Kathryn Lieppman,
Pianist and Teacher
Teaching Philosophy: Kathryn Lieppman
I believe in helping students experience the joy of music-making by giving them foundational knowledge and skills to succeed, introducing them to great and inspirational music, and providing continual positive encouragement. Having a solid technical foundation is just as important to me as developing facile reading skills, but neither of these matter if a student is not having fun along the way. I strive to give my students a well-rounded musical education while also finding the specific aspects of music that make each student come alive.
I believe in getting to know my students and adapting lessons according to their unique learning styles and goals. I don’t use a prescribed “system” but rather tailor each student’s curriculum to them individually.
I believe in engaging not just a child but an entire family in the journey of learning the piano. The more support a child or individual has surrounding their goals, the more successful they will be. Families who set consistent routines, who learn together and listen together, will have a more joyful and enriching experience than those who treat piano like a chore or checklist item.
I believe that learning the piano can be a powerful experience that will enhance your life in many ways, and I enjoy helping my students learn some of the life lessons and critical skills that come along with mastering the ins and outs of the instrument.
Teaching Biography: Kathryn Lieppman
My teaching experience began in high school, teaching beginning piano lessons to a handful of young friends and neighbors in Boise, Idaho. Though I still teach many young friends and neighbors here in Boston, my approach and skill have come a long way since those early years! With a bachelors and masters degree in piano performance, two semesters of piano pedagogy courses during graduate school, over seventy-five students, active membership in the Music Teachers National Association, more than a dozen student recitals, and thousands of lessons taught, I am very experienced and continue to love being a piano teacher.
Aside from running private studios in Tucson, Phoenix, and Boston, I have also worked at the Concord Conservatory of Music (West Concord, MA), and The Brimmer and May School (Brookline, MA). I have been on the summer faculty at Camp Encore Coda (Sweden, ME), leading masterclasses, chamber music groups, and private lessons, and have also been a returning piano teacher at the Boise State Chamber Music Camp (Boise, ID) for several years, coaching piano duets, trios, and quartets.
As a masterclass clinician, I have instructed groups of pianists at Discover Music and Art in Dedham, MA (2018), BASIS schools in Arizona (2009-2011), as well as young pianists in Sierra Vista, AZ as a guest of the Cochise Music Teachers Association (2012). My students, past and present, come to group classes periodically and perform for each other in a “masterclass” setting.
As a classroom teacher, my experiences have been varied: I taught group piano classes to undergraduate students at University of Arizona, and worked as a Teaching Artist in 1st grade classrooms as part of an OMA (Opening Minds through the Arts) Opera Trio (Tucson, AZ). In addition, I taught seventh grade choir at BASIS Oro Valley, and kindergarten and first grade general music at Archway Veritas (a Great Hearts school) in Phoenix, AZ. I have also led several church choirs, and I currently co-run a Lexington-based chorus for adults with special needs called Music Makes Me Happy Chorus. Finally, I co-created an early childhood music program called Clap for Classics, which I teach locally.
I am also an active performer and accompanist. Read my performance biography here.
Find more information about taking piano lessons here.