Viv – Brighton’s own one-name celebrity musician

The Independent
What’s with the single name? First there was Cher, Madonna, Enya, and now Viv. Brighton’s very own multi-talented Vivian Thompson has just launched her first solo CD and hopes listeners will find her original compositions inspiring.

Viv is known to most as Vivian Thompson, daughter of Claude and Doreen Thompson, and she has just released her first solo piano CD entitled “Diversion”, featuring all original compositions. The 11-track CD includes nine easy listening pieces done in a classical piano style while two tracks are “jazzy” and include bass and percussion. Music is Viv’s passion and form of self-expression and provides her with inner peace.

“Music is very powerful. It gives the listener the ability to use their imagination, visit a familiar place and remember a memory or feeling,” she said.

With this CD, Viv hopes to share her music and provide you, the listener, with a moment of “diversion” from your everyday life.

Vivian is no stranger to the area. Growing up in Brighton, she has been involved in several music festivals for piano, voice, composition and school bands in both the Northumberland Music Festival and the Rotary Music Festival.

She studied piano with Lenna Snider Baker and theory with Olive Bentley. She has received several Gold Medals and scholarships and was the first recipient of the Silver Tray Competition given to the “Finest Festival Pianist” in the Rotary Music Festival.

While studying composition at Queen’s University, the Quinte Symphony performed one of her orchestral compositions. Then she continued her post-grad studies and Bachelor of Education at the University of Western Ontario. Currently she is an elementary school music teacher with the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board.

For the past two years she has been the assistant conductor of the Quinte Living Centre Band. She also enjoys tap dancing and has been seen in many local recitals and community events. She continues to look for opportunities to compose and perform her music.

The CD launch was held on October 14 in Belleville, and now the CD Diversion by Viv can be found at many local retail outlets throughout the Quinte area such as Sam the Record Man, Serendipity Gifts, SideStreet Gallery in Wellington and Lighthouse Books in Brighton.

Welcome the Diversion and discover the latest easy listening CD by Viv.

For more information visit www.vivmusic.ca