Tina Keitel, Percussion
Tina Keitel began her percussion training in the fourth grade, when she not only learned how to play the drums but also how to carry her snare drum for five blocks from home to Century Oaks Elementary School. She received both her bachelor's and master's degrees in percussion performance from DePaul University. Her training also includes eight years with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, where she performed under the direction of Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta, Pierre Boulez and Sir Georg Solti. As a free-lance artist Ms. Keitel performs with many orchestras in the Chicagoland area including the Lyric Opera Orchestra, Grant Park Orchestra, Chicago Sinfonietta and the Elgin Symphony. She is a strong advocate of new music and appears regularly on the New Music DePaul concert series as well as with the Contemporary Chamber Players and Fulcrum Point. She is also a founding member of her own new music ensemble Chicago Chamber Works.
Tina's Interview:
Instrument?
Percussion
What are you listening to?
Cuban ‘Son’
Describe your work.
I like to play contemporary music the most — I think because I feel I can associate with it. I’m not living in the 1700s, so I feel more con-nected to the twenty-first century. My work involves a lot of choreography, many instruments.
Most important lesson you’ve learned?
Always remember to do what-ever it is that you want—life is too short to edit your desires.
Recent dreams?
Actually, the weirdest dream I’ve ever had was that I was a chime, like a church chime! Yeah, I don’t remember the scene very much, but I was fully aware that I was a chime, and that I felt this great resonance the whole time. I felt myself ringing!