Catherine Marie Charlton, Pianist, Composer, Improviser

"As Charlton played, she danced on her bench, swaying and stamping her feet. Turning around with a huge smile, she observed: 'It's always fun to see where a piece is going to go.' One could say the same of an engineering degree."

"stellar, emotional and physically moving performances... Catherine Marie Charlton is truly passionate about life and her music and will go far."

"Charlton's piano stirrings were part body language and part innovation, as she leaned into the instrument, [and] swayed hypnotically with the music"

"In a time of sea change for the music industry, this month's trade show and convention of the National Assn. of Recording Merchandisers could prove to be a transitional one for the organization. ...There will be no shortage of live performances. The acts confirmed at press time include Gretchen Wilson, whose debut album has gone platinum, and Hayley Westenra, who has gone platinum in the United Kingdom. Other noteworthy acts include Jason Mraz, Shinedown, Rachael Sage, J-Me, They Might Be Giants, John Brannen, Brazilian Girls, Beth Hart, Bob Schneider, Camper Van Beethoven, Malibu Storm, Catherine Marie Charlton, and Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama."

"...These are the struggling years. Our 20s and 30s when we're still trying to prove ourselves or have reached some level of success but want more. There's fire in the belly. A potential not yet achieved. Call it ambition, drive, a will to do better. That clenching of the fist and gritting of the teeth as you go, "Rrrrr." These four Delawareans [including Catherine Marie Charlton] have it. And you'll see your passion reflected in theirs..."

"...while her early works drew on her love of math, Charlton also uses her music as an emotional outlet. In concert, she improvises much of the material, often asking audience members for ideas... The reflective mood of River Dawn, the composer's latest CD, contrasts sharply with her high-energy live performances. 'It's not uncommon for me to hit my head on the piano, or look over and see my leg sticking up in the air,' she says. 'I literally dance at the piano.'"

"...The 60-minute solo recording of [Catherine Marie Charlton's] orginal composition topped the charts of New Age music. Grammy-winning pianist George Winston praises her soft but expressive sound..."

"Pianist Catherine Marie Charlton will perform during the 104th annual homecoming of Blackstone College... Charlton is the granddaughter of the late Hattie Johnson Charlton, '21. Five Johnson sisters graduated from Blackstone College from 1913 to 1925.... Ms. Charlton plans to bring her great-aunt Lurline to the reunion."

"...Charlton’s improvisational style, which blends jazz, classical and New Age elements, usually doesn’t need words. But literature plays an important part in her songwriting process in several ways.."

"...Tom Martin ...ushers Catherine Marie Charlton to the front of the room to perform several of her solo pieces, including a piece she has written exclusively for the event. ...Charlton barely stays seated on her bench as she pounds out powerful melodies on the piano keys. Her small fingers move gracefully over the keys, making the difficult piece seem easy to play."