Testimonials
“With tenderness and sensitivity, Penny plays her very heart into her piano music. My favorite recordings are the ones that celebrate great literature and poetry. Not only do I hear her soul in these compositions, but the soul of the great poets as well.”
— Gloria Gaither (lyricist, author, communicator)
“Penny and I met in our high school concert choir where she was our pianist. Our common love for music has carried us far over the decades. I ended up in Germany studying voice, and have been a tenor in the State Opera in Darmstadt for over 25 years. I’ve always loved Penny’s sacred music, but her journey into composing art songs based on famous poetry is a new delight. My only regret is the geographical distance between us which has kept us from performing together! ”
— Bruce Miller, Opera Singer, State Opera/Darmstadt, Germany
“Penny Rodriguez manages to blend exquisite poetry with a fresh harmonic approach. These crossover pieces fill the gap between art song and a more popular genre, providing a gateway for further exploration in either direction. I highly recommend her art songs to performers and teachers alike.”
— Sylvia Patterson Scott, Vocal coach and 1st Call Principal Keyboardist, Indianapolis Symphony (ret.)
“When the art of music reaches the ear...we listen. When it reaches the heart, we feel it. When it reaches the soul, we are held captive to its blessing. The music of Penny Rodriguez reaches the soul...and we are blessed. As she plays the first few notes, I feel like I am entering a sacred space. When the final notes of her music are played...I am left wanting more. My soul needs more. In a world where chaos and loud voices bring weariness to my soul, Penny's music is a sweet balm that soothes and calms my weary soul. It's as if God whispered into Penny's ear, "I gave you a gift that the world needs, daughter of mine...use your gift for my glory." Penny listened and obeyed. We are blessed by that gift.”
— Janet Hart Leonard, author of When the Hart Speaks/ Columnist for the Hamilton County Reporter
“Penny Rodriguez creates lovely arrangements of traditional hymns that we have enjoyed for years. Now she has applied her amazing talents to express some of Western culture’s greatest poetry by Lord Byron, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and others. Her music turns their powerfully evocative words into exquisite art songs.”
— LeAnne Smith Hardy, author of The Gospel According to George; Exploring Handel’s Messiah
“Wow Penny! This [Fall Leaves] made me cry. These are the dearest of lyrics, especially since they came from seven year old Tigerlilly Holyoak (which is poetry in itself!) Your music is a beautiful mix of playfulness and the swirling of fall leaves. What a gift you have! To be able to reach into Tigerlilly's little soul, and see her love of life in her words and then put that to exactly the right music to evoke swirling and colors and falling to our knees is spectacular. You are doing exactly what creation is asking you to do. Evoke connection, evoke love, evoke innocence.
Thank you Penny. You've made my day.”
— Susan Lindsay