TICKLED BY IVORY

Piano pro loved first toy piano

BY JESSICA LYONS

Wednesday, August 20, 2008 1:48 PM EDT

What started as a child playing on a toy piano has turned to a profession for Forest Hills resident Kerry Politzer.

When Politzer, a native of Maryland, was first given a toy piano, she immediately began picking up tunes on it. Her parents thought she had a knack for it and, by the time she was five, she was taking group lessons. She first began taking strict classical lessons with a teacher when she was eight.

Politzer went on to attend a special high school specifically for the arts in North Carolina. It was in high school that she began to realize this was something she wanted to do as a career.

After graduating from the New England Conservatory in Boston, Politzer moved to New York because of the high level of musicianship she said exists in the city and because there would be great people to play with. She first lived in Brooklyn and has now been in Forest Hills for four years.

“I always heard that New York was the place,” she said. “Everyone seems to end up moving here.”

Originally focusing on work as a jazz pianist, Politzer has traveled throughout the United States. She recently has begun to expand her areas of focus. While taking a songwriting course, she had to write a song each week that had to be performed in front of the class.

Politzer said she got really excited about the process of writing a song. Already having three jazz CDs under her belt, she has now released her first singer/songwriter CD, which is entitled “You Took Me In” and came out in October of 2007.

“I think I felt really passionate about this latest project,” Politzer said. “I really feel like this new singer songwriter thing is really a highlight. I feel like every new opportunity is a highlight.”

But, it is her jazz roots that Politzer said sets her apart from other musicians. She said that her many years of studying and playing jazz piano influence her and impact her approach when playing music.

As she expands her performing focus, Politzer is also beginning to perform more in the borough she calls home. Her next performance will be on Sunday, August 24 when she, Kylie Edmond, and Markeisha Ensley perform during “Ladies’ Singer-Songwriter Night” at the Waltz-Astoria, located at 23-14 Ditmars Boulevard. The show will take place from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

“That’s going to be really exciting because we all have such different takes on songwriting,” she said.

Also, every Wednesday in September Politzer and her trio will be performing at “Groovin’ on the Green @ The Shops at Atlas Park.” It is located at 8000 Cooper Avenue in Glendale. The concert will run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“It seems like a really fun opportunity because it’s going to be outdoors and it’s going to be open to the public,” Politzer said. “I’m really excited about The Shops at Atlas Park gig because it’s a chance to play closer to home.”

For more information on Politzer, her music and upcoming performances, visit www.kerrypolitzer.com.