MY PHILOSOPHY:

Music is deeply personal. I teach music so that my students can love and use music for self-care throughout their entire lives. I fully believe that anyone can, and should, play music to understand and process the world. Playing piano and singing are great avenues to learn deep listening, self confidence, musical notation, and empathy. 

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MY PIANO TEACHING STYLE:

Every lesson is fun and unique, with something new to learn. I teach classical piano technique and musical elements in a way that fits each student’s learning style, so that lessons are always engaging and interesting. Most importantly, my students learn to love music from the inside out. 

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Students come away from each lesson with strengthened fingers, ears, and minds. I consider ear training very important in the development of a musician, so I teach pieces and songs by ear as well as note-reading. I love music theory, so it comes up everywhere in my lessons. I will never give you or your child theory worksheets that drill concepts, but instead treat theory an an organic, fun part of the learning process. Depending on the student, I may incorporate improvisation and composition into lessons, as well as pop music and lead sheets, songwriting, visualizing music, duets, blues patterns, and musical games.

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Focus areas: strong technique, reading music notation, improvisation, finger dexterity, deep listening, instinctual/expressive playing

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MY VOCAL TEACHING STYLE:

The voice is an organic instrument, one which we have ultimate control over but which we need a lot of imagination to use. My voice lessons focus on the imagination as the primary tool we have to sing well. My students learn how to maintain an even tone throughout their range, to strengthen their natural vocal timbre, and to expand their technical skills so that they can sing the music they love. 

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I assign both classical and popular repertoire, including jazz, so that students stay engaged, and are always growing. I encourage my students to try things that are just barely outside of their comfort zone without straining, to ensure that they are constantly opening themselves to new possibilities, and to help them gain confidence in themselves as vocalists. 

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Focus areas: interval training, pop techniques, even tone, expanding range, healthy physical technique, strength and clarity of tone

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STUDIO CULTURE:

I expect my students to practice away from the lesson each week so that playing becomes a real, and natural, part of their lives. I understand, however, that lives are busy and unpredictable. I always work with my students earnestly on whatever they bring for the lesson, whether they practiced it at home or not.

I have put three children through piano lessons, and so knew a good teacher when I met one, particularly in her seemingly innate understanding about how to interact and connect with her students, and find musical pieces for them to work on that engaged the students, and made them feel excited to return to lessons every week. ​-Cassandra

TEACHING PIANO + VOICE

"If you’re looking for a piano teacher, go with Siena. She taught me the notes, how to understand piano. She’s very nice and kind and she can understand you." -Dax

My daughters, aged 12 and 13, have both grown beautifully in skill and passion under Siena's instruction. She really does a great job incorporating their interests into lessons, it keeps them both dedicated to learning more! -Rebecca

Siena is an incredibly talented pianist and teacher !! I've improved tremendously in just a short time taking lessons with her. Her background as both an accomplished songwriter/performer and as a classical pianist has been perfect for me---She teaches me songs and styles of music that I am interested in while simultaneously giving me a strong foundation in technique and music theory. She really is dedicated to helping her students develop their own voice on the instrument and becoming the best pianist they can be! I'm super grateful to have Siena as my piano teacher. -Chris

"She is an awesome teacher! She was very enthusiastic and completely supportive of what I was interested in during our lesson. I definitely saw myself improve while taking lessons with her!" -Sarah

Siena is an amazing piano teacher. She works to gain an understanding of how her students approach learning and what excites them about piano and music in general and then works to craft her lessons to match each individual in a way that no other teacher I have experienced does. -Soren

"Siena taught me essentially from the start. While I had played when I was younger, I had not played in many years and had not exactly demonstrated much musical dedication or talent when I started learning from her. She taught me quickly and I began to take piano more seriously under her. I went from no practice to a few minutes a day. Her enthusiasm for piano and music was infectious and I have become more invested since her lessons. Now I take regular weekly lessons and play in the jazz band at my school." -Jacob

"What I appreciate most about her teaching is that she really conveyed the idea of playing and enjoying music instead of just concentrating on following notes on the sheet in front of me. I started to understand what the notations could bring to the piece instead of mindlessly and often awkwardly trying to follow them." -Janet

"While she focused on their development as players, her priority was instilling in them a love of piano. She absolutely succeeded! Our kids smiled throughout their lessons and happily practiced each week." -Jen and Dan

"Siena’s ambition, energy and passion for music was what I had hoped my son would experience with his first exposure to studying music. Siena was able to quickly identify his strengths and interest and seemed to know how to approach his lessons with a successful balance of fun and structure. She was clear with her expectations without stifling his interest and playfulness." -Vicki