Allison Wallace in intense concentration as she plays the piano.- Contributed

Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

With grace and obvious talent, Allison Wallace can mesmerise any audience on stage. A pianist from a musical family, Wallace has been playing for years, yet she says she is always studying and learning new aspects of her craft.

Wallace testifies that as a child, making music was her and her siblings' favourite pastime. She enjoyed "singing, playing instruments, making up dance routines. We even had a little dance group called 'Two Plus One'."

"My older brother, Michael Wallace, was the keyboard player for Chalice, Third World, and other international acts, but he lost his life," she said.

Never stopped

Allison has never stopped playing music. Encouraged by her mother when she was younger, she soon blossomed into a capable player. According to Allison, she developed a keen sense of rhythm due to the poetry her mom made her memorise and perform. She started going to piano lessons from age seven and continued throughout high school. Eventually, she completed eight grades of piano with the Royal School of Music.

She says, "At age 16 I had my first piano students. That's when I knew music would be my life's work and pleasure all rolled up in one. My twin sister chose French. I have been trained as a performer and as a music educator. I have a master's degree in music."

Music is music

An admirer of jazz, for Allison music ismusic, and she will play whatever is placed in front of her, as long as it is well written. A writer of music, she has been inspired by the Bible or someone she admires. "When I write a song I am inspired to do so. If there is an event to be celebrated or someone to honour ... then a song would come to me, especially if the person, or how they lived, touched my life in some way," she said.

"The Holy Bible is also a major source of my lyrics. Think about the Psalms ... we know they are to be sung, so writing music to a psalm is such a joy for me, but it has to be needed for some occasion. Then it's easier to write it, for some reason. I've also written a complete Mass called Ode To Jesus,'' she said.

Having toured the United States a few times, Wallace can be seen in a range of performances. "I have played in a variety of musical settings. In church playing a traditional pipe organ, on stage playing reggae, R&B, or dance music, in the pit with the orchestra for the staging of a Broadway show, in the studio, in the club, or on the concert stage as an accompanist or featured artiste," she said.

She is always ready to encourage those with true talent and willingness to practise their art and consider being a musician. As for the future, for Allison it's all about music and studying somewhere new and exciting in the world, for music is her life.