HILL “How to Play Piano”
I’m so excited to write this entry. Hilleroo and I met for the first time at 7 West. A sort of hippie-type all-night bring-your-own-vegan 20-page-menu sort of joint just south of Bloor. Hill reached out to me because we had a friend in common, were both involved in the arts, and *most importantly, the reason it’s always okay to reach out to a total stranger* we are both ‘old girls’ of Trafalgar Castle, the private all-girl high school we attended in very different eras.
Off the top of my he
ad, I’d estimate that Hill graduated a full decade after I did, but it only took one meeting for us to that we were kindred spirits. Interestingly, Hill isn’t really like me in a lot of ways. First of all, she’s far more earthy and out there in her life views. In general, I tend to prefer the facts and let the romance bloom from that, but our relationship was only a few dates on when Hill brought me to The Rock Shop in the annex (where we talked about crystals and bought matching hematite rings). While I work primarily behind the scenes, Hill is an extraordinarily talented artist–she’s been on tour and in the studio with some of Toronto’s most beloved artists
(The Weeknd, Serena Ryder, etc) and her own band (Hill & The Sky Heroes) is totally awesome. Their sophomore release is one of those albums Mark and I put on repeat one summer and let simmer.
Over the past few years, we’ve read runes together, worked on her official bio, and smudged the dining room for bad juju. At the 11.11.11 release party for her album, she sang happy birthday to your dad in front of a huge crowd and had a birthday cake brought in from god-knows-where accompanied by a tuba player, honking away.
So now this insanely good artist who has mastered just about every instrument–both ‘on’ and backstage–is giving you your first lesson in how to play piano. If you end up being a famous musician, my darling, remember that it was this girl’s ambition, talent, and vibrant spirit that sparked your gift.
Thanks Hillster.