I grew up in a musical family where my mother Helen Ruth MacLachlan taught my sister and my brother and then me the early classical ABC and Boris Berlin piano books. My father Sandy MacLachlan was an avid bagpiper.

My first formal piano teacher was Barb Good, a kind and wonderful neighbour down the street who encouraged many children to embrace the love of piano.

When I was a little older, my parents sent us to a prominent Kingston piano teacher Donna Gobin to learn the more advanced grades.

We studied under the Toronto Royal Conservatory of Music which included recitals, festivals and exams.

I've just released, Shades of Donna, a 2024 album of the classical pieces that Donna Gobin either taught me or inspired me to learn.

Many of these pieces were taught to our own children. Perhaps for those of you who either took piano or have children that studied, you may recognize some of these pieces.

Composers include Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Czerny, Tchaikovsky, Brahms and others I hope you will like it!