Carol was born in Miami, Florida in the U.S.A. where she began her classical piano studies at the age of 4 under the training of Zelpha Friedman. She began to play the bassoon at the age of twelve and the saxophone at the age of thirteen. While continuing her classical piano studies with Mr. Manly Duckworth and Ms. Catherine Carlo with the Florida Symphony, Carol always maintained her interest in jazz, pop and musicals.
While attending Palm Beach Jr. College and the University of Florida, Carol performed with the orchestras and jazz bands. Her experience as an accompanist led to numerous concerts with students and faculty members. She received her Masters Diploma from the University of Florida where she presented her thesis on “Special Dental Considerations for Musicians” to the music and dental departments of the university.
Carol has been a member of several different musical groups including “Pat Johnson and the Reflections”, “The Prime Time Jazz Quartet”, “Rosie O’Grady’s World Famous Banjo Band”, the “Mickey Finn Orchestra”, and the “Carol Stein Quintet”. She has experience as a studio musician and has recorded four solo albums; “The Piano Bar” (featuring her own compositions), “Carol Stein Live” (traditional standards), “The Piano Lady” (elegant pianisitic ballads), and “The Jazz Lady” (swinging standards with her jazz quintet). Additionally, she recorded “Orlando Style” with the Rosie O’Grady’s Banjo Band. Carol has also been the pianist and musical director for various local productions of musicals.
Her travels as a musician have spanned the globe from Carnegie Hall, New York, to Walt Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida, to the Montreux Palace in Switzerland and The Oasis Lounge in Hong Kong.
Carol enjoys composing and spontaneous arranging of pieces during a live performance. She may take a child’s melody and turn it “inside-out” in the style of Mozart, and then into a bossa nova, and end up with a Duke Ellington swing. She always likes to add a special touch to each piece she plays, which is one reason she enjoys singing and playing as a solo pianist. However, the delight of performing with a group and the “magic” that occurs when musicians create a sound together is why Carol is always ready for a “Jam Session”.
Composing original songs is a favorite creative endeavor. Please feel free to contact Carol for an originaal compostion made for your special occasion.
For many years, Carol performed as the resident musician for the incredibly talented improv troupe at The Comedy Warehouse on Pleasure Island at Walt Disney World in Florida. Now Carol is “The Hat Lady Pianist” at the world famous Rose and Crown Pub at the United Kingdom Pavillion in EPCOT at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida
Carol
is a proud
member of the American Federation of
Musicians in Central Florida Local #389.
