12 Facts About Valerie Capers

Valerie Capers was born on May 24,1935 and is an American pianist and composer who is best known for her contributions in jazz.

Valerie Capers's father was a professional jazz pianist who was friends with Fats Waller, and her brother Bobby later played tenor sax and flute with Mongo Santamaria's Afro-Cuban band.

Valerie Capers has been blind since the age of six, when an illness deprived her of her sight.

Thode taught Valerie Capers to read Braille music notation; Valerie Capers had to learn all of her pieces by memorizing them in Braille before playing them.

Valerie Capers was the first blind graduate of the Juilliard School.

Bobby was an impetus for Valerie Capers to start composing, as he asked her to compose pieces for his band.

Valerie Capers took time off from playing classical music in the early 1960s in order to learn jazz.

Valerie Capers formed her own trio and in 1966 recorded her first jazz album, Portrait in Soul.

Valerie Capers found it difficult to find teaching jobs in the 1960s because many institutions were unwilling to hire a blind person.

Valerie Capers eventually was hired at the Bronx Neighborhood Music School and the Brooklyn School of Music.

Valerie Capers was the chair of the Bronx Community College music department from 1987 to 1995.

Valerie Capers composed these pieces so that piano students who were being trained classically could be exposed to jazz.