About Me
Accomplishments
2018 Earned a Diploma in Piano Pedagogy from Utah State University from Craig Jessop and Dr. Cindy Dewey
2011-2015 Taught Students in USU's Youth Conservatory, assisted in their many annual concerts which include up to 300 students every year
2012, 2013 Performed in my UMTA chapter's annual piano recitals
2013 Performed in "A Baroque Harpsichord Recital" as part of Dr. Kevin Olson's Piano Literature I class
2013 Premiered my own composition in Dr. Olson's New Music Recital as part of his Piano Literature IV class
2014 Performed in "Jazz Combos" as part of the band Mad Brit and the Guytones
2016-17 Volunteered regularly at the University of Utah Hospital as a lobby pianist
Training
I've received training under Dr. Kevin Olson, a famous method book composer; Professor Gary Amano, a celebrated piano teacher, Dr. Jessica Roderer, and Dr. Luke Hancock. I have attended the masterclasses of the likes of Norman Krieger, a celebrated performer and teacher; Vadym Kholodenko, one of the best pianists of today; among others.
My students have played in Utah State University's Monster Concert, Piano Festival, and Halloween Carnival, as well as several USU Youth Conservatory recitals and private recitals.
Biography
I think my favorite part of teaching is being a mentor, a positive factor in someone's life. Why? Because frankly, being a big sister is the best thing that ever happened to me. I love to get silly, active, and make people laugh. Despite that, i love teaching people of all ages and skill levels. Teaching piano isn't just about teaching music, or culture, or developing discipline and cognitive skills (though those are wonderful results of learning piano). It's about building confidence, raising self esteem, and giving someone a fun activity to do during any life event. It's about giving students a voice, a way to express themselves in a constantly changing, challenging world. Sometimes words cannot express themselves, and that's what music is for.
I've been teaching piano for thirteen years, but I've been playing my entire life. I honestly can't remember which I learned to do first, read music or read words. I first learned to love music because of my mother. She was a church pianist at the time and I, a toddler, would sneak up to the piano to play with her as everyone sang. I remember doing this.
From then, my mother taught me piano through the Alfred Program, which I completed at age 11. I was raised in the Air Force, and we moved seemingly constantly, so aside from my mother, there was never a chance to have a consistent piano teacher for me. Instead, my mother took me to music stores all over the US and spent hundreds of dollars on sheet music and CDs, a lot of which I never played! I taught myself, beginning to compose and arrange music from my surroundings.
My mother had a piano studio when I was growing up, and when I was 13, she helped me create my own studio. I taught every week and held my own recitals as well.
When I was 16 my mother took me to voice lessons, and after a move and a few years later, my then-voice teacher Mark Pearce agreed to also teach me piano, and he suggested I audition for Utah State University's music department. I did, and was accepted into the piano department (unfortunately, I had to pick between piano and voice). Choosing a teaching degree over a performance degree was easy for me.
During this time I performed solos, accompanied vocalists, flautists, and violists, and others, played in a band, composed my own music, and yes, taught students. I've taught students of all ages, and not just piano, but college level music theory.
Teaching is not about receiving recognition. It's about cultivating music in others. I love watching my students' musical selves grow and how music radiates into their entire life. I'm not a teacher so much as someone who knows one way of playing music and wants to see how others do it by sharing what I've learned with them.
2018 Earned a Diploma in Piano Pedagogy from Utah State University from Craig Jessop and Dr. Cindy Dewey
2011-2015 Taught Students in USU's Youth Conservatory, assisted in their many annual concerts which include up to 300 students every year
2012, 2013 Performed in my UMTA chapter's annual piano recitals
2013 Performed in "A Baroque Harpsichord Recital" as part of Dr. Kevin Olson's Piano Literature I class
2013 Premiered my own composition in Dr. Olson's New Music Recital as part of his Piano Literature IV class
2014 Performed in "Jazz Combos" as part of the band Mad Brit and the Guytones
2016-17 Volunteered regularly at the University of Utah Hospital as a lobby pianist
Training
I've received training under Dr. Kevin Olson, a famous method book composer; Professor Gary Amano, a celebrated piano teacher, Dr. Jessica Roderer, and Dr. Luke Hancock. I have attended the masterclasses of the likes of Norman Krieger, a celebrated performer and teacher; Vadym Kholodenko, one of the best pianists of today; among others.
My students have played in Utah State University's Monster Concert, Piano Festival, and Halloween Carnival, as well as several USU Youth Conservatory recitals and private recitals.
Biography
I think my favorite part of teaching is being a mentor, a positive factor in someone's life. Why? Because frankly, being a big sister is the best thing that ever happened to me. I love to get silly, active, and make people laugh. Despite that, i love teaching people of all ages and skill levels. Teaching piano isn't just about teaching music, or culture, or developing discipline and cognitive skills (though those are wonderful results of learning piano). It's about building confidence, raising self esteem, and giving someone a fun activity to do during any life event. It's about giving students a voice, a way to express themselves in a constantly changing, challenging world. Sometimes words cannot express themselves, and that's what music is for.
I've been teaching piano for thirteen years, but I've been playing my entire life. I honestly can't remember which I learned to do first, read music or read words. I first learned to love music because of my mother. She was a church pianist at the time and I, a toddler, would sneak up to the piano to play with her as everyone sang. I remember doing this.
From then, my mother taught me piano through the Alfred Program, which I completed at age 11. I was raised in the Air Force, and we moved seemingly constantly, so aside from my mother, there was never a chance to have a consistent piano teacher for me. Instead, my mother took me to music stores all over the US and spent hundreds of dollars on sheet music and CDs, a lot of which I never played! I taught myself, beginning to compose and arrange music from my surroundings.
My mother had a piano studio when I was growing up, and when I was 13, she helped me create my own studio. I taught every week and held my own recitals as well.
When I was 16 my mother took me to voice lessons, and after a move and a few years later, my then-voice teacher Mark Pearce agreed to also teach me piano, and he suggested I audition for Utah State University's music department. I did, and was accepted into the piano department (unfortunately, I had to pick between piano and voice). Choosing a teaching degree over a performance degree was easy for me.
During this time I performed solos, accompanied vocalists, flautists, and violists, and others, played in a band, composed my own music, and yes, taught students. I've taught students of all ages, and not just piano, but college level music theory.
Teaching is not about receiving recognition. It's about cultivating music in others. I love watching my students' musical selves grow and how music radiates into their entire life. I'm not a teacher so much as someone who knows one way of playing music and wants to see how others do it by sharing what I've learned with them.