Melissa Coppola
Piano
Social Media and Development Administrator, Individual Instruction, Keyboard Club
Melissa Coppola holds a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from Manhattan School of Music and is currently pursuing her Master's degree in piano performance at University of Michigan. She has taught as an instructor with the Manhattan School of Music Educational Outreach team and has also been on the piano faculty at Piano School of New York as well as Fred & Tian Music Studio in Brooklyn, NY. Melissa has been on the AA-SPA faculty since 2009 teaching privatte piano lessons as well as the Keyboard Musicianship Club.
Personal Statement
Piano lessons should be fun because, well, piano is fun! Over the last eight years, I have worked with students from age 4-16, and my philosophy has remained the same - learning is best done in a safe, encouraging and low-stress environment. I believe creativity should be fostered, never discouraged. In lessons, I bond with my students. I might ask, "What do you picture in your head when you play?" or, "Why do you think this part should be quiet?" I give high-fives and stickers for good work because I also place great importance on respect as well as personal diligence. I believe that students should learn to associate success with effort, and not just ability; anyone can succeed if they try! When studying with me, I hope that students will grow creatively, cognitively, and personally.
Additionally, Melissa also now serves as AA-SPA's Development and Social Media Administrator. As Development and Social Media Administrator, Melissa is committed to raising the online presence of AA-SPA. She oversees the Facebook page, Twitter feed, Wordpress blog, and Idealist.com account. Social media is a powerful tool to connecting with others in our community and promotes the mission of accessibility through online transparency. Melissa has a passion for arts administration.