About

Hi! My name is Penni, and I’m a piano teacher specializing in helping serious students take their skills and performance ability to the next level.

Having the right guidance is important to helping you succeed

The most frustrating thing for parents is a student who still cannot read music. There are too many students who have taken lessons for years who don’t know how to play, and are not progressing. I know this is too often the case from my hundreds of students over the years (approx. 250)!

The goal for all of my students is to build that strong base of theory and skill, leading them to full actualization of their musical genius through both expert coaching and proper practicing regimens.

About Me

  • Certified member of the Music Teacher National Association (Nov 2006).
  • Mother of 11 children and the wife of an Air Force Officer who retired in March 2009 after nearly 21 years of service to our country. My husband currently works for Hill AFB as a civilian engineer.
  • Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with an emphasis in Piano Performance and Pedagogy (Utah State University 1983) under Professor Gary Amano.

I also received an Associate Degree in Arts and Sciences with an emphasis in Piano Performance and Pedagogy in April 1981 at Ricks College (now BYU Idaho) under Dr. Del Parkinson. Both degrees were completed with full tuition, academic and piano scholarships. I performed piano concertos with the symphony at each university.

I taught college group and private piano at Ricks and USU. I was on the faculty of USU’s Youth Conservatory where I taught some group, but mainly private piano. I was part of the dance band groups at Ricks, so I do enjoy good “Pop” music!

I was in a dance band with some of my Jr. High School teachers and classmates, and in a community dance band while in High School with my brother, who was the drummer! I accompanied every kind of choir in Jr. High and High School and had opportunities to lead the choir and to play the organ at church. I played piano for musicals and road shows and talent shows. I played organ for high school and seminary graduations. I played french horn in the concert band and electric piano for the jazz band in High School. I received a performance award at USU’s Music clinic which I attended while in High School. I was valedictorian of my Bear Lake High School class and was nominated as women of the year at Ricks College from the music department.

I have spent untold hours accompanying vocalists and instrumentalists in solo and group settings. I have performed since I began piano at 10 yrs old and still love performing. I have taught piano for over 35 years!!