I have been a piano teacher and performer for more than four decades. I began taking piano lessons at the age of seven and almost immediately started passing on my enthusiasm to friends and family by giving them free piano lessons!

While still in high school, I started taking college-level courses at a nearby music conservatory. After high school, I received a scholarship at that conservatory to continue my music studies. I doubled-majored in piano and voice and earned a Bachelor of Music degree.

After conservatory training, I taught music in the public schools and performed in a band with my husband, who is a bass player.

Graduate School

After a few years of public school teaching, I returned to music school to pursue graduate studies. While working on my Masters and Doctorate degrees, I taught music courses at the undergraduate level.

Doctoral Research and Thesis

Students at the doctoral level have to write a research thesis and then defend that research before a faculty panel. My doctoral thesis presented the results from my research on how the human brain functions when presented with new music concepts. One of my findings was that students have preferred ways to learn music. There is not a one-size-fits-all method to teach a complex subject like music. My thesis suggested that piano teachers could get better results for their students if they select teaching methods and materials that better-matched the student’s preferred learning style.

Since the publication of my doctoral thesis, publishers of piano teaching materials have introduced a variety of method books designed to match different kinds of student learning styles. Today, piano teachers have a wider variety of options to recommend to their students for their piano studies.

Application to My Teaching Practice

Every day, I use the knowledge gained at the doctoral level to help my students in their pursuit of their piano goals. At the beginning of a student’s course of studies, and again at regular intervals, I review the ways the student grasps new piano concepts. Then, I adjust the student’s curriculum to match that preferred learning style. This approach results in faster learning and a more enjoyable piano experience.

Law School

In addition to my background as a piano teacher, I have work and educational experience outside of the arts which has sharpened my critical thinking and made me a better communicator. A few years after earning my Ph.D. degree, I was attended law school, where I graduated with honors. I passed the bar examinations in Ohio and Arizona. My first job after law school was clerking for a local judge, where I learned a great deal about how disputes are settled in a nation of laws. I practiced law at a big city law firm and in my own solo practice, where I focused on estate planning and probate. I am inactive now with the bar, preferring instead to concentrate on teaching the piano.