[1] Her father was a professional jazz pianist who was friends with Fats Waller, and her brother Bobby later played tenor sax and flute with Mongo Santamaria's Afro-Cuban band.
Her early schooling took place at the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind, where she studied classical piano with Elizabeth Thode.
[1] With Thorpe's encouragement, Capers continued to study at the Juilliard School of Music, where she obtained her bachelor's and master's degrees.
Capers found it difficult to find teaching jobs in the 1960s because many institutions were unwilling to hire a blind person.
[1] Following her brother Bobby's death in 1974, Capers composed the two hour Christmas cantata Sing About Love, which adheres to no particular genre but incorporates elements from jazz, gospel, blues, and classical.