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Greetings, I am Debra Ann Petitan from Oak Lawn, Illinois USA
In 1955 I took a correspondence course from US Music School in Port Washington, NY, in Piano. I needed to pass the Chicago Board of Education Certification Examination to become a teacher. Two hours of that examination was devoted to me showing my musicianship and playing the level of music for primary grade children. This course had 96 lessons with written examinations at the end of each chapter. I had to mail them for grading with a critical analysis of my essay answers. I still have the course with all the music which is very dear to me. After spending 8 hours a day for one year, I completed the course and passed the Music Examination for the Board of Education. After years of teaching, I advanced into Administration so I stopped playing the piano. In 1965 I changed professions after receiving my Masters in Industrial Education & Technology. I became a Designer in Engineering with a focus on Computer-Aided-Design. I wrote the first curriculum for the teaching CAD in high school as the future of Drafting. In my work as a Designer, I designed lightening arresters and fiber-glass gate arms for the railroad industry for Federal Signal Corporation. In 2004 I bought a Yamaha Clavinova 301 and resumed re-learning and enjoying playing again. After going to a cocktail lounge in 1969 to see Aretha Franklin, see sat down to the piano and began to play. I did not know she played, I had only heard her sing. She played without music and her chords were unlike the music I had been exposed to so she inspired me to learn how to play with chords and without sheet music. So here I am so happy with my music and the learning process. I am 93 years of age and this is my passion. I love reading and absorbing music theory as well as improvising using a chord chart.
My goal is to be able to play from the “American Standards Songbook” using the Fake Book as a guide while I improvise over the chords with my interpretation of the melody. I want to re-learn “Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven,” “Glissando Mazurka” by Bohm, “Spring is Coming” by Siewert, and “I Confess” by F. Thome. I only want to play for Susan, my daughter and Ricky, her husband. I play for my well-being and peace of mind. The ability to continue to be able to progress is a gift from God whom I thank everyday.
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