My mom had always wanted to learn piano when she was younger, so when she finally had her own house, she decided to buy a piano. Even if she couldn't play, she hoped that her kids would. My older sister started playing piano when she was about 3. She had a strong interest in it very young, and her dedication prompted me to start when I was 5. My first teacher, Ms. Irina Babina, was a 'tough love' Russian teacher from Ann Arbor. She taught for 7 years and taught me most of what I know technically and in terms of music theory. I would have continued with her, but my older sister was invited to work with a different teacher in Bloomfield Hills named Catherine Rollin, so both of us switched teachers. At that point, my sister was in her senior year of high school and didn't end up going into music. Due to lack of communication and difficulty to schedule lessons, I changed teachers again after a year. My new teacher was Ms. Lemberg, who helped me to improve my musicality and expression. After a year of study with her, she had to move because her daughter had a child and she wanted to help with the baby. My next teacher, also my current teacher, is Ms. Amalia Kazaryan. She was recommended by Ms. Lemberg and has been helping me to further develop my musicality and expand my repertoire.
The Michigan Music Teachers Association runs an annual test that takes place in late fall/early winter. There are currently 12 levels, but there were 10 when I started. My first year, I took the level 2B test, and have taken them every year up until now. This year, I will be taking the final level of the test (I skipped level 11 because I would like to focus on my academic studies for my senior year). I've passed every year and have qualified for the semi-finals every year that it was available to me.
These are pictures of me and my teachers over the years
Here are pictures of me playing over the years
MMTA Awards and Ribbons
This is a video of one of my more recent performances