I have a broad range of playing experience including church music, classical music (especially for ballet classes), show music (Charlotte's Web, I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking it on the Road), and straight-ahead jazz for weddings and parties. I studied piano with Felix McGuire, piano, organ, and theory at Hood College, had Suzuki teacher training for piano, studied jazz piano with Randy Halberstadt and recently brushed up my music theory at the University of Washington. I have been teaching piano for about ten years both private students and adult beginners and also at at a local school (Arts in Motion). Currently I teach private students in West Seattle (children and adults) and adult students at Sherman Clay (the Steinway store) downtown near Westlake. A couple of years ago I added RMM (Recreational Music Making) classes at Sherman Clay for adult beginners and am now bringing those to West Seattle as well. 

I bring my experience as an academic teacher and as a counselor into my piano teaching to provide a rich, personalized experience to many different kinds of students of all ages. I often use the Faber & Faber Piano Adventures series combined with keyboard-based theory and improvisation but I also use other methods like Artistry at the Piano for serious classically-oriented students and an improvisation series called Pattern Play for students who want to make their own music. Every student is different and each one gets an individualized program. 

I am so happy my parents gave me ballet and piano lessons when I was a kid. Music really has become a true joy in my life, always there to comfort me, to celebrate, and to just have a good time. I hope you feel that way about music also and if you don't now that you will after learning to play your favorite music. I've had plenty of adventures-living in other countries, riding motorcycles, flying airplanes, and even some rock climbing-but nothing has been such a good friend to me as my music. I just love to sit down and play, both old masters and making it up right in the moment. I hope I can share this love for music with you or your child.