Real Name – Alicia Augello Cook
Born on January 25, 1981, Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan, New York City
My Daughter loves her keyboard style and general coolness.
She is a very accomplished musician, writing songs, playing piano and singing.
By the tender age of seven, she had already begun to take music seriously and was studying classical piano, learning to play the great composers Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin. Her Mum’s insistence that she stick with playing the instrument led to her being able to attend a very prestigious Professional Performance Arts School, where she actually majored in choir. Keys graduated as the valedictorian from the highly prestigious Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan graduating as the valedictorian at age 16. She was accepted to attend Columbia University but took the brave decision to follow her dreams of becoming a professional musician and dropped out of college early.
So all you youngsters who are not happy that mum and dad are getting you to practice your scales and arpeggios just think if you keep up your practice you could be the next Alicia Keys collecting Grammy’s left,right and centre. You never know or as you get better you might get to enjoy playing more and more maybe you could play If I Ain’t Got You at a school recital and wow your friends or maybe get together a band. If you learn the keyboard skills then you will be in demand. Dare to Dream 🙂
It took Ms Keys many years of study begin with the classical piano style to reach the heights of the charts and receiving Grammy awards ( she won five Grammy awards including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 2002 following the release of her first album and has gone on to be nominated and to win many more). To have achieved the success she has is a testament to how hard she worked in her early years at the Arts School.
If you want to learn similar piano skills and techniques take a look at my reviews of the piano teaching course reviews I have left,
whilst it may not have the depth of a full-time Performing Arts School training
it can get you playing in the style of Alicia Keys much quicker than you might imagine.
Read more about Alicia Keys : http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/alicia-keys/
Her music takes a lot of style elements on board, borrowing from R&B, Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Hip-Hop combined with pop and rock and classical piano playing. The majority is strongly rooted in vintage soul music and gospel.
Her musical style is influenced by the soul and R&B stars of the 70’s and 80’s era Prince,Barbara Streisand,Whitney Houston,Stevie Wonder and others.
The theme of her songs have a strong female perspective on love, loss and empowerment, and the majority contain great piano.
Alicia Keys – Empire State Of Mind (Live on piano)
She is a multi award winning pianist, her first album Songs in A Minor (2001) has sold over 12 million copies and she has gone on to make four more as we speak, The Element of Freedom (2009) being my daughter’s favorite.
Find my opinion on the highest rated electric piano classes online.
