Pianist Althea Waites visited Cerritos College on the morning of March 19. She was there to observe and provide feedback for the performing pianist.
Eager and nervous students waited to hear what Waites had to say.
“I thought they did an outstanding job,” Waites said,”I was really impressed with the quality and level of the performances.”
Waites stressed how evident it was that these students had practiced and worked hard.
During that two hour class, five different pianist performed for Waites as well as for their peers and teachers. It was a very beneficial experience for students because they got to play both roles of the performer and the audience.
Waites pointed out their strong points and made suggestions, as well, on what they could do to improve their skills. .
Music Major, Phyliss Campbell Reimer, played a piece titled Nocturne by Frederick Chopin. She thought the class was very helpful.
“When you’re in the practice room you get isolated. It helps to play out there for an audience,” Reimer explained.
Reimer, along with the four other pianists that performed that day, received feedback from Waites right then and there, in front of everyone.
Reimer thought this to be very positive. “There’s always something from new ears and especially when you’ve got a master teacher here,” she said.
Waites is a graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana and the Yale University School of Music. Waites has been praised as a brilliant soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Currently, Waites is on the keyboard faculty at California State University, Long Beach.
Christine Lopez, Director of the Keyboard Studies Program, organized the master class. Lopez took classes at Cal State Long Beach and got to know the keyboard faculty, which included Waites.
By networking and keeping in touch, Lopez was able to ask Waites to come to Cerritos College.
Lopez said that her students learned a lot from the master class.
“They were getting feedback; they were actually having a private lesson,” she said.
