SALON CO-FOUNDERS

 

Shizka Saeki

Classical Concert Pianist
Composer

Born and raised by musician parents in Hyogo, Japan, music has always been part of my life. I came to the U.S. in 2013 after teaching a wide range of students of all ages within my parents’ music school, each student coming with their own desires and intentions.

After arriving here in the U.S, I continued teaching, though I gradually shifted my focus to my career as a pianist for the past few years after having a son. I wanted to continue exploring my own personal expression of who I was becoming.

In October 2021, a dream came true. I made another 3-day recording with the engineer who helped me launch my recording career and who I highly admire and who continues to inspire me.

Although I was hesitant to teach piano to my own son because of my strict upbringing, he started showing an interest in the piano, and so I started coaching him to learn to play the piano while the recording of my newest album has been in post-production.

As he learns, I saw the glow on his face. His face reminded me of the feeling back when I was teaching; The joy of introducing and guiding young and old to music, and assisting them in discovering their own expression of who they are in music.

Thomas Donley

Creative Coach
Photographer

Thomas Donley is a New York City based Creative Coach & Photographer.  He has been shooting for over 20 years:  from Madison Square Garden to the Ecuadorian jungle; from film sets in Vancouver, B.C. to Charleston, S.C.; from product launches to corporate events; to the wild underground party scene in NYC.  He has freelanced and done projects for publications including The New York Times, Time Out NY and Life Magazine.

Earlier in his career, Donley also spent time within the indie film worlds of production & distribution, working on the sets of veteran filmmakers Brian DePalma and Oliver Stone. He spent several years on the staff of the pioneering indie film distributor, United Artists Classics (The Last Waltz, Diva, Entre Nous).  And, was the in-house photographer for filmmaker Demian Lichtenstein on the set of his film 3000 Miles to Graceland to take behind-the-scenes photographs of Kevin Costner, Kurt Russell, Courteney Cox and Christian Slater. 

Thomas Donley has a B.A. in film and theater from Sarah Lawrence College. He was Co-Founder of the NY Shamanic Circle in 1997 and one of its leaders for 15 years, hosting shaman & medicine people from around the world to teach their wisdom. 

He has been a member of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) since 2002 and has served on the Board of the New York Chapter of ASMP, including as its President from 2015-2019. In the past three years, he initiated what has become a very successful mentoring program called The Bridge for underserved young photographers under the banner of ASMPNY in partnership with the Brooklyn-based educational organization, BKC. It is a program that is now expanding to other cities. Currently, Donley is serving as a Director on the ASMP National Board of Directors, since 2020.