Today we’d like to introduce you to Karina DePiano.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m a classically-trained piano player, southern-California born and raised. I grew up performing in piano recitals and rigorous competitions, playing Bach, Beethoven, Brahms; and in between all of them, I would sneak in some Stevie and Elton.
As I went through high school, I noticed that even though my classical chops were getting much stronger, my heart was pulling me towards anything and everything pop.
Having thought I was going to pursue a career in classical performance for so long, when it came time for college I took a risk and switched my entire focus to pop music, getting accepted and then enrolling in USC Thornton’s Popular School of Music.
My four years at USC were invaluable: I honed in on my craft, met future colleagues, started gigging around LA. I even started to get tour offers while I was a student, which is where everything really started to take off for me.
Currently, I tour with Troye Sivan. I’ve also toured with Rita Ora, Fifth Harmony, Miley Cyrus, and Daya. More recently I’ve taken on gigs as a music director, which means I help artists craft their live show, doing everything from hiring the band to constructing live arrangements to organizing playback tracks on Ableton. Music directing is a way for me to tap into my leadership skills.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Funny enough, I feel like on the outside looking in, it probably looks smooth. But like any freelancer will tell you, the dry months can be REALLY dry, but when it rains, it pours.
As a female musician, there are tough parts with every new gig or new person I meet: “Can she play? Is she good?” “Does she know what she’s talking about?” These questions might not be spoken out loud, but body language and tone speak volumes. Then there’s my personal favorite: “Are you a dancer? Are you a background singer?”
“No, I’m the keyboard player, programmed all the sounds, and I run playback and put the band together and sing background vocals.” At one show I was mistakenly ushered to the side of the stage that the background singers were supposed to come in on.
Thankfully, I quickly noticed the band was on the other side of the stage, so I rushed over just in the nick of time for the first song. No disrespect to dancers or background singers; I just really wish people would ask more generically, “What do you do for this artist?” as opposed to jumping to the conclusion that you do a job that’s more popular for women to do.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
As a keyboard player, I love to give it my all, physically and emotionally, while playing.
My classical piano teacher from my childhood thinks it’s nuts but cool that I am able to play a full length set at the keyboard while standing, dancing, and wearing HEELS!
As a music director, I think it’s so important to prioritize being a listener first and foremost with your artist. I make it a priority to constantly check in and make sure that I’m staying true to the artist’s vision when it comes to arrangements and sonic landscapes.
The music directors that I look up to put their artists’ integrity first, as opposed to trying to be flashy when it’s out of context. I like tasteful, well-placed moments of surprise in a live show. Most recently, I’ve worked as an MD for Daya, Malia Civetz, and WENS – check out their stuff!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Hmm… I think it’s a tie between performing on SNL (after enduring a big technical issue) or performing to a sold-out crowd at Radio City Music Hall.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.karinadepiano.com
- Instagram: @sheplaysdepiano
- Twitter: @karinadepiano
Image Credit:
Kylie Nicholson, Danielle DeGrasse, Eddy Martin, Will Heath, and Tom Lasky
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