A grand pianist with perfect pitch

Allier Manahan, the CVHS choir pianist, never fails to touch lives with his love for music and his personality. The pianist with perfect pitch has been playing with CVHS choirs since 2001 and has been playing the piano for 47 years.

“He’s smart, he’s funny, he’s kind, he’s sassy, and musically crazy gifted and talented,” said Laryssa Sadoway, the choir teacher at CVHS. Sadoway is Manahan’s boss, colleague, and  very good friend.

When Manahan is with the students, he can be fun, but he means business. He makes sure that he knows the students’ parts, so that he can make sure they are singing their parts correctly.

“Sometimes I’m very fun you know, but when it comes to work that’s when I mean business,” Manahan said.  

Manahan is also known for his sass that he is not afraid to show. 

“I like his sassiness,” senior Paige Cason said. 

Manahan has no problem with being sassy in front of the students and enjoys when they show their sass back to him. 

“Yeah it’s true, it’s true. I can be [sassy],” Manahan commented. “It’s fun when they [the students] sass back.”

Manahan really cares for the choir students that he helps teach and even gets recognized outside of school for his contributions to the choir.

“One thing that makes him special is that he’s so talented, but he isn’t just playing piano, he really knows our students and really cares about them and forms relationships with them,” Sadoway said.

Manahan enjoys going to the gym along with going to the spa and shopping, but he ends up getting recognized by many parents and occasionally students.

“I see everyone’s parents there. It’s so embarrassing,” Manahan said. 

Manahan truly enjoys playing the piano and cannot live without music.

Music has been a part of Manahan for such a long time that he cannot live without it.

“I listen to different genres even when school’s out for the summer,” said Manahan. 

Manahan was taught traditionally to play the piano and it, along with the church organ, is the only instrument he plays. However, he is interested in the cello.

“The cello is something I would like to learn when I retire,” Manahan said. 

Manahan’s talent and energy brings life to choir room.

“He is always so fun and energetic and he always brightens the room,” junior Adrienne Yen commented. “Also you can tell who he is by his cologne. Like when he walks into a room, you can smell him and go ‘oh that’s Allier.’”

Junior Benjamin Chen also loves Manahan’s energy and shares another fun detail about him.

“He’s a very talented, energetic, and caffeinated man,” Chen said.