Holding her master's degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Utah State University, Emily Ezola serves on the USU piano faculty as the director of the Youth Conservatory and Keyboard Harmony program. As the Keyboard Harmony Program Director, Emily enjoys mentoring a wide variety of students including freshman, Undergraduate Teaching Fellows, and graduate students. In addition to instructing several sections of Keyboard Harmony, Emily teaches Introduction to Music, Music Fundamentals, USU Connections, and Pedagogy Practicum. Emily also teaches private piano instruction at the college and pre-college level and was awarded USU Youth Conservatory Teacher of the Year in 2013. Graduating Magna Cum Laude, Emily received her Bachelor of Music degree with an emphasis in Piano Performance in 2011. During this time she served as the President of the Northern Chapter of the Utah Music Teachers Association. She looks forward to FJH Music publishing a book written with co-writers Julia and Kevin Olson. An active performer, Emily is a featured artist in the Logan Tabernacle Summer Concert Series and was selected to play in the Encore Program highlighting the season’s outstanding performers in August 2017. Placing a strong emphasis on teaching, her studio is also featured during this annual concert series.
TEACHING STYLE
I want my students to build a life-long love for creating music, gain abstract and critical thinking skills, and develop a growth mindset. I want my students to have a strong foundation of piano technic, sightreading, lead-sheet notation, and classical repertoire, while also encouraging the exploration of musical styles that interest them personally. Frequent performances and video recordings are a regular aspect of being in the studio. This equips students with the confidence and desire to share their music with others, as well as teaches them how to manage nerves and perform well in high-pressure situations.