La cathédrale engloutie

by Jodie White

Jodie White is currently a Secondary Bachelorette Student at SUNY Fredonia where she is working to earn her B.A. in Piano Performance (22’). She has been studying the instrument for 3.5 years under Dr. Eliran Avni. She completed both a B.M. in Music Education (17’) and a M.M. in French Horn Performance (19’) also at Fredonia. One of her biggest passions is Piano Tuning/Technology of which she started learning the craft from Graham Howes, RPT during her sophomore year of undergrad. Jodie currently provides a piano tuning service for the Western New York Area. Jodie just completed her junior piano recital which was held in early May of this year.

La cathédrale engloutie evokes a very personal story and connection for me as a musician. Last November a dear friend of mine, Marty Bobak, passed away too soon from a preventative surgery. He was a father of ten and someone I often went to for advice, encouragement, and a good laugh in my childhood. He touched the lives of so many while he was here on this earth. He never thought of himself first, it was always about anyone he was talking to. Whenever I perform Debussy’s Sunken Cathedral I am vividly imagining Marty’s journey into heaven and his message that everything will be alright. Our memories kept me mentally sane and motivated to practice during the most challenging months of the coronavirus pandemic, where many were losing hope. It was an honor to dedicate this piece to him at my recital which was held May 2nd, 2021.