating in Piano Performance.
Over the years I participated in piano competitions such as the Concorso Pianistico Citta’ di Albenga and the Concorso Pianistico di Desenzano del Garda and performed both in chamber music and as a soloist.
I am a firm believer that hard work repays the student with immense satisfaction.While talent is a gift not of our doing, a diligent and willing mind can master and achieve extraordinary results.
I have been teaching for 40+ years and truly enjoy it. Music and children are the loves of my life. I enjoy working with children and find the greatest satisfaction when I see that sparkle in their eye that tells me the magic of music has touched the heart.
Life has blessed me with 3 wonderful children of my own, two little granddaughters... and a lovely little dog. She is my teaching partner, welcoming every student and laying by our feet as we play.
Piano days are her favorite!
Mentors to whom I owe a priceless heritage in my musical journey
Paola Rodaro has been a light to me all my life. She dedicated so much of her time and care to open the windows to a world that would remain at the core of who I have become, the world of music. We would spend 9-10 hrs each week at her piano, those are some of the most beautiful memories of my life. She poured knowledge, enthusiasm and passion and I drank it all! Never getting enough, I would leave her home thinking of when I'd be back again. She has been my beacon throughout all my studies.
I can't express the gratitude I have for my mentor, for being so kind to bring me to him. She could have chosen anyone, but I was the only one she chose in all her career. A gift I will never be able to repay her for.
Her love for me, if it had not been visible until then, was show in her greatest gift, giving me away to Maestro Tracanelli. She wanted the best for me, and she couldn’t think of anyone better.
A day in Venice
I had the great privilege of going to Maestro Pertile's home in Venice when I was really young, along with my dear Professor Paola Rodaro, who had studied with him in the past.
We arrived at his home with a gondola on a cold winter day. I was probably 14 at the time. We worked on some of Bach Preludes and Fuges from the Well Tempered Klavier. He taught me how putting words to the theme is extremely effective in helping the performer recognize every single time such theme reappears throughout the composition.
What left the greatest mark on me, from one single lesson, has been the world that he opened to my eyes.
When I play a piece, I don’t see notes, annotations, or tempo, I see real picutres. I see a sunset, I see a mom running after her child, I see children playing, I see birds talking to each other, I see beauty, passion, even grief. I see! And all that ink on a page becomes a beautiful painting.
Maestro Tracanelli was my guide for the rest of my studies. Vincenzo Vitale’s technique was just an extension of what my previous Professor had taught me, but I was able to be exposed to it at a greater depth the art of piano playing. I love the musicality, the attention to detail and interpretation I was able to learn from him.
There is something that only musicians who have devoted their lives to their instrument can understand. I see my two teachers' hands all the time in my mind. If I were an artist and able draw, I could sketch their hands, every curve, every finger, every vein, every position. And at times when I watch my hands playing I see their hands in mine. THAT is the most precious moment to me, because as long as I live, I will keep them alive in me.
The innovations Vitale introduced to piano pedagogy became the most successful technical approach to piano playing of the 20th century. Relaxation and the transferring of weight from the shoulder to the finger the means to obtain refined touch and sound.
He was of Jewish origins and lost his position and went into hiding during the war but was able to return to his work after. He spent the last years of his life in Tauriano, where he tutored Maestro Tracanelli.
There is something that only musicians who have devoted their lives to their instrument can understand. I see my two teachers' hands all the time in my mind.
If I were an artist and able draw, I could sketch their hands, every curve, every finger, every vein, every position. And at times when I watch my hands playing I see their hands in mine. THAT is the most precious moment to me, because as long as I live, I will keep them alive in me.
Teaching is not a job, nor a trade. It’s a sacred calling. You have the privilege to gift others with the treasures gifted to you. What I have learned from them I could never measure or repay, it has shaped my life as a musician, and etched me as a person.
I have often wondered how I was so blessed to have such outstanding teachers. Yes, I gave everything, every hour, every day, every year, my whole soul, and I know they appreciated that, a teacher can’t do much without the hard work, love and commitment of a student. But they gifted me with treasures that I carry with both gratitude and reverence.
I feel the honor and the responsibility to give meaning to all they have dedicated and gifted me with.
Teaching allows me to honor them and carry on their legacy, and this is why I love it so much.