At the age of four, Joanna began taking piano lessons in her hometown Calgary, Alberta. For several years, she devoted her studies to classical piano, practicing simply for the enjoyment of playing the instrument. In her early youth, Joanna was already comfortable playing in front of audiences, whether it was for talent shows, music competitions, or for church services. Her involvement in music also extended to instrumental composition, singing, and songwriting. By the time she was fifteen, she started teaching piano lessons at an independent piano studio. After finishing high school, Joanna decided to push her level of musicianship by enrolling in the classical music program at the University of Calgary. The next two years were marked by considerable personal and musical growth. Joanna found herself becoming pulled by music in different directions. Her focus on classical music broadened, thus giving way to her love for styles of music outside the classical realm.
Joanna's interest in other musical genres led to a move to Toronto in 2000, where she began her jazz studies at Humber College. For the next four years, Joanna worked hard to learn as much as she could about jazz piano. There she had the privilege of studying privately with Dave Restivo and Don Thompson, whom she feels did much to guide her not only in the technical aspect of how to learn jazz, but also in how to approach music with a more open mind.
Since graduating from Humber College, Joanna has been gigging and teaching steadily around the city. To balance out her full teaching schedule, Joanna leads her own neo-soul band where she plays keyboard, sings and writes the music. In addition to this, Joanna plays in a groove-based, free-improv band called and the Centaurs. Every now and then she still enjoys playing a jazz gig, whether it is solo piano or in an intimate duo or trio setting.
Joanna considers herself very lucky to have spent her whole life getting to know music through different genres, and feels it is her calling to share her knowledge, experiences, and love for music with students, audiences, and friends.