Lauren Daniel - piano
Lauren Daniel has been teaching music throughout the Chicagoland area for the past 15 years and is excited to bring her experience to NEIU! Her well-rounded musical education and performance history brings a unique perspective to piano education, and her classroom teaching experience has given her the opportunity to work with all types of learners.
Lauren began piano lessons at age four. She studied at the Music Institute of Chicago with Clare Aebersold, of the Aebersold & Neiweem piano duo. Lauren later went on to earn her B.A. in Music at UIC, a Teaching Certificate in Vocal Music Education, and later a M.A. in Piano Pedagogy from NEIU. During her graduate work she was a recipient of the Viets Scholarship and was also a finalist in the Elyse J. Mach Concerto Competition. After graduating in 2017, she returned to teaching private piano lessons and performing both solo and in musical theater productions.
Teaching Approach
"I work with my students to focus on all the musical elements; the notes and rhythms are just the start of the journey and story behind each piece. By incorporating music theory and analysis into lessons from the very beginning, my students develop both musical literacy and technical fluidity. Motivation is key to consistency in practicing and I encourage my students to play and learn the music that they love by helping to arrange popular songs, in addition to their traditional repertoire. I believe this helps to create more motivated and well-rounded students!"
Zen Hsu - piano
Zen Hsu is currently the pianist for the Chicago Goodnews Church. He graduated from Wilbur Wright College with an associate degree in fine arts in music performance and graduated from Northeastern Illinois University with a master's degree in piano performance, studying under Dr. Susan Tang. At NEIU Zen participated in the NEIU Concerto Competition, performed in master classes for renowned pianists such as Nelita True and Sergio Monteiro, and was a part of the NEIU jazz band and combo.
Teaching Approach
"Music is wonderful to listen to, but to play that music requires a musical foundation cultivated through different aspects such as technique and music theory. I not only want students to play musically but to understand what they are playing, to fully enrich the students' musicianship and growth. I believe that music is a powerful way to express oneself and I am passionate to help my students play from the heart."
Kathleen Logan - Piano
Kathleen G. Logan is excited to teach piano at The Community Music Program of Northeastern Illinois University! Logan's students have been successful participants in Piano Ensemble Festivals, Illinois AIM Exams, Sonatina Festivals and Student Jazz Festivals as well as studio recitals and musical theme parties.
Logan received her B.A. in Music - Piano Pedagogy at Northeastern Illinois University in 1978. While teaching piano in the Chicago area and continuing her graduate level piano studies at Northeastern, she received a Pace/Steinway Scholarship to attend the International Piano Pedagogy Institute at Teachers College Columbia University, New York, New York, 1984. During her years of piano teaching and bringing up her three children, Logan was awarded the Eckstein Grant for music education through the Bienen School of Music of Northwestern University. She received an M.M. in Music Education from Northwestern University in 2005 and merits the Professional Educator License - Illinois. Logan has taught classroom music for grades preschool through eighth grade and teaches piano for ages 5 through adult.
Teaching Approach
"Making music through the piano can be more than playing the correct notes at the right time. An emphasis toward comprehensive musicianship is offered. Through a variety of learning activities, a student's musical understanding and skills are extended. This makes for a musically rich and authentic experience during lesson time as well as music-making time. Lessons of reading, music theory, technique and expressive interpretation are offered. Upon practice and advancement, students enjoy playing the music of various styles with classical music serving as the core of studies. Students' individual learning approaches are acknowledged and incorporated into the lesson and learning process.
Daily practice at home is required. Good practice habits enable the smoothest of progress which then leads to musical self-fulfillment. A piano in the home is also very important. Upon readiness, ensemble playing experiences enhance the student's musical growth and proficiency."
Diego Tapia - piano
Diego Tapia is currently a junior at Northeastern Illinois University and is majoring in piano performance. Diego was born in Argentina and showed musical inclination at a very young age. He learned the fundamentals from his beloved childhood piano masters, Horo Ansata and Leandro Di Pasquantonio. After high school, Diego continued his musical journey by diving into the world of Indian Classical music where he developed a deep understanding of percussion and traditional ragas (scales) while initiating full-time spiritual practices. He performed for almost a decade in various Hindu temples in South and North America.
Diego moved permanently to the United States in 2013 and received a position as a music instructor at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, where he founded Vamsi School of Music in an attempt to organize and inspire music education in his community. An active teacher and musician, Diego produced an album for Vamsi School Children’s Choir while developing his performance career through a regular schedule of street performances, special engagements and collaborative efforts with musicians from the most diverse genres. Diego Tapia has taught piano, guitar, and Indian percussion in both private and group settings since 2010 to students at all levels. He also teaches piano at Northeastern Illinois University to a wide variety of pre-college students. In addition to his private piano teaching in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, he is also a group piano instructor at City Colleges of Chicago. Diego has also been a recipient of the McGowan Scholarship Award.
Teaching Approach
“Every person deserves the opportunity to explore and develop their inner musicianship no matter their background or age. As a piano teacher, I seek to provide a classroom that celebrates diversity, creativity and allows room for active learning. The type of environment that is safe, encouraging, empowering and fun. At the same time, I believe in the importance of student recitals as an opportunity for them to develop artistic and expressive performance skills. I value and support the various learning styles of my students. Since music is a multi-sensory experience, some students are more inclined to learn how to read music faster than others who rely more on aural skills to get through a particular piece of music. In both cases, I support the idea of incorporating diverse piano methods to stimulate students from every aspect of learning to attain a balanced set of skills.”
