Anna Marie Sykes

Anna Marie began taking piano lessons at age 4 and French horn lessons at age 8. At 10 she was composing her first full-length works and later began playing jazz and studying voice throughout her teenage years. At age 15, she began playing the coffeehouse scene with Americana, a musical duo with Erik Balkey (www.erikbalkey.com), and at age 16 got her first weekly cocktail-hour lounge gig. She later graduated from Juilliard Pre-College and continued her music studies at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.At age 19, Anna Marie had her solo debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall and played there again at age 21. Other venues where she has performed solo include: Steinway Hall, Julliard Theatre at Lincoln Center, Count Basie Theater, Columbia University’s Postcrypt Venue, Nicholas Music Center, Brookdale College, Union County College Auditorium, and Broadway Theater. Recently, Anna Marie has concentrated on playing lounges, restaurants, weddings, corporate and private parties and cocktail receptions.In 2004 and 2006, she sang on Widnstorm's CD releases "Perseverance" and Snapshots of Life." In addition, she has been working in forming a new band called "Groove Thing," a four-piece ensemble which will perform works of classic rock, funk and contemporary pop. More recordings to be released soon--stay tuned!