Meet Anna
Hi, I’m Anna! I teach piano lessons to a fantastic group of curious and committed students in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I’ve been teaching piano for over 20 years and I love the way teaching offers so many wonderful opportunities for me to grow and learn as a student of sound, pedagogy and human connection. My love of learning has taken me through degrees in history, theology and now, finally a doctorate in piano performance and pedagogy. As a DMA candidate in piano at James Madison University, I’m currently working on an exciting interdisciplinary project that brings together birds and music while exploring the idea of sound ecology as the basis for just communities. My own piano studio is a bit of a sound ecology experiment of its own as it is housed on the vegetable farm that I run with my husband where the sounds of the piano mingle with the sounds of birds and bugs. Come on out for a visit!
Piano Teaching
At Anna Showalter Piano, we use music to nurture creativity, resilience, collaboration in our studio community and beyond.
My goal as a piano teacher is to cultivate the skills of sensitive listening, musical mastery, ease in technique and creative joy in my students. I believe that this can happen at all levels, from the 5-year-old playing Twinkle to the 17-year-old playing Chopin. Developing these skills takes a curious persistence and long-term commitment on the part of teacher, student and parent, and the rewards are well worth the effort!
Instruction takes place in weekly private lessons and bi-weekly studio classes. I use the Suzuki approach with my young beginners and their parents. My advancing students and transfer students enjoy studying a variety of repertoire and musical genre with classical piano music as the foundation.
If you are interested in learning piano with me please read more about my studio culture here.
Sound Ecology
My current musical interest is to explore the intersection between human music, birdsong, and ecology. My project Sound Ecology: Human Noise and the Gray Catbird, is an interdisciplinary project seeking to help audiences understand how human-generated soundscapes impact birdsong, including the song of the Gray Catbird. My upcoming lecture recital in Fall 2024 will feature four bird influenced works for piano as well as a discussion of bird and human music interactions can cultivate deep listening skills as the basis for a just community in which music, voices and lives from every race, gender, class and ability can be welcomed and heard. Birdsong even makes it into my piano teaching!
Stay tuned for more information about this project!
Performing
I maintain an active life as a performer and collaborative pianist. Recent performances include a lecture recital for the E.J.C. Arboretum held at JMU’s Forbes Center for the Performing Arts, an outdoor recital for Harrisonburg First Fridays collaborating with professional and student musicians, Solo degree recitals at the JMU Forbes Center and numerous collaborative recitals with singers, violinists and cellists at James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University.
