We’ve all got a story

Here’s mine.

 
 

Hi, and thanks for being here.

Here’s the rundown on what I’ve been up to since graduating with a Master of Arts Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Denver, Lamont School of Music in 1990.

I opened an independent piano studio in Centennial, Colorado in 1991 and from the start, it’s been my goal to offer innovative, tech-savvy lesson plans to develop pianists who stick with the piano for a lifetime.

In 2012, I started a blog at 88pianokeys.me, which moved over to LeilaViss.com in 2018.

My site includes music app suggestions, dynamic teaching tips, off-bench activities, clever ways to teach with household, repurposed items and original compositions and arrangements.

My fascination with the iPad and apps resulted in a self-published book called The iPad Piano Studio: Keys to Unlocking the Power of Apps. First released in 2013, it’s distributed by Alfred Music, and you can find it on Amazon now.

In 2013 and 2014, I helped plan the MTNA Jazz/Pop Tracks. Then I served as chair of the Creative Pianist Track for the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy in 2015.

With Bradley Sowash, I co-founded 88 Creative Keys, which provided online clinics and workshops devoted to teaching teachers how to teach improvisation and composition at the keys. Although still close friends, we “closed the doors” to 88 Creative Keys and still see the positive ripple effects our workshops have had on teachers and their students.

Numerous nationally-recognized piano publications have published my articles in their journals. I’ve had articles featured in The California Teacher Magazine, the American Music Teacher (AMT) Journal, and for several years, I had my own column in the Clavier Companion, now known as The Piano Magazine. As of 2021, I serve on the editorial committee of the American Music Teachers (AMT) Magazine.

National and international organizations regularly invite me to present sessions on technology, pedagogy, and creativity.

South Suburban Christian Church has kept me on as their pianist, accompanist, and organist position for a couple of decades.

In 2018, I was invited to coordinate the Piano Preparatory Program at the University of Denver, where I arranged and taught group and private lessons while mentoring piano pedagogy graduate students. On Thanksgiving 2019, our son was in a life-changing accident which brought on a shift in priorities, so I left the position at the university. You can learn more about how Carter is doing and what he is doing now, here.

Currently…

  • I teach around 25 students aged 7 to 77.

  • Between lessons, I develop new posts and products for LeilaViss.com and my podcast, Key Ideas.

  • Teachers around the world attend my Composiums which shows them how to compose and arrange so they can help their students do the same.

  • In June of 2023, I was appointed to the planning committee for the 2024 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

  • In 2024, the Colorado Music Teacher’s Association nominated me as their MTNA Foundation Fellow.

  • My husband of 3o+ years bakes THE best sourdough bread from his own starter. We enjoy devouring it with our three grown sons and their significant others. We cherish our roles as “Nana and Papa” to our two precious granddaughters.