Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Trick.
Stephanie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started taking piano lessons in St. Louis when I was five years old with a wonderful teacher, Diane Ceccarini, who gave me a solid background in classical piano as well as other styles.
When I was about ten years old, she had me learn some rags by Scott Joplin because of St. Louis’ musical heritage and its connection to ragtime. Since I enjoyed playing these rags, when I was about seventeen, she gave me Eubie Blake’s “The Charleston Rag” and James P. Johnson’s seminal stride piece, “Carolina Shout.”
I had no idea then about the historical context of these pieces she was having me learn but I knew that I loved playing them and that there was something very special about them. I took lessons with Diane in St. Louis until I went to college, where I continued studying classical music and began a deeper study of stride piano and early jazz.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think that many musicians take a winding path. In my case, I thought that after I graduated from college I would continue playing classical music, but some important musical events during my senior year of college changed my perspective and convinced me that the side interest in ragtime and jazz that I had nurtured since my teens was actually the kind of music I wanted to pursue seriously after graduation.
One of the first challenges was facing the reality of trying to play music as a full-time professional after I graduated from college. It was slow-going at first but I was fortunate to have parents who continued encouraging me to pursue a career in music despite the difficulty in finding consistent work. It took a couple of years before I felt like I had enough work to really make a go of it. Then things started getting easier the more I traveled and got to know people.
Another challenge was getting used to playing in different contexts. I was used to playing mostly solo concerts but not as used to improvising in a jazz context, and it has been an interesting road to feeling more comfortable playing in bands where one has to be flexible and adapt to different repertoires, styles, and the varying approaches of different musicians.
Some things that helped a great deal include feeling the encouragement of people I admired as well as acquiring more experience on the bandstand. It’s a bit nerve-wracking to feel exposed and vulnerable on certain bandstands with some consummate musicians, but that’s one of the best places to learn!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As I mentioned earlier, I was introduced to stride piano by my piano teacher when I was seventeen by way of some transcriptions of stride piano solos. I continued learning stride in this way for the next few years until I met some of the masters of the stride piano style at jazz festivals and stride piano summits.
They encouraged me to discover stride piano through the recordings instead, and I started a period of total immersion into the recordings of the great original masters of this art form, training my ears more to understand these sounds. I learned so much from sitting down and transcribing important recordings of my musical idols. This is the type of music in which I’ve chosen to specialize, along with boogie-woogie, ragtime, and other early jazz piano styles.
As a side note about stride piano, which may not be familiar to readers: stride piano is a style of piano playing that developed in Harlem, New York, in the 1910s, 20s, and the 30s. It’s roughly defined by a dynamic left hand, “striding” back and forth across the keys as it plays a bass note in the lower register and a chord in the middle register. With this very active left hand providing both rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment, the right hand is free to play the melody and improvise.
The stride pianist’s left hand must be accurate, swinging, yet not too heavy-handed. The right hand typically plays in a full, rhythmic way as well. So, it’s an orchestral approach to playing the piano that is well-suited to solo piano. Some of the great exponents of stride piano include James P. Johnson (the Father of Stride Piano) (1894-1955), Thomas “Fats” Waller (1904-1943), Willie “The Lion” Smith (1893-1973), and Donald Lambert (1904-1962).
One of the projects of which I’m very proud is the jazz piano duo I formed with then-colleague (now husband), Italian pianist Paolo Alderighi, about 10 years ago. Paolo is a fantastic jazz pianist in the swing idiom (one of his main influences is Erroll Garner). Together, we began approaching the classic jazz repertoire (swing, stride piano, boogie woogie, ragtime, blues, as well as the Great American Songbook) in four hands on one piano, a setting that had almost never been used in jazz.
There’s a substantial repertoire for four-hands piano in the classical music genres, but not so much in jazz. We started collaborating together in 2011 and it’s been very rewarding to see it develop over the years and gain appreciation from listeners all over the world. We’ve recorded six albums together, played in the US, Europe, and Japan, and have a full touring schedule.
It’s stimulating for us to put together our own arrangements because we are able to make arrangements of songs in such a way that they fit perfectly with our individual styles and showcase what both of us are able to do well.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I am truly happy when I see that the music I play brings people joy. So much time, energy, and passion go into every performance and to know that my music means something to people is incredibly rewarding.
Another thing that makes me happy is the joy of getting to do something that I love for a living. I get to spend my days immersed in music (practicing it, listening to it, and reading about its fascinating history). I realize how rare it is to find a career that is a passion as well.
One of the great aspects of this profession is getting to travel, and I feel very fortunate that I’m able to do so with my husband! Paolo and I are on the road for most of the year and the travel we’ve been able to do because of our music has also allowed us to get to know people from different places on quite a personal level. I believe that music opens people up to sharing more of themselves.
We have friends all over the world because music makes deeper connections possible, even though we don’t have much time to spend with the people we meet at our concerts. Our experiences in places where we perform are usually very intense and stimulating. This special way of forming relationships with people of different backgrounds means a lot to me and makes me happy!
Speaking of relationships, I love getting to spend time with family and friends and I’ve learned to cherish that time since it can often be difficult to get together because of the hectic touring schedule.
I also engage in some activities that make me feel balanced and compensate for the intensity of life on the road: I love reading, watching great films (especially arthouse films, classics, and musicals), and painting with watercolor.
These activities are especially sustaining to me because they are all possible even when we’re away from home. Also, I love attending concerts as well, mostly classical and jazz but I don’t limit myself to listening to those genres; as the great Duke Ellington said, “There are only two kinds of music – good and bad.”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stephanietrick.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephtrick/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StephanieTrickPaoloAlderighi
- Other: www.trickalderighi.com
Image Credits
Diane Salisbury, Cosimo Filippini, and Chris McGuire
