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" I believe that piano lessos should engage the

imagination as well as the fingers.  As a teacher,

my goal is to combine excellent physical

training with a sense of exploration and discovery. Music is a language - one that we speak through the voice of our instrument.  Each piece of music

is like a story waiting to be told.  Piano lessons are about exploring that story together - teacher and student - and discovering how to bring it to life.  

In addition to developing skills, I want to inspire curiosity and creativity in my students.  To me,

that is successful teaching.".

Mrs. Laura Thiele

"Miss Laura"

I have been involved in music and music education for more than 25 years, as a performer, accompanist, classsroom teacher, choral director, and private studio teacher.  I am a certified teacher, early childhood music specialist, and a registered piano teacher with the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

   

After graduating from Arizona State University with a double major in Dance and Music, I began teaching Modern Dance and Musical Theatre in a private high school. Playing the piano was part of my daily routine and I soon found myself teaching a few private piano students after school.  In 1993, I attended the International Suzuki Institute in Chicago, Illinois, where I participated in piano master classes taught by Haruko Kataoka, pianist and co-developer of the Suzuki Piano School.  I was so captivated by her unique teaching style and "whole child" philosophy, that I enrolled in the Suzuki Piano teacher training course at the University of Utah the following fall. Over the years, I have continued to pursue ongoing study and training in Suzuki Philosophy and Piano Pedagogy. The Suzuki approach has provided guidance and inspiration for me and for my students.  I have had the pleasure of seeing my students perform with both artistry and confidence in festivals and competitions and consistently return home with ratings of Excellent and Superior in local and statewide piano adjudications.  After nearly two decades of teaching in Northern Arizona, I am now pleased to call Green Valley home.

My teaching philosophy is a simple one: to teach music in a manner that serves the growth and character development of children, to make learning an active, interesting and enjoyable process, and to strive for excellence with both honesty and humility.  I hope to inspire my students to do the same.

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