Hi, I’m Sharon Stosur
I strongly believe that learning the piano, and all music, is a practice. It can be joyful, challenging, and full of musical and personal growth. I’d like to invite you to enter into a conversation about creative ways to establish and maintain our own unique piano practice, and how we teach and support others in their practice. Please share your personal stories, pose questions, and make suggestions on the blog page. Read on for a little bit about my personal practice journey.
I started practicing as a young girl in the Detroit suburbs.
I loved practicing from an early age, and often had to be dragged away from the piano by my siblings, who tired of hearing my scales and classical pieces. Supported and encouraged by an incredible piano teacher, Jean Candlish, I grew from a young girl who loved to play at home in her living room to a developing artist who enjoyed playing music with others as well as performing solo. When frustrated with a difficult piece, sometimes I would be tempted to arrange an easier version for myself, and this continued into high school where I accompanied my friends and often created arrangements of popular songs for them. Participating in a workshop for young composers sponsored by the University of Detroit gave me the opportunity to explore composing original works, and after I heard one of my first compositions performed I never stopped writing and arranging music.
I earned a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance at Central Music University studying piano with Barbara Dixon, who nurtured my love of practice and taught me an exhaustive list of creative practice skills and strategies. Ms. Dixon also taught me how to practice performing, which transformed my playing and instilled a love of musical collaboration that continues today.
I went on to earn a Master of Music degree at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, studying piano with Donald Isaak, and pedagogy with Elvina Pearce. Dr. Isaak taught me to ask, “why?” in the practice process, and thoroughly debunked the myth that “practice makes perfect.” His complete and enthusiastic encouragement was instrumental in learning to embrace the process, rather than focus only on the performance. Mrs. Pearce was an important mentor early in my teaching career, and under her guidance I learned how to teach the skills necessary for careful and productive practice, which enable my students to embrace the joy of learning and performing.
In addition to my own practice and performance I’ve worked with students of all ages and abilities teaching private lessons, groups, and classes. I worked in the music publishing industry for many years and continue to compose and arrange music for all levels. My absolute favorite thing to do is create arrangements for students in their first few years of study. I regularly perform as a pianist with vocalists, instrumentalists, musical theater productions, church groups, and practice daily. Here’s a solo piece by J.S. Bach I’m currently practicing, and one of my favorite collaborative performances with the Milwaukee Children’s Choir.