In this autobiographical solo show with classical piano playing, Cynthia Shaw tells how she enjoyed her cheerful Colorado childhood of playing the piano and making music. All it took was picking up a random New Yorker magazine in a doctor's office to awaken her artistic soul leading her to New York City and its esteemed Manhattan School of Music. This journey proves to be a bit more difficult than she innocently expected when she realizes New York City is very different from her small Colorado hometown.

As the student who struggles with shaky memorization, insufficient technique and the fear that no one truly wants to listen to her, she ultimately masters determination and resilience and overcomes the obstacles that confront this naive, wide-eyed young classical pianist who tackles the Big Apple!

Cynthia relates the youthful determination of her younger self as she confronts her own personal demons while meeting idiosyncratic characters who either inspired, helped or hindered her journey. She thrills her audience with musical impersonations of world-famous classical pianists as she remembers hearing them at the legendary Carnegie Hall, and she beautifully demonstrates her formidable piano technique and musical sensitivity as she performs the live classical piano music of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin and Debussy.

The reviewers says...

"I left feeling uplifted, inspired and with the strong urge to play some piano.  This show deserves a big audience!"  North West End UK *****

"This is a show built for classical music fans - it is stuffed full of goodies from Beethoven to Brahms. But behind the pyrotechnics, there is a real psychological insight at work." The Reviews Hub ****

"What elevates Shaw's show above many of her contemporaries doing the same thing is that, as well as being a rigorous and personable storyteller, she's also an extremely talented pianist...Her story is as melodic as the music she plays."  The Scotsman ***

"Shaw brings a self-effacing charm to her story-telling, talking with touching honesty about being beset by doubts, even as her talent is acknowledged and recognized over again. She has an astute eye for detail...this is a window into an incredibly talented artist's development as a performer - with live piano music on the side:  a wee Fringe treat."  The Wee Review ***

"Best Festival Debut" (NYC United Solo Festival), "Best Solo Show" (Pittsburgh Fringe), "Best Theatre Production" (Galway Fringe), "Best Personal Journey" (Boulder Fringe).

www.VelvetDetermination.com