Kaho Sonohara

Expressing music is similar to expressing something in words, and yet it is also a means of communication that is its own unique language. When music can make people feel deep emotion, and when it can express images and stories, that is truly beautiful. I feel accomplished when I know that I make people feel an emotional connection to the music that I am performing. As a student majoring in music, I have been working on piano performance, focusing on how I can achieve that emotional communication with my audience in a better way, with a clear understanding of the style of the music, and the art of phrasing and technique. My teaching goal is to develop students' musicality, technique, and knowledge that enable them to play the piano connecting their emotional communication

Kaho have bachelor's degree in Jazz Studies and piano from University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. She studied classical piano with Prof. Elena Abend, jazz improvisation and theory with Prof. Curt Hanrahan, and jazz piano and jazz arranging with Louis Cucunato. She also took piano courses and private piano pedagogy sessions with Dr. Margaret Otwell. kaho performed in piano master classes, juries and other events such as accompanying concerto competitions and woodwind/brass juries. She was also a pianist in the school jazz band, jazz combos and substitute pianist for the youth.