Name
Leslie Naradikian
Instrument or Instruments
Piano
Tell us about your formal education in music.
I graduated from the Eastman school of music in Rochester, NY with a bachelor’s degree in performance and then went on to receive a master’s from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. My music education certainly didn’t end there though. I’m still learning new instruments and musical concepts all the time. That’s what I love about music. No matter how much you know, you can always learn something new.
Tell us about your professional performance experience.
I’ve been really fortunate to perform with some fantastic musicians and ensembles all over the world. I was even lucky enough to spend a semester teaching and performing in Nanjing, China during the spring of 2013. Now that I’m back in Tucson, I’ve been doing a lot of accompanying and regularly play piano for recitals and events in and around town. I suppose my most challenging performance in recent memory was playing for a musical titled “The Gingerbread Man.” I practiced really hard and was so proud of myself for learning all the music (it was very difficult) and performing it for a large crowd.
What inspired you to start playing music?
I come from a really musical family, but I would say that my Mom was the one who inspired me to start. She’s a pianist, and always made playing look like so much fun. Whenever she would sit down at the keyboard (which was pretty much every day) complicated Gershwin melodies and Chopin Waltzes would just fall off her fingers. I remember from a very young age being hungry to understand what all those markings on the page meant. When I was finally allowed to take lessons at 7 years old, I was pretty excited to get started.
Was finding the motivation for practicing hard for you as a beginner? Is it still difficult at times?
I wasn’t too good at practicing when I first started. I spent a lot of time playing around at the piano, but didn’t do much that was constructive. I did like to perform though, so when recital time came around, I would get really excited and become motivated. Once I got bit by the performance bug, I wanted to get up on stage more and more, and in order to do that, I knew I would have to spend time practicing.
It can still sometimes be difficult to practice, but I do try to get in about an hour a day on the piano most of the time. It doesn’t always happen, but I shoot for that on most days. If I have a performance coming up, (like “The Gingerbread Man”) I’ll put in as much time as I need to in order to perform well.
What types of music do you currently listen to and enjoy playing?
I love to perform, and because show tunes were played constantly in my house growing up they are pretty high on my list of music I like to both play and listen to. I’m not a trained singer, but I like to sing songs from musicals like “Oklahoma” or “Guys and Dolls.” I also love Frank Sinatra, big band, and anything from the 30’s and 40’s. Of course I spent a lot of time studying classical music as well, so I love symphonies and chamber music. I also like pop, world music, country and rock…there is really not much I’m not open to.
What do you like the most about teaching music?
I consider myself so lucky to do what I do. Teaching piano is a really fun job, and I mostly enjoy getting to know my students and helping them achieve their goals. I am particularly happy when students recognize their own progress and are amazed that they can play things they once thought were impossible. Every so often, I like to go back to pieces that were difficult for students at first and have them play through them again. It’s really great when they are able to breeze through a piece they once thought was really difficult.
What are your non-musical hobbies and interests?
I’m into physical fitness and enjoy hiking, running, and going to the gym in my spare time. I’m really excited for the cooler weather so that I can start taking advantage of some of the great hiking trails here in Tucson. Other than that, I have a 6 year old son that keeps me busy, so I spend most weekends at kids birthday parties and little league soccer games.
What advice do you have for all music students, regardless of their instrument?
If you have trouble keeping motivated, remember the reasons you started playing your instrument in the first place. It could be for own personal relaxation or to perform for thousands of screaming fans, but always keep that in mind what you want the end result to be. To keep that alive, listen to recordings of artists you admire and want to sound like eventually. After that, just make a commitment to yourself. Ask your teacher to give you guidelines about how much time you should be dedicating to your instrument and make effort to stick to it. Before you know it, you’ll be making progress and well on your way to achieving your goals.
