Portland-area musician Laura McMillan manages to say a lot “Without Words.” Her debut recording melds a deep grounding in the classical tradition with a love of Broadway and an appreciation for the more gentle lyricism associated with the Windham Hill label. The CD already has received rave reviews from listeners who find something to suit any mood. Some praise its gentle, soothing passages for the ability to capture the listener attention without bombast. Others are captured by the up-tempo pieces that can’t help but put a little bounce in the listener’s step. All listeners are captured by the natural purity of the music and McMillan’s obvious compositional sophistication. A natural musician from a young age, McMillan started her piano career under the tutelage of well-known Marylhurst University piano teacher Sister Emerentia Berndorfner. She opened her piano studio, Perhaps Piano, at the age of 15 and has taught piano ever since. When it came time for college, McMillan naturally focused on the piano. She attended the University of Illinios at Champaign/Urbana where she studied with nationally known teacher and performer Dr. Kenneth Drake. She continued her studies at Portland State University with acclaimed local pianist Dr. Harold Gray, a founding member of classical music ensemble The Florestan Trio. McMillan graduated from Portland State with professional performance degree with a pedagogy concentration. Since then, McMillan has performed professionally w