Mary Rocha
Brazilian artist - writer, traveler, pianist
Mary Rocha is originally from Brazil where she began her first musical education as a classical pianist at the age of 7. As a teenager, she has played concerts and solo piano in restaurants, weddings and shopping malls until she was about 25 years old, when she decided to travel around the world. Mary has lived in South Africa where she continued playing before moving to New Zealand in 2006. She is a former piano teacher at Christchurch Music Academy, traveler, writer, business owner, plays piano voluntarily at Hilmorton Hospital and study Music Arts at Ara Institute of Canterbury.
Mary Rocha
Brazilian artist - writer, traveler, pianist
Mary Rocha is a pianist from Brazil, who has been playing since the age of 7. For the last 35 years, Mary Rocha has been playing on and off. Her first formal education was classical piano when she was 7 years and in her teenagerhood found a job as piano player in a shopping mall in Sao Paulo, Brazil, playing in fine restaurants at lunch and dinnertime and casual weddings. Meanwhile, she has decided to study degree in Marketing and publishing and as soon as she finished, she went in her first overseas trip, to walk 800km for 30 days in Spain on St James Way (Santiago de Compostela). After this trip, the world opened to her and she has decided to travel to South Africa do learn English and there she continued playing piano in shopping malls and practising at churches.
After living in South Africa for 1 year, she has decided to travel to New Zealand where she is residing since 2006. Mary is a business owner dealing with international students and travellers and has published a book last year about her struggles and adventures in South Africa, but continued practising piano at home, making one presentation at today extinct post quake Octagon Restaurant.
Mary felt the urge to come back to music and learn more after her daughter’s enrolment at Christchurch Music Academy, institution that eventually gave Mary the opportunity to teach kids, motivating her to re-start a formal education in music. She completed the Jazz Course at Hagley College leading her to do Music Arts at Ara, where she is currently doing her second degree.
Despite classical background, Mary always liked to play movie themed musics for piano solo and also Tango. Now she is interested in explore more about her cultural background, Bossa Nova and Brazilian styles as well as jazz and blues and create new compositions with singers.