Kathleen's Piano Studio
What Makes Kathleen's Piano Studio Different From Others?
Kathleen isn't satisfied with creating pianists that are just 'good enough', nor is she the typical neighborhood piano teacher. She has a degree in music with an emphasis on piano pedagogy (the art of teaching).
Kathleen nurtures each student musically, mentally and emotionally until he/she becomes a true musician, understanding what music is, how to play it, and most importantly of all—how to make it.
Private Piano Lessons
Kathleen has the teaching tools, the experience and the wisdom born of over 35 years of teaching young musicians. Kathleen knows how to inspire students to excel in music. Private lessons are taught weekly, and group theory lessons are taught twice monthly during the fall, winter, and spring terms. Students may sign up at any time.
Group Theory
Music Theory is essential to a well rounded music education. Kathleen offers an excellent program that she co-authored. Along with their weekly private lessons in studio, which are taught every other week by Sara Perry—an experienced and accomplished musician.
Theory Books, games, and other TCW Resources® products are available through Kjos Music Company.
A Complete Piano Technique Program
Utilizing the materials that she and her TCW Resources® partners developed, Kathleen teaches a complete, theory based, piano technique program unlike anything in common use. Students Kathleen's Piano Studio learn the proper techniques required to execute their pieces in a musical way along with the theory concepts required to read music more efficiently and compose, improvise and arrange music intelligently.
Multiple Recital Opportunities & Competitions
In order to become proficient, every student must become comfortable displaying musical talent and skill in a performance setting. The calendar shows each recital and competition date for the entire calendar year. Please make attendance at these important events a priority, both in preparation and participation.
Ensembles and Concertos
Interacting with another musician to create music is an essential skill every musician will use throughout their lifetime. The experiences that come from playing ensembles and concertos are not only fun but broadens the student's understanding of balance, performance techniques, and musicality at the piano.
Extensive Music Lending Library
Kathleen's Piano Studio boasts a very large music lending libraries in the region. 1,000's of pieces of music spanning nearly every genre of music over hundreds of years. Only current students have access to borrow music from this library.
Composition, Transposing and Arranging
With a little time and exposure to music, students naturally begin composing their own pieces. This is an important step in becoming a highly functional musician. Students are encouraged to write down the music in his/her imagination so it can be polished and presented as the student's original work.
Transposing is a critcial skill that the student learns right from the beginning. Students later learn to navigate through the keys and create transitions between pieces of different keys.
Arranging, means to take another artist's musical creation and add to it one's own unique interpretation. A student's music skills can really shine as they maniupulate and experiment with the elements of music used to create their own personal arrangement.
USU Monster Concert
Students may choose to participate in the USU Youth Conservatory Monster Concert. This event is so named, not just because it draws a monsterous crowd, nor solely because there are over 40 pianists on stage playing pianos at the same time, but because there is a real live monster that appears—much to the pleasure of the young musicians on stage.
Music Money (with spending opportunities)
Kathleen and her partners at TCW Resources® have designed their very own music money system. This money is given out for good behavior, progress, practice, and for any other reason Kathleen feels appropriate. This money can be used to buy items from the studio's store.
Practice Rebates
As an incentive, Kathleen's studio offers $10 rebates for perfect practice for four weeks in a row. The rebates are in US dollars (not music money).
Student Pizza Party
At the conclusion of Spring Term a pizza party is held for all students who scored at or above 80% on their theory and ear-training tests. At this annual event there is usually an abundance of laughter along with pop, pizza, other treats, and a fun kid-friendly movie.
This list of offerings has only been briefly described. We also recommend viewing the policies and FAQs pages.