Welcome!
Whether you are an advanced musician or just starting out in your journey, I hope my page sparks your curiosity and supports your artistic growth.
Merging traditional pedagogical practices with contemporary research, I offer a unique selection of music lessons. From 1:1 piano instruction to specialize intensives in music fundamentals for college students, I am dedicated to educating musicians holistically through trusted pedagogical systems and innovative philosophies including The Ploger Method, The Russian School of Piano Playing, and The Kodaly Method.
I offer a variety of learning opportunities for ages 4+ with details available in the Music Lessons tab. I also offer resources for instructors and music professionals through my Blog. Take a peek into my work as a performer and academic by visiting the Events tab where I’ve uploaded past recitals, publications and a list of upcoming events!
For questions or lesson inquiries, please reach out to me via email.
Shauna Bierly, DMA, Piano Performance & Pedagogy
Education
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Shauna Bierly holds a doctorate from Arizona State University, where she studied performance with Dr. Baruch Meir and pedagogy with Hannah Creviston. During her time there, she instructed group piano lessons for music majors, private lessons for music minors, and piano duos, while maintaining a private studio in Tempe, AZ. She also instructed classrooms in Aural Skill I and II, teaching aspects of conducting, rhythm and meter, solfege and sight-singing, interval and chord recognition, melodic and harmonic listening, intonation and audiation and other aspects of music perception, cognition, analysis and theory. As an improviser, she played for ASU dance majors, providing live accompaniment and percussion for ballet, modern and contemporary courses. A defining piece of her time at ASU, she twice coordinated the USASU Bosendorfer and Yamaha International Piano Competitions, which most recently presented Martha Argerich as a jury member.
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During this experience, Dr. Shauna Bierly served as an apprentice to Dr. Dmitri Shteinberg and instructed college piano majors at the conservatory in repertoire, technique and aural skills based on The Russian School of Piano Playing and Kodaly Methods. From performing with the UNCSA Cantata Singers and playing with the Nutcracker Orchestra, to shifting a group piano course online, these experiences shaped her approach to music and solidified her passion for providing effective, holistic education.
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A graduate of one of the top ranked schools in the nation, Dr. Shauna Bierly studied piano, music theory, music composition and music history from renowned researchers and educators. She graduated with highest distinction in the music major and received the Henry Schuman Award for her composition: Memorialz: A Journey Through Life, Time and Alzheimers.
Piano Performance
Big Ideas, Real Impact.
Dr. Shauna Bierly has performed solo and chamber works both nationally and internationally, including recitals at Duke University, UNC School of the Arts and Arizona State University, and performances with the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, UNC School of The Arts Contemporary Music Festival, and Yuuban International Clarinet Festival in Xalapa, Mexico. She is available for recitals and collaborations and is particularly interested in providing educational programs in conjunction with performances. Videos of past projects are available under the recordings tab.
Teaching Methods
Big Ideas, Real Impact.
Dr. Shauna Bierly implements rich pedagogical practices from The Russian School of Piano Playing, utilizing traditional learning frameworks, techniques and methods that instill expressive and sensitive playing. She also implements kid-friendly repertoire and method books designed in the 21st century by renowned pedagogues dedicated to merging the best of Russian and American piano practices. She is passionate about offering informed pedagogies that prevent injuries and allow musicians to soar at the instrument. She is prepared to meet adult learners where they are and systematically build healthy technique from the ground-up.
A specialist in The Ploger Method, Dr. Shauna Bierly offers a unique multi-sensory approach that is rooted in cognitive psychology. Through this comprehensive methodology, she streamlines the learning process for her students by strategically building their skills in memorization, music communication, and performance. The approach reduces confusion, fear, anxiety, boredom and burn=out that stem from overly-logical and academic approaches to learning. Lessons are structured around visual, kinesthetic and auditory embodiment, making pianistic education accessible to learners of different strengths and abilities, and naturally increasing ease, confidence and self-assuredness that extends beyond learning the instrument.