About The Teacher

I grew up on a potato farm in beautiful Aroostook County and began piano lessons around age 8. Throughout jr. high and high school, I accompanied and sang in the choruses (Alto), played alto and soprano saxophone, flute, timpani drums, the pipe organ, played in Stage Band (jazz band), Concert Band, sang in the Chorus, accompanied the Chorus and Show Choir, and also played the role of Lucy in the musical You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. At the time, our school system was VERY supportive of its music groups, and we frequently took top places in state competitions. My band/jazz band teacher was Steve Orlofsky (whose jazz bands have placed in the top three spots in the State AND National competitions for over 40 years. See his front-page June 2021 retirement stories here and here.)

I attended UMaine and studied Music Education as a Piano major/Voice minor. I was a member of the University Singers (Alto/Soprano II), and played sax in 20th Century Jazz Ensemble, the Hockey Pep Band, and the Marching Band. I also accompanied the University Chorus, the Old Town Middle School chorus, and numerous vocal and instrumental soloists of the music department. I studied with the late Baycka Voronietsky (piano), Lillian Garwood (piano), Dr. Dennis Cox (University Singers), and the late Don Stratton (20th Century/Orchestration).

After college, I taught piano lessons in Old Town, Lincoln, and Howland, Maine, for 4 years; and one of my former students is now a piano teacher! I closed my piano studio in 1998 to pursue an MBA in Finance then worked as a Financial Advisor/Planner until 2011 when I reopened my piano studio, this time in Bangor, Maine. After the much needed time off from piano, I gained a greatly renewed sense of music & teaching, and I am especially loving it this time around!

I am now in my 45th year of playing piano, and my 16th year of teaching privately. I’m a member of the Music Teachers Associations at the national (MTNA), state (MaineMTA), and local (PVMTA) levels. I have held positions as the VP of Membership and as the Independent Music Teachers Forum Chair of the MaineMTA Board.

What I love most about teaching piano/music is helping the students become the best musicians they can be, and providing them with opportunities that they likely would not get otherwise. I love joking around with the students (and parents, too!), and I REALLY enjoy watching each student progress and eventually take pride in their own achievement when they are finally able to perform very well a piece they love!

When I'm not teaching, I enjoy visiting and laughing with family and friends, cooking and eating great food, reading, sewing, dancing (including Ballroom and Latin), listening to fabulous music, and ‘defending the funk’ with my favorite 70s disco/funk band, Motor Booty Affair.