Piano Lessons at St. Paul School of Music

Simin Schumacher

Available: Saturdays from 10:00-3:00 PM

Simin Schumacher is an expert in working with elementary and middle school-age students and a seasoned piano instructor with a genuine passion for music education. With over 15 years of experience teaching piano, she has mastered the art of guiding students of all ages and abilities on their musical journey.

Simin holds a Master's in Western Classical Music/Piano Performance and a second Master's in Music Education from Texas Tech University, which equips her with both technical expertise and effective teaching methods. Her extensive musical background and teaching experience make her a well-rounded and knowledgeable instructor.

In addition to her piano teaching, Simin has also spent several years teaching elementary Music, making a positive impact on young learners. Her dedication and expertise have even led her to be a featured presenter at various workshops and conferences, where she shares her innovative teaching techniques with fellow educators.

While currently serving as a dedicated public school administrator, Simin's heart remains devoted to teaching piano to children. Her nurturing and encouraging approach, combined with a focus on technical excellence and artistic expression, creates a supportive environment for her students to thrive and grow as musicians.

Pat LYLES

Available: 3:00-8:00 Thursday.

Patricia Lyles was born in Florida, and grew up in Tennessee. She has spent most of her adult life in the Twin Cities with her husband Tim (also a musician), raising her two daughters. She studied piano at the University of Memphis, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. She has spent the past 30 years playing piano for ballet classes for various dance companies and schools, including MN Dance Theatre, Macalester College, James Sewell Ballet, Zenon, TU Dance, St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, and St. Paul Ballet. Pat has enjoyed teaching piano to hundreds of students for more than 30 years. She has also had the opportunity to write arrangements for various instrument combinations for weddings and different events. Over the years, Patricia has played keyboard and piano, and sung vocal leads and backgrounds in different ensembles.

“I know that students are individuals with different strengths. As an instructor and mentor, my goal is to nurture those strengths while helping students grow in the areas which are more difficult for them. I enjoy sharing my love of classical repertoire with students, as well as folk, ethnic, and popular music. I try to help students "understand" music and encourage their own creativity. The love of playing piano is a gift which I feel privileged to pass along to my students.”

Priscilla Previl-Stilwell

Available: Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00-8:00 PM. Saturday from 10:00-3:00 PM

Teaching music since 1991 and performing nearly her whole life, Priscilla Previl-Stilwell brings a unique perspective to the world of music education. She has studied at the university level classical vocal performance, jazz studies, composition, contemporary performance, and hip-hop studies, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Worship Studies, researching the impact of national and cultural arts and expression on immigrant and indigenous religious communities. Her philosophy of teaching and that of life overlap in the strong belief that creative expression is vital to personal and community development.

Priscilla has lived in three Latin American and Caribbean nations, which has added to her global perspective on music and teaching which she incorporates into her classes. She works to develop a balance between theory, practice, and creativity in her teaching style by incorporating practical approaches to sight reading, chord theory, analysis, and composition and arranging.

Since returning to Minnesota from Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Priscilla has focused on teaching in addition to serving as a Worship Director and spending considerable time in community outreach. She continues to study and expand her knowledge, and readily embraces unique challenges and opportunities as they present themselves.

Her teaching environment is relaxed and fun, and she is careful to develop a deep rapport with each student and parent, based on trust, respect, and a healthy amount of challenge. Most of all, her lessons are designed around each student with their unique needs and learning style always central.

MOLLY HAWKINSON

Available: 4:00-8:00 Tuesdays. Online only.

Molly began piano lessons when she was seven and also loved to play by ear. After learning her favorite rock bands entire album on piano she started guitar at 16. She has private, formal, and experiential education. This includes over twelve years of private music study, university courses in music & dance, and a bachelors degree in Studio Arts from the University of Minnesota. She has studied dance privately for the past 15 years, completed a summer intensive program in Jazz Piano at Berklee College of Music, attended a year long live-in/work study position at the Esalen Institute, and holds a TEFL certificate from Hamline University. She is continually developing herself personally and professionally, both as an artist and teacher.

Molly has worked with youth as an educator in a variety of capacities over the past ten years. While living in Monterey California, she initially started teaching piano to a friend’s daughter in 2011 and has been teaching actively since at youth centers, studios, schools, and private homes for the past 8 years. She works especially well with young children, beginners, and adults whose dream has always been to learn piano, or are coming back to it after a long time. She writes songs on both guitar and piano and can help people who want to put a second instrument part to their song, or switch the song from guitar to piano, or vice versa.

Teaching Style

I want to help people be able to play the songs that they love! Creative self expression and creative freedom are two things I value tremendously and are important elements that I bring to my teaching. The creative process is also a healing process and by giving ourselves permission to fully express ourselves we become more present, alive and inspired. I encourage my students to use improvisation, write their own songs, think critically, express themselves, and practice creative freedom. At the same time I give them a solid structure and foundation in technique and music theory. In this philosophy lies a tremendous amount of freedom that I have observed to build students’ self-esteem and instill confidence. My approach combines classical technique mixed with a contemporary learning style that is applicable to modern day music making. Whether you want to learn to read notes, or just play your favorite song, I can teach both! I love all styles of music and can teach across genres.

Paul Hjelmstad

Available: Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 4:30-8:30 PM

Paul Hjelmstad earned his Bachelor of Music (Piano and Voice) and Bachelor of Arts (Mathematics) from Saint Olaf College. Paul has taught piano privately (since he was 12 years old) for many years. Currently, he performs in a number of groups around the Twin Cities. His education is in Classical, but he also performs Big Band, Dixieland, and Jazz /Blues music in various ensembles. (Red Rock Swing Band, Centennial Stompers, Paulytones Group, and others).

He won the Minnesota Youth Symphony Concerto contest in high school and performed with them at Orchestra Hall at 17. He performed an hour-long recital at the age of 12 at Augsburg College. He has also won other competitions, such as the Hiawathaland Piano competition (2nd and 3rd places). He also won Honorable Mention in the 17th MCAC Competition in 2014-2015 for the Liszt Hungarian Fantasy. (Kenwood Symphony Orchestra’s Masters Concerto and Aria Competition).

Paul enjoyed jamming at Jazz Central Monday nights and has played at The Lexington, Crooner's Nightclub, White Bear Center for the Arts, and Lee's Dockside Cafe, and the Outing Lodge. He played regularly at the Dayton Project in downtown Minneapolis and plays regularly at Menard’s on Midway once a week, and also at Westside Volkswagen in Minneapolis.

He continues to play at many churches and halls for fundraisers, weddings, funerals, services, receptions, retirement parties and anniversaries. He has been a frequent performer in many retirement centers around Twin Cities, performing solo piano, in groups, and with singers.

He is currently performing Cello and Piano recitals with an established Cellist at places like the Edina Senior Center, the Baroque Room and various retirement communities around the Twin Cities.

Other venues for playing popular and jazz/blues music include providing dinner music at various restaurants and breweries around the Twin Cities.

Paul teaches children, teens and adults, primarily with standard classical teaching, jazz and blues, and other popular piano genres.