Tegan Ritchey Biography

 Full Bio

       Tegan became fascinated with music at age 5 when she was shopping with her mother and laid eyes on a piano for the first time. She touched a key, then another, and was hooked. Her parents saw fit to begin lessons immediately.

       First instruction was a woman named Marcia Ward in Annapolis, MD. She taught using the Suzuki method, a Japanese based program.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_method) She then continued instruction with Susan Stare in Mechanicsburg, PA. Just over 2 yrs later, Susan told Tegans' parents she had gone beyond what Susan could teach her and directed them to Debra Nicodemus, who specialized namely in preparing advanced students who planned on moving on to Julliard.

        Debra almost immediately saw Tegan as a Jazz pianist as Tegan had a "Natural feel" for the music. So her instruction began to expand into Jazz and Blues, while furthering her classical upbringing.

       Tegan began singing at about age 9 in school choirs and within her church. She had no formal vocal training until much later. By that time she had been singing for years, so her vocal coach had little to do other than to help strengthen and expand her range as well as her vocal capabilities for different styles of music. She continues to work regularly with her coach, and says, "I learn some new thing every time I go to voice.  And I'm always up for a challenge."

        Tegan says that music was her first love and it will be her last. There is nothing she likes better than to just get up in front of the mic and, "Get to it."

        Her passion for music. Her drive to succeed. Her raw talent. She composes her own music. She writes her own lyrics. She has stage presence and she just flat out loves what she does.

         "When she is singing and she smiles, I can hear it. I can hear the smile on the track. And when you hear it, you just can't help but smile yourself. I've never worked with anyone like her." - Says Anthony J. Reigle, Tegan's first producer.