JAZZ PIANIST STRIKES A CHORD
Michaud-Gagnon piling up accolades
Gentiane Michaud- Gagnon was deeply immersed in classical piano while she was growing up in Quebec’s Saguenay region. But a decade ago, the jazz bug bit and, with her studies at McGill University behind her, the 25-yearold has been racking up achievements and accolades.
Recently named Radio-Canada’s jazz discovery for 2018, Michaud- Gagnon discussed her striking progress as a pianist and artist in advance of her trio’s concert Friday at GigSpace.
Q: When did you begin piano lessons?
A: I started to play piano at five years old with a private teacher. I remember loving it right away. If my teacher assigned me one piece to learn, I would take it upon myself to learn three. I was always choosing the hardest pieces and I was so excited about new challenges every time. As a kid, I was very disciplined. I remember being in elementary school, coming back home at lunch time and eating really quickly to practise as much as possible before having to go back to school.
Q: How deeply were you immersed in classical music?
A: When I entered Conservatoire at 11 years old, I had recitals at least four times per year for five years plus formal examinations each semester, for which I had to learn the pieces by heart and perform repertoire from 35 minutes at the beginning to an hour of music by the end. I was taking the bus at night to go to another town 45 minutes away for several classes and personal practice (piano, ear training, choir, classical harmony and analysis). I also won several regional competitions during these years.
Q: How have your classical studies affected what you do now?
A: Classical music is always going to be part of my language. There are certain types of harmonies and melodies that are naturally engraved in my ears forever. My teacher in Conservatoire was a great pianist who focused a lot on musicality, on phrasing, on expression and on sound. I learned how to control the sound of the piano, to express emotions through music, and also technique by playing virtuosic repertoire, which I think are the basics of playing an instrument.
Q: When did jazz enter in the picture?
A: It was only during my last year of high school that I became interested in jazz. I was starting to compose simple songs, and was attracted to the idea of creating music of my own. I had the feeling that, as much as I loved classical piano, I was missing a whole world of discovery. That feeling of wanting to discover a new musical world was strong enough that I decided to move to Montreal at 16 years old to study jazz.
Q: Tell me about your studies at McGill.
A: I studied with several great teachers. I spent a year and a half with pianist and drummer Andre White, who taught me the basics of jazz tradition. Then I studied composition and piano with Jan Jarczyk for a year, from whom I learned a lot about harmony.
As I came back to McGill to do my master’s degree, I studied for a year and a half with Jean-Michel Pilc, which was life-changing. I was in a period of my life where I was more focused on music than ever, and I was ready to work on finding my own sound. I wanted to get away from wanting to play “right,” and to get back to being authentic with myself and to play jazz as a real and profound means of expression, in the same way I was playing classical music before. Pilc taught me a lot about authenticity and creativity. He also taught me about music and life, which I realize more and more are both dependent on each other as I evolve as a musician and as a person.
Q: Tell me about what you’ve achieved with your trio recently.
A: The last year and a half was a big adventure, starting with the recording and release of our first album, entitled Eternal Cycle. We did a CD launch tour around Quebec and had the chance to perform at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. In the fall, we performed at the Montreal OFF Jazz Festival before flying to Mexico for a tour including performances and master classes. Finally, we recently had the chance to tour in Quebec with Yannick Rieu, a world-class saxophonist that we are lucky to have here in Montreal.
Q: What does it mean for you to have been named the Radio-Canada jazz revelation this year?
A: It is a great opportunity to share my music with a wider audience. We just recorded some beautiful live videos and, among other things, I will have the chance to record three days at Studio 12. It is also an honour to be nominated after musicians for whom I have a lot of respect, such as Rafael Zaldivar, Samuel Blais, Jérôme Beaulieu and Benjamin Deschamps, among others.
Q: What are you looking forward to for the rest of 2018?
A: I will be at Gigspace with my trio, and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve heard Gigspace is a great venue with a beautiful piano. I will also have the chance to open for Terence Blanchard at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. I am writing new music to record an album at the end of next fall that will be released in 2019.