Chris W Posted September 7, 2019 Share Posted September 7, 2019 Hey guys, It's great to seeing everyone enjoying the members forum and posting lots of questions! I personally think it is a great addition to the PWJ membership and compliments the Facebook page very well đ So, for the member spotlight for this month of September is...... Vashti Summervill! Vashti has inspired many PWJ members with her piano playing as well as her singing and it is great seeing her posts on the Facebook page.    So here is the member spotlight for this month, Vashti Summervill 1.  Where are you from? I am a Colorado native but now I live in Boise, ID. 2.  When did you start playing piano? When I was in 8 my 3rd grade teacher would sometimes play piano for our class. She was an eccentric and awesome teacher. I asked her for lessons and she said that she said that she wasnât a piano teacher. She finally agreed to teach me and by the end of the school year she had 30 students. My grandparents had given us a giant antique piano so once that got moved into our house I played it a lot and used it for my lessons. The lessons with her were very informal. I mostly remember her teaching me how to do chord arpegios up and down the piano. I practiced them over and over until I could play them fast and they made me sound like a much better pianist than I actually was. She was really my only private piano teacher until I found Jonny. 3.  What got you interested in learning music? I was born interested in music. My mom is a folk singer and guitarist. She wrote songs all the time as I was growing up. She still writes. I was in choirs throughout junior high, high school and college. I remember signing-up for a music class in high school and there were only 4 girls in the class. The teacher asked us what we wanted to study and we all agreed on singing. I chose an Olivia Newton John song as my first solo. I was practicing it with a mic in the music room and students started gathering at the door to watch. That was when I first figured out I could actually sing. I then started using piano to accompany my singing. I was a vocal major in college and had to continue some piano studies as part of my degree. 4.  What is your favorite style of piano music? I love so many styles but my favorite is blues/jazz/stride/old standards type music. I really like what I call gypsy jazz but Iâm not sure how to get that exact sound on the piano. Stride is coming close to that. 5.  Do you have any favorite pieces to play? I like playing St. Louis Blues and Route 66 a lot. Those are current piano solos in my repertoire (no vocals). I also really like playing and singing âBlue Moonâ in a stride style and I am starting to get more comfortable soloing. The goal for me is to be able to accompany myself with piano parts that sound great and support my singing and to be able to arrange tunes with nice piano solos in the middle. I will also keep working on some pieces to put in my set-list that donât include vocals. Writing originals is becoming a bigger focus for me. 6.  What has most helped you most in improving as a pianist? Showing-up everyday. Acknowledging that this process is sometimes very uncomfortable and frustrating. Accepting the discomfort and the long term nature of this undertaking and showing-up no matter what. 7.  Do you have any tips for other PWJ members? I think the biggest tip is to narrow your focus (I am guilty of being all over the map) and to work hard to control any negative thinking. I recently posted these thoughts on the Facebook group: There is no one who can express what you can express because there is only one you. Therefore, there can be no competition in music. Each person's expression is as unique as their DNA. This is what makes life so beautiful. How boring would music (and life) be if we all only played the same repertoire and the exact same way? Music does not have to be complicated and flashy to be touching and entertaining. Sometimes the most moving and heartfelt musical experiences are simple but incredibly full of heart. Jonny talks about that with creating simple, expressive solo lines. There aren't imperfections in anyone's music. There are just rough drafts and experiments as we strive to bring forth the essence of what is in our heart. That is what is so amazing about this community. We get to work through our rough drafts together in a really supportive and safe space. Finally, our brains are not the boss of us ;) Just like in the movie Inside Out, we get to decide who is driving. The five main characters in the movie are: Sadness, Disgust, Anger, Fear, and Joy. Choose to let Joy drive. 8.  What is your favorite part of the PWJ Membership? I love the amazing variety in content and the ability to approach each style from a beginner or intermediate/advanced approach. Jonnyâs teaching and ability to sequence and unpack concepts is masterful. There is always new content being added and I love that too. And the Facebook group is so supportive. I have made several new friends in this community and it is so fun to share our piano journeys. 9.  What are your future music goals? I really want to have an old-fashioned band (think 1920âs-40âs) where I play and sing mix of my favorite styles/standards and originals. I want to solo sometimes but also want to sing and accompany and then just comp when some really great improvisors take turns (horns, clarinet, violin). Iâm experimenting with several local musicians now. And, of course, I want really cool period costumes. 10.   Do you have any words you try to live by or a favorite quote? âYouâre not going to master the rest of your life in one day. Just relax. Master the day. Then just keep doing that everyday.â and âDonât let perfect get in the way of good.â  10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Novak Posted September 7, 2019 Share Posted September 7, 2019 Vashti.  Congratulations!  These are great answers for all of us, you really have your head in straight for your musicfuture.  Iâve seen you progress a lot, so keep working hard.  Great videos from you always.  So glad to learn all of this about you.  Awesome!đđ¶đ„ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve West Posted September 7, 2019 Share Posted September 7, 2019 Congratulations, Vashti! I've always enjoyed your videos, especially the ones where you're singing too. You have a lovely voice. It was great learning more about you, your musical background and your great principles of music and life!!! I look forward to your next video. Keep up the great work!  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Toal Posted September 7, 2019 Share Posted September 7, 2019 Many congratulations on your Sept spotlight. Very well deserved. I love your responses, especially your amazingly inspirational view on life, particularly your response to no.7. I love watching your videos, even more so when you are singing. Keep up the amazing work đ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annette T Posted September 8, 2019 Share Posted September 8, 2019 Great interview! Thanks, Vashti! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eiress L Posted September 8, 2019 Share Posted September 8, 2019 Congratulations on the September Spotlight Vashti! You have a lovely voice and are a great inspiration to us all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony m Posted September 8, 2019 Share Posted September 8, 2019 congratulations Vashti. It's a big accomplishment to get a virtual standing ovation. I've fallen in love with your voice the first time I heard it, and I love the way you push through all your challenges, way to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda J Posted September 8, 2019 Share Posted September 8, 2019 Congratulations, Vashti!! Enjoy your monthđđđđ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ido B Posted September 8, 2019 Share Posted September 8, 2019 Congratulations, Vashti! I always get so excited when I see that you've posted a video. From your "Keeping it Real" videos, to posting one of your Vashti originals, it's always inspiring watching you do your thing. You have such a pure and beautiful voice, I would love to see you in concert with an old-fashioned 1920s - 1940s band just singing and playing great standards and some of your originals (which sound like standards). I look forward to seeing more Vashti videos and sharing in your progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Walsh Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellen M Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 Great interview! I especially appreciate your tips for us PWJers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian SIMIAN Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 Congratulation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel L Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 I love seeing your posts...you're a lot of fun. I'm just realizing now that there is a student of the month! Good for you.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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