Christina Taylor-Degazio (instructor, composer, coach)
Christina founded Studio One on the belief that every student has a unique musical journey waiting to unfold. Her goal is to inspire, equip, and empower students with the skills and confidence to explore and enjoy music to its fullest potential.
With over 30 years of teaching experience, Christina has worked with a wide range of methods and teaching approaches, allowing her to thoughtfully tailor each student’s program to their individual goals, interests, and learning style—whether those goals are large or small.
She welcomes students of all ages and skill levels and is passionate about creating a supportive, engaging environment where students can grow both musically and creatively. Her primary areas of expertise include classical and contemporary piano, pop music, worship music, and songwriting.
Christina began studying piano at the age of 4. During her formative years she studied under renowned classical pianists Reginald and Evelyn Beford as well as Brazilian concert pianist Gilberto Tinetti. After adhering to the disciplined study cirriculum of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto up to the ARCT level, she branched out to study jazz and contemporary music at Humber College.
From the age of 15 Christina performed in a number of professional venues. She has entertained through multiple musical genres at such renowned establishments as the Westin Harbourfont, Hamilton Place Theatre, The CN Tower, and was featured nightly in the pretigious Deerhurst Resort for over 13 years as one of their longest-running entertainers; performing on both solo piano and vocally in ensembles in a variety of shows and venues. Christina also toured for 5 years as part of the southern gospel group "Higher Ground" as both vocalist and musical director, making numerous appearances throughout southern Ontario and the northern U.S.
As a songwriter, Christina has many years of songwriting experience coupled with extensive involvement in the recording studio. For almost 6 years she was a staff writer for Centergy Music located in Nashville, Tennessee where she wrote and co-wrote under the mentorship of the highly respected Niles Borop. A number of her songs graced the Southern Gospel Charts and she was also nominated for a Dove award for her #1 single "I Stand Redeemed".
Choral instruction has also been a highlight for Christina over the years, having directed a number of large group performances and vocal ensembles in and around the greater Huntsville area.
In addition to her work as a teacher and music coach, Christina releases music under the artist name "Beautiful Life" on Spotify (and multiple other streaming platforms), where her peaceful piano recordings reach over one million listeners each year. Her music is known for its gentle, reflective tone and is often featured in relaxation and peaceful piano playlists around the world.
As a teacher, Christina brings decades of experience in encouraging and instructing students of all ages - from the young in years to the young at heart. She has helped participants prepare for and complete Royal Conservatory exams, compete in Music Festivals, prepare for performances, write their own music or simply enjoy the rewards of learning a favourite song. Her deepest desire is to help her students strive for musical excellence and foster a life-long passion for music.