Marie's Piano Studio

I began teaching piano professionally in 1986 shortly after discovering the Utah Music Teachers Association (UMTA). I am a member of two local chapters. I have served in these chapters in a variety of positions, including the following: Membership Chair, Teacher Referrals Chair, Webmaster, Recital and Ensemble Chair, Recital Committee member, Secretary and Past-President of the Sandy Chapter of the Utah Music Teachers Association along with serving as the Festivals Chairman for the "Sandy Area" of the Utah Federation of Music Clubs (UFMC) affiliated with the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC).

I have presented workshops for the Sandy Chapter, Jordan River Chapter, and Salt Lake Music Associations on motivational ideas and appropriate summertime games for teachers, sharing my favorite books to further piano teacher education. Another service has included a teacher panel discussing technique, theory, pedagogy, and recitals.

I offer a vital mentoring program for high school and college students to current music students. Several of my students have pursued professional-pedagogical studies, joined professional music organizations, and are now successfully teaching students of their own.

As part of these local music teachers associations, my students and I have participated over the last 26 years in monster concerts, ensemble recitals, and benefit events. Through the Sandy UMTA, I organized and participated in large-scale benefit programs in local malls involving eight pianos for benefiting cystic fibrosis, leukemia, and muscular dystrophy. The most recent benefit concert (May 2013) was to help Nathan and Jennifer Strong family. My music students raised significant funding for these causes through their music. In 2000 we received a grant from the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) for our community effort.

I enjoy judging music competitions for our local community school district for the Reflections Contest. I also volunteer in local schools teaching music theory and offer my services at high school music events during the year.

I have made it my personal mission to innovate and put creativity, exploration, humor, and fun into my students’ piano lessons.

My students:

Learn sight reading and steady rhythm from day one so that they are prepared for playing all types of music

Review and retain all their lessons through the use of games and writing their own music (even my beginners!)

Get all the benefits that science has shown piano instruction provides including increased academic performance, higher IQs, etc. And to top it off, this is all done in an encouraging and positive environment

Move through their beginner books faster than the “average” time the publisher recommends, which is about 16 weeks per book