Music Giving Students a Voice: The Story Behind Waiting

In June 2021, during the isolation of Covid, I was teaching a sixteen-year-old piano student named Olivia over Zoom. One day, she started playing a small riff. When I asked what song it was, she told me she had just created it.

Wanting to give her something to be excited about, at a time when life felt heavy for so many young people—I asked if I could build a piece around her idea. She loved the thought of it, especially when I told her it might end up on my album.

I took her riff, improvised on the piano, and the piece became a full song. When I asked what we should call it, she said, “Waiting.” It felt perfect for the moment we were all living through.

Today, Olivia is about to graduate from UBC with a Degree in Business and Psychology. I’m incredibly proud of her and grateful to have been part of her musical journey.

“Waiting” is the first solo piano track recorded for the new album at Horizon Studios with engineer and producer John Thiel on November 12, 2025. I’ll soon be adding violas and cellos.

This album will highlight some of my piano students—past and present—who have shared their creativity with me and allowed me to help give their musical ideas a voice.