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Houston Nelson is a classically trained pianist and piano teacher with over 10 years of teaching experience. He actively performs and has served as a judge for school piano competitions across the Phoenix Metropolitan area. His students span a wide range of ages and abilities and perform routinely at events and recitals.

Teaching Philosophy • Foremost, to develop and nurture a lifelong love of music • To guide students in self-discovery through the development of critical thinking, and aural, visual and kinesthetic awareness • To encourage performance as a life skill that students will be able to apply in other areas of their lives Biography Mary Beth Barteau Shaffer has served on the faculties of Grinnell College, The University of Iowa, Northwestern College, the University of St. Thomas, the University of Denver Lamont Summer Academy and Piano Preparatory Program, Rocky Ridge Music Center, and Pikes Peak Community College. She co-founded the Lamont Summer Academy in 2007, and recently retired as director of the program in 2017. Her students have garnered awards in many competitions and festivals, including the MTNA Competitions and various state and local events including the Schubert Club, Thursday Musical and Beethoven Club Auditions; the CSU-Pueblo Keyboard Arts, Quad Cities Mozart, and Northeast Missouri State Piano Festivals. Her students have performed with the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, Des Moines Symphony, the Fort Dodge Symphony, the Minnetonka Symphony Orchestra, the Rocky Ridge Chamber Orchestra, and on “From the Top.” Additionally, her students are very active in non-competitive festivals and community outreach service performances. Ms. Shaffer has performed throughout the United States as a soloist and collaborative musician with numerous artists, including recitals with faculty from The University of Iowa, Grinnell College, Northwestern College, University of Denver Lamont School of Music, Colorado College, and with members of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. She is also an experienced adjudicator and clinician throughout the United States. Her articles on piano technique have been published in Keyboard Companion magazine. She has held several state and local offices in both the Music Teachers National Association and the National Federation of Music Clubs in Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa and Arizona, and she is currently the West Central Division Director-elect of MTNA. In 1994, she was awarded the Master Teacher Certificate by the Music Teachers National Association and was recognized as the 2019 Teacher of the Year by the Colorado State Music Teachers Association. Ms. Shaffer currently resides in Mesa, Arizona, where she maintains a private teaching and collaborative piano studio. She enjoys teaching enthusiastic young pianists of all ages and levels of ability.

ELLEN SASSANO I received my B.S. in Music Education, piano concentration, with certification to teach grades K-12, from Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA. Over the years I have publicly performed at many community and church events on the piano and organ as featured soloist, duettist, and accompanist including offering solos at church services. I am an active member of East Valley Music Teachers Association which features many student activities. My piano teaching philosophy is simple: I want children and adults to learn to love creating engaging sounds through strong basics of theory, sight reading and technique. I encourage lots of opportunities to promote ease of performance and piano fluency, as well as confidence and pride in accomplishment. Music should, mostly, be fun!

Ms. Lacy currently runs an online piano studio. She started playing the piano when she was 6 years old. After becoming too accomplished for her first teacher she moved on to more advanced classes and joined a piano team. She performed and competed at Northern Arizona University at the age of 17. As a professional Ms. Lacy actively participates in DVMTA (Dessert Valley Music Teachers Association) which is a local professional chapter dedicated to excellence in teaching music.

Christy Porter is excited to be part of your child's music training! Miss Porter grew up in Arizona and attended college at ASU where she graduated with a degree in Music Education. She also received a Master's Degree from NAU. Miss Porter taught music for Mesa Public Schools from 1994-2007, during which time she served on the music curriculum development committee and as the organizer for the Mesa Young People's Orchestra and the Junior High Festival Orchestra. Miss Porter is currently a music teacher at Eagleridge Enrichment Center in Mesa. She performed with the Mesa Symphony for 10 years and has played with many orchestras around the valley. Miss Porter has been teaching privately for many years and enjoys sharing her love of music with her students. ​

Are you hoping to have your young child learn the beginning concepts of piano, and the fundamentals of music? Have you always wanted to learn piano, but felt you were “too old” to learn? Well, after relocating to Arizona, I am beginning to take on students for piano lessons again at my in-home studio. I was accepted to Juilliard and have a background in music performance from Penn State. In the past, I primarily taught younger/beginner students (although I enjoy teaching all ages). I am seeking new students and families, especially homeschool families, to fill daytime hours. I have a casual but professional style, love to teach improvisation and theory, and am willing to work with all ages and experience levels. To inquire about starting lessons, please email me at: Newburkepiano@gmail.com

The Note Room Academy of Music is a private music studio that offers private piano, guitar, voice, violin, acting classes, and drum lessons in the cities of Peoria, Glendale, Anthem and the North Phoenix surrounding area. Private music lessons at the Note Room Academy of Music are perfect for students of all ages and at all levels. We are excited to have a world class performer and college professor that is now enrolling students for the composition, pop theory and musical improvisation classes. Don't miss the opportunity to expand your musical knowledge and be the best performer in your band/group/church band/theatrical debut.

Born in Hong Kong, Dr. Mandarin G. Cheung-Yueh holds degrees in performance and pedagogy from Arizona State University and the University of Houston, as well as diplomas in piano performance from Trinity College of Music, London. She has won numerous piano competitions and performed with orchestras. She has served on selection committees for scholarships, research grants, as well as on governing boards of professional music organizations. An independent piano teacher for 35 years and a current board member of the Arizona Piano Institute, Dr. Cheung-Yueh has served on the piano faculty at Rosie’s House (2019), a community music school serving under-privileged pre-collegiate students in the Metropolitan-Phoenix area and has also taught high-school piano (2016-2018) and designed its curriculum for Arizona School for the Arts. Dr. Cheung-Yueh has written for Keyboard Companion (now Clavier Companion) and regularly adjudicates competitions, conducts master classes, and presents workshops at music teachers associations, including the Music Teachers National Association Convention. Her students have also won awards in various competitions and performed with orchestras. Dr. Cheung-Yueh was President (1991-1997) and co-founder of the Young Artist Committee, a non-profit organization which now, in partnership with ASU’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, presents the biennial Bösendorfer and Yamaha USASU International Piano Competitions as well as The Angelo and Micheline Addona Arizona Young Artist Piano Competition.

Richard earned his Bachelor's degree in Music Education from New Jersey City University. He has been teaching piano and violin for over 30 years. Along with his teaching, he has been a performer with his jazz trio in the New York metropolitan area and has performed extensively in the New York Cabaret scene with his partner Nereide Noble . Richard has also worked in various musical theater venues having composed scores for several original productions. His philosophy on teaching is simple. Make it fun, keep it interesting and engaging for each student. Balance lessons with different styles of music along with technic and theory. Richard will conduct lessons in your home. Parents are always encouraged to observe. References are available upon request.

Originally from northern New Jersey, I have recently relocated to Chandler, off of Riggs Road. I have taught students from 5 years old through adult age for 44 years. I hold a State of New Jersey Teacher of Music Certificate. Education: Bachelor of Arts in Music from Montclair University, Master of Music from Rutgers University, additional piano pedagogy studies with Jane Carlson (Chairman of the Piano Department at the Juilliard Prep). My students have received top honors at the Music Educators Association - New Jersey Annual Piano Auditions. They have also been selected to perform on the MEA-NJ Honors Recitals. I have also served 5 years as a paid judge for the above mentioned auditions. My students have been selected to perform for the Juilliard School Piano Pedagogy Class in New York City. I have also had students win, through the Piano Teachers Society of America Piano Competition, the opportunity to perform at the Weill Recital Hall/Carnegie Hall. Along with teaching in my piano studio, I have taught for 34 years in public and private schools (keyboard class, general music, instrumental music, strings, chorus, band and jazz band). I currently am available to travel to your home for lessons (30, 45, 60 minutes). Students can also study with me at the East Valley School of Music, 4835 South Arizona Avenue, Chandler, AZ, where I currently serve as piano instructor.

Doris Homer is an independent music teacher in the Far North Scottsdale/Cave Creek/Carefree area. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music, has taught private piano for over 30 years, and also has a background of public elementary school instruction. She specializes in children ages 4 & up, including beginning adults who want to learn for fun or brush up on their previous piano skills. Kind, patient and enthusiastic Doris makes music fun! She brings to her private studio a diversity of teaching styles to compliment the needs of each student. With her membership in the Phoenix Music Teachers' Association, students are offered a variety of programs outside the studio, such as Recitals, Piano Ensemble , Music at the Mall and Arizona Study Program. Students in her studio learn musicianship, to read music, to play in other keys, to play by ear, improvisation, sight reading, and music theory. Her philosophy is that each student is special and can learn to play the piano for fun and enjoyment.