Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch: In elementary school I started taking piano lessons. I went to a Catholic school about three blocks from here [in Bed-Stuy] and the nuns used to give piano lessons, so my grandmother signed me up and made me practice, which I didn't like then but am appreciative of now, so that started it. I always sang in my church as well, all the children had to participate in any programs in church, so I sang in elementary and high school as well. They had excellent music programs, in elementary school we did full-fledged Broadway shows, with costumes… This was atOur Lady of Victory on Throop. We had excellent choir directors, in high school we had four choruses; we also had the boys glee club and the girls cantata. This was atOur Lady of Victory [elementary school] andErasmus Hall [High School], which had an excellent music program, one of the best in the city. Also in high school I participated in theAll-City Chorus, with Mr.John Motley, which was a fabulous experience because Mr. Motley was one of the premier vocal coaches in the country.