Golden Key Paino School’s August 2023 Newsletter

Dear Manhattan Piano Academy Community,

We are looking forward to another school year full of music with you. We are grateful that with the support and help of you we are celebrating our 20th year at the Berkeley location, we have a full schedule of more than 150 students and dedicated families, and on top of that we now have 2 talented students benefiting from our Elaine Scholarship Fund!

1. Annual Solo Recital

Speaking of our 20th anniversary and the scholarship fund, we have decided to dedicate our 20th anniversary celebration to the scholarship fund because nothing feels better than being able to give the quality piano lessons to more children who can’t afford it. So, please mark your calendar for our open house On Sunday October 15th and consider donating to our fund here.

Donate to Elaine’s Scholarship Fund

2. Calendar

Please see our 2013-24 school calendar of events on our website here. Please mark your calendar for rehearsal dates and recitals. We would love to see you take advantage of our monthly Zoom performance days. Performance days are informal and were designed to prepare the students for formal performances and stage.

3. August Zoom Performance Day

When: Tuesday August 1st 3:00pm PST (6:00pm EST)

Zoom Link here:

Meeting ID: 813 1306 4235

Passcode: 645809

No sign up required. All students are welcome to join.

4. Teacher’s News

Teacher Gabriel

Many thanks to our beloved teacher Gabriel for his help this summer as a substitute. We are delighted to have him back at Golden Key Piano School again and again and we wish him a wonderful school year at his job as a counselor.

Teacher Colin

We would like to welcome Colin Brady to our teacher’s team at Golden Key Piano School. Colin is a talented concert pianist with years of teaching experience. We are looking forward to see our intermediate and advanced students grow in their skills with at Colin’s lessons.

Colin Brady is a passionate teacher who most enjoys helping students who are motivated, ambitious, and driven, and who are striving to reach for a higher level. Colin earned his Bachelor of Music from San Francisco State University with an emphasis in classical piano performance.

In 2000, Colin was the winner of the Itala Gambino Memorial Award For High School Piano as well as a blue ribbon recipient in the Music Teachers’ Association of California’s Baroque Festival. In 2005, he was one of three pianists chosen to perform in the annual concerto performance with the Diablo Valley College Philharmonic Orchestra. He has performed at San Francisco State University Concerto Competition, performed with the Forest Hill Chamber Orchestra, and had a recital at the historical landmark, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. In 2017, he received the Music Teachers’ Association of California Membership Award and was the winner of the Michael Seagrove Avalos Award for piano performance. Colin remains an active classical pianist performing throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

A self-proclaimed “tough teacher”, he is very encouraging and sees the magic that occurs when one of his students achieves what they thought they once couldn’t. Once more, we warmly welcome Colin to the strong team of Golden Key Piano School teachers starting fall 2023.