Home of Penny the Piano
Welcome to the Penny the Piano website!
My name is Suzanne Jackson and I am the author of Penny the One of a Kind Piano.
Penny's Story
One evening, I was at a rehearsal with other members of the Washington National Opera. We were rehearsing for a production of Carmen. Placido Domingo was the conductor, and some of the greatest artists in the world were singing and dancing under his direction. The accompanying piano looked completely out of place. It was not a beautiful grand piano, but a small, square upright. This little piano had a story! That night I woke up at 3:00am and began writing Penny the One of a Kind Piano. My husband Robert C. Jackson is an artist and he knew how much this story meant to me. On my birthday that year he presented me with the first illustration of Penny the Piano! At that time I was the yoga teacher for Placido Domingo's Young Artist Program and I showed him the book. He took it on vacation to read to his grandchildren. They loved Penny and he graciously offered to write the foreword.
Penny's Book Launch
In March 2011 we launched "Penny the One of a Kind Piano" at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after a performance of Madame Butterfly where I was again singing in the chorus and Placido Domingo was conducting....just like in Carmen ten years prior. Click here to buy Penny the Piano!
The Musical
The many adventures of Penny the Piano continue to blossom. After months of preparation, Penny the One of a Kind Piano is now a musical and will make her New York City debut at the Snapple Theater Center on February, 17 and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hosts her Washington DC debut on March 25, 2012. See an excerpt from the musical!
Foster Children's Lesson Fund
Penny is all about the joy of music but the main theme of Penny is finding your true home within yourself. Penny is moved from home to home and she can represent the life of a foster child. When Bob and I were writing and illustrating Penny, a new music student came to my studio. After a few lessons I found out that she was a foster child and was paying for her lessons by working at Chick fil-et (when I found this out, she never paid for another lesson) She is the inspiration behind the Foster Children's Lesson Fund which provides lessons in the arts and Penny books to foster children. Our first award was presented to recipient David Cook in September 2011. Placido Domingo was there to congratulate him along with Carmen Balthrop, the teacher who gave him a scholarship voice coaching in one of the Kennedy Center rehearsal rooms that same evening. How can you help?
My name is Suzanne Jackson and I am the author of Penny the One of a Kind Piano.
Penny's Story
One evening, I was at a rehearsal with other members of the Washington National Opera. We were rehearsing for a production of Carmen. Placido Domingo was the conductor, and some of the greatest artists in the world were singing and dancing under his direction. The accompanying piano looked completely out of place. It was not a beautiful grand piano, but a small, square upright. This little piano had a story! That night I woke up at 3:00am and began writing Penny the One of a Kind Piano. My husband Robert C. Jackson is an artist and he knew how much this story meant to me. On my birthday that year he presented me with the first illustration of Penny the Piano! At that time I was the yoga teacher for Placido Domingo's Young Artist Program and I showed him the book. He took it on vacation to read to his grandchildren. They loved Penny and he graciously offered to write the foreword. Penny's Book Launch
In March 2011 we launched "Penny the One of a Kind Piano" at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after a performance of Madame Butterfly where I was again singing in the chorus and Placido Domingo was conducting....just like in Carmen ten years prior. Click here to buy Penny the Piano!
The Musical
The many adventures of Penny the Piano continue to blossom. After months of preparation, Penny the One of a Kind Piano is now a musical and will make her New York City debut at the Snapple Theater Center on February, 17 and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hosts her Washington DC debut on March 25, 2012. See an excerpt from the musical!
Foster Children's Lesson Fund
Penny is all about the joy of music but the main theme of Penny is finding your true home within yourself. Penny is moved from home to home and she can represent the life of a foster child. When Bob and I were writing and illustrating Penny, a new music student came to my studio. After a few lessons I found out that she was a foster child and was paying for her lessons by working at Chick fil-et (when I found this out, she never paid for another lesson) She is the inspiration behind the Foster Children's Lesson Fund which provides lessons in the arts and Penny books to foster children. Our first award was presented to recipient David Cook in September 2011. Placido Domingo was there to congratulate him along with Carmen Balthrop, the teacher who gave him a scholarship voice coaching in one of the Kennedy Center rehearsal rooms that same evening. How can you help?