(If you missed my first post, be sure to go back and see part 1 of my background in piano.)
Once I arrived at FSU, I was all excited to start my degree in music therapy! It was ironic that FSU was the one school I hadn't visited at all in person, because I figured, I knew what Florida was like (having grown up in West Palm Beach, FL). However, Tallahassee was a completely different world! It was much closer to small town Georgia than my beachy, suburban roots. I loved it right from the start, and felt even more blessed when I met my amazing piano professor, Dr. Heidi Williams.
Soon into my first semester in the music therapy program, I realized (with the help of my piano professor) that it was not the right fit for me. Though I loved the idea of combining therapy and music (and think it's an amazing field of study!), I wanted to dive deep into classical music and performance. After working with me for a few weeks, my professor also recommended that I'd be a good fit for the performance track. At the end of my first year at FSU, I auditioned into the piano performance program at FSU and got in!
It was such an amazing experience studying with top notch professors and practicing 4-6 hours most days. I was always so eager for my piano lessons each week. I lived and breathed music! There was so much excitement and stress all combined during those years. I learned so much about all different styles of music, and ended up also starting lessons learning the organ!
It started out as just a secondary instrument, but I ended up enjoying it so much, I added it as a second major for my undergraduate degree. In May of 2017, I graduated with my Master's in Music in Piano Performance and Organ Performance from The Florida State University.
I was happy and exhausted to have finally earned my undergrad degrees. However, I knew that if I took a year off before continuing on for my Master's, I would not want to go back. So I stayed for another year and a half and decided to pursue my Master's in Organ Performance along with a Certificate in Piano Pedagogy. This allowed me to continue taking lessons in both piano and organ. A Master's in the Organ is extremely useful for working in churches, and the piano pedagogy (art of teaching!) would be useful for teaching piano students.
I am extremely grateful for my time at FSU and both the music and life lessons that came from it. Both of my piano and organ professors had a way of weaving life and Biblical lessons into their music teaching, and I hope to do the same in my piano lessons that I teach to kids. Music is so much more than some notes on a page. It means so much to humanity and can help to process feelings and emotions where words cannot. My piano and organ studies at FSU were some of the most rigorous times I have gone through, but they taught me so much and I am proud to have gone through that experience. Because of the wide range of styles I learned in college, I am capable of teaching my students music they can truly enjoy and appreciate, and I can give them practice techniques to ensure their success.
If you're interested in signing your kids up for piano lessons near me (Orlando, Wekiva Springs, Altamonte Springs, Maitland), send me a message! I'm always happy to talk and answer any of your questions.
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