Mariana Zhavko, Piano

For me, the most rewarding part of teaching music is seeing students’ ideas develop by using their creativity and imagination. And my goal as a teacher is to help them discover and understand the value and significance of every piece of music we’re going to explore.

In lessons, my students and I work together as a team to get the best results in musical and technical skills such as aural and keyboard skills, expressive playing, music theory and technique, and musicianship. My role is to provide each student with the knowledge needed to reach those best results as well as motivate them and not let the practice routine become boring and tiresome. It is important for me to help students become independent learners and develop a strong self-confidence with no fear to perform in front of audience, because “everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear”.

Being born and raised in Ukraine, I first finished a music school in my hometown and got a diploma with awards in playing the accordion. However, I realized that I didn’t enjoy playing accordion that much (and to be honest, the only reason I did graduate from that music school was because my parents forced me to). Luckily, I realized that I was much more interested in playing the piano. So, I went to and graduated Vasyl B. Ternopil Music Academy No.1. After I moved to the US, I had a chance to be a student at Old Town School of Folk Music, Harold Washington College and Dr. Yulia Lipmanovich’s The Art of Piano Playing Inc. I had a chance to teach private lessons back in Ukraine as well as here in the US.

“There are eighty-eight keys on a piano and within that, an entire universe.”  ― James Rhodes