C. F. Earl - Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys

by C.F. Earl

Superstars of Hip-Hop

Alicia Keys

Beyonc

Black Eyed Peas

Ciara

Dr. Dre

Drake

Eminem

50 Cent

Flo Rida

Hip Hop: A Short History

Jay-Z

Kanye West

Lil Wayne

LL Cool J

Ludacris

Mary J. Blige

Notorious B.I.G.

Rihanna

Sean Diddy Combs

Snoop Dogg

T.I.

T-Pain

Timbaland

Tupac

Usher

Alicia Keys

by C.F. Earl

Mason Crest

Alicia Keys

Mason Crest 370 Reed Road Broomall, Pennsylvania 19008 www.masoncrest.com

Copyright 2013 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

First printing
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Earl, C. F.

Alicia Keys / by C.F. Earl.

p. cm. (Superstars of hip hop)

Includes index.

Discography: .

ISBN 978-1-4222-2521-9 (hardcover) ISBN 978-1-4222-2508-0 (series hardcover) ISBN 978-1-4222-9223-5 (ebook)

1. Keys, AliciaJuvenile literature. 2. SingersUnited StatesBiographyJuvenile literature. I. Title.

ML3930.K39E37 2012

782.42164092dc22

[B]

2011005424

Produced by Harding House Publishing Services, Inc.

www.hardinghousepages.com

Interior Design by MK Bassett-Harvey.

Cover design by Torque Advertising & Design.

Publishers notes:

All quotations in this book come from original sources and contain the spelling and grammatical inconsistencies of the original text.

The Web sites mentioned in this book were active at the time of publication. The publisher is not responsible for Web sites that have changed their addresses or discontinued operation since the date of publication. The publisher will review and update the Web site addresses each time the book is reprinted.

DISCLAIMER: The following story has been thoroughly researched, and to the best of our knowledge, represents a true story. While every possible effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the publisher will not assume liability for damages caused by inaccuracies in the data, and makes no warranty on the accuracy of the information contained herein. This story has not been authorized nor endorsed by Alicia Keys.

Contents

Hip-Hop lingo

The Grammy Awards (short for Gramophone Awards)or Grammys are given out each year by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to people who have done something really big in the music industry.

Classical music came into being in Europe during the 1700s and 1800s. This was the music performed and enjoyed by educated people in Europe. Classical music is often symphonies or operas.

Performing means playing music, singing, or acting for other people.

Pop is short for popular. Pop music is usually light and happy, with a good beat.

A vocal coach is a music teacher who shows singers how to improve their singing techniques, take care of and develop their voices, and get ready for performances.

A manager is someone who helps and guides a musician.

Alicia Keys was on stage at the 2008 . A video of singer Frank Sinatra played behind her. Together, they sang the song Learnin the Blues. Alicia was singing a duet with one of the worlds most famous singers!

This was a big night for Alicia. She won two awards for her song No One. The song had been a hit on the radio. You could see the video on TV. Even though she was still young, Alicia already had a very successful career.

Alicia was the musician shed always wanted to be. She was singing with one of the greatest in the world. She was at the top.

But life hadnt always been so great for Alicia Keys. Shed grown up in a tough neighborhood. Her family didnt have much money. Alicias life started out a long way from the Grammys!

Growing Up

On January 25, 1981, Alicia was born in New York City. Alicias full name was Alicia Augello Cook. Her mom, Terri Augello, was white. Alicias dad, Craig Cook, was black.

Alicia and her family lived in New York City. They lived in a neighborhood called Hells Kitchen. It wasnt such a nice place to live! Gangs fought in the street. Lots of people didnt have enough money.

Alicia used music to hide from the things going on in the streets. Her mother was always on her side. So when Alicia wanted to play Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, her mom helped her try out for the part. The music teacher listened to Alicia sing. She knew right away that Alicia was a great singer.

Alicia also found out that she loved playing the piano. Her family didnt have much money, but her mom knew how important the piano was to Alicia. So Alicias mom signed her up for piano lessons. Alicia was going to learn piano.

First Steps into Music

Alicia learned piano in the Suzuki style. The Suzuki style is based on the idea of language. Think of how you learned to speak when you were younger. Think about how hard it is for many adults to learn a new language. Suzuki-style music lessons teach children the language of music.

Suzuki music students must learn by listening, practicing, and playing music as much as they can. Students go to concerts to hear music. They listen to music at home every day.

Students also become friends with other kids who are learning about music. They get together and play in groups. Kids taking Suzuki lessons have to live with music all the time.

Suzuki students perform in public a lot, too. This keeps students from being scared to play in front of people. Students learn to enjoy .

They also help each other do better. They support each other and work together in their lessons.

Alicia was introduced to music while still a young child. She took classical piano lessons taught in the Suzuki method. Dr. Shinichi Suzuki introduced this technique as a way to teach very young children violin and piano.

Parents of Suzuki students play a big part, too. They must watch their student practice every day. They also have to come to each lesson. This way, students feel they have help learning their instrument.

All this was exciting for Alicia. She learned a lot about music in her lessons. She learned to love classical music. Alicia learned to understand music in ways that many musicians dont. Shed use those skills for the rest of her life.

Best of all, Alicias lessons let her spend a lot of time with her mother. Alicia and her mom became even closer. Terri always made sure to give Alicia love and support.