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Music
has always been a part of Keira. She was exposed to music in early childhood by accompanying the Music Together classes her mom taught.
Later, she would frequently hold her own part or add a harmony in class. Around age five she began piano lessons
and in fourth grade she started playing cello in her school's orchestra.
In 2006, Keira's family moved
to a suburb of New Orleans, where her dad worked for a year. In sixth grade, while in school in Mandeville, Keira was
identified for the St. Tammany Parish Talented Arts Program where she left her home school on Thursday afternoons to focus
on music history, theory & performance. Her teacher Brian Strain said of her: "As a result of her hard
work in class and at home, Keira performed with a great deal of poise for a developing musician. Again, Keira has been
a pleasure to teach and I wish her well in all future musical endeavors."
Keira won an award in the National PTA 2004-05 Reflections Contest
"A Different Kind of Hero", in which she wrote a song about her dad. One of the awards that Keira
is most proud of is the 2008 award she won for Random Acts of Kindness at George Washington Middle School (the same one
where Jim Morrison, Mama Cass, and Williard Scott went). -- In June of 2011, Keira won the Smashtune Songwriting Contest.
The grand prize was a trip to Hawaii, where Keira was a finalist in the Kauai Music Festival's Songwriters' Contest and premiered
her song "This Moment". Keira's debut CD "Wondergirl" was released in November, 2011. She
was voted "Favorite Part of First Night Alexandria" in January, 2012 and was awarded the 2012 Miss Nova Music Award in February. In August, Keira wrote the score for the film "American Financial", which
subsequently won mulitple awards. Currently, Keira is writing new songs for her second album.
Formal Training:
Classical Cello - TC Williams Chamber Orchestra Piano - Formal Training by Piano Studio
of Andrew Horowitz Voice - Paul Ottinger (of Virginia Coalition) Theatrical Training - T.C. Williams Drama Department Dance
Training - Modern Dance Society, Ballet Nova
Theater
Experience: "The Wiz" - TCW HS (April 2013) "The Laramie Project" - TCW HS (Fall
2011) "Rent" - TCW
HS Drama Department - (Winter 2010-11) "The Performance Dinner" - Alexandria Summer Theatre Program - (Summer 2010) "Chicago" - TC Williams HS Drama
Department (Spring 2010) "Picnic" - TC Williams HS Drama Department - (Fall 2009)
Awards:
Miss Northern Virginia 2012 Music Award
(February 2012) Finalist
in the Kuaui Music Festival Songwriters Contest (July 2011) Winner of the national Smashtune Songwriting
Contest (June 2011) Reflections, Merit Award Winner for Musical Composition for her song "Together"
(November 2010) Labryinth
Musician of the Month (October/November 2012)
Volunteering
and Community Involvement:
"Giving Back" - An ongoing fundraiser
that Keira started for the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria Arlington Food Assistance Center Leukemia
& Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk (in honor of Keira's cousin) Moran Family Pancake Benefit for
Jackson Dundon TRCA Angel Park Beautification & Creek Clean Up Locks
of Love
Fun Facts:
Keira's Great Uncle was renowned
American Composer and music theorist Walter Piston
George Washington Middle School was home to Keira, Jim Morrison,
Mama Cass, and Willard Scott
The Movie
"Remember the Titans" is about Keira's High School - T.C. Williams
Keira is a third cousin to Canadian recording
artist Tyler Kyte of the band Sweet Thing ("Easy A" soundtrack, etc.)
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