Piano Teachers

We make an effort to match each of our students with the best possible teacher for their musical, personal, and logistical needs. However, if someone stands out to you from the list below, let us know and we'll see what we can do. Contact us to move forward with private piano lessons.

Laura Benjamin, who is originally from Westchester County, New York, is a versatile musician and veteran teacher who has a real gift for working with aspiring singer/pianists, preparing them for performance and helping them to build a repertoire. Laura can incorporate vocal coaching and even guitar into the lessons she teaches. She is patient, authentic, and highly effective. Laura is a performer herself, having released two albums of original music. While Laura is comfortable with many different types of students, she is particularly well-suited to working with young women who are interested in pop, country, and musical theater.

Tara Chiusano is perhaps best known at Eclectic Music for leading our Sing-Alongs and musical theater workshops, having become a beloved children's perfomer since she moved to Atlanta in late 2008 from the Washington, D.C. area (where she already had a dedicated following). Tara's primary instrument is voice, followed by guitar. That being said, she has built a following of piano students as well! Tara's commitment to finding out what makes each of her students tick, combined with her ability to break things down into understandable, bite-size pieces while providing authentic, encouraging feedback, have made her a success at working with beginning piano students of all ages.

Jennifer Christie has been one of our most sought-after piano teachers since she began at Eclectic Music in 2007. Although her primary instrument is voice (she has a master's degree in vocal performance from Georgia State), she has a knack for making the piano accessible to young beginners. She is very gentle, warm, kind, and structured. Jennifer has an impressive orientation toward growth - she regularly participates in workshops, continuing education programs, and lessons to further her development as a teacher and musician.

Jessie Davis hails from Salt Lake City, Utah. She has a degree in jazz piano performance from Georgia State University and an active career as a performer and recording artist. Since she began her career at Eclectic Music in August 2008, Jessie has gained a following of devoted students who appreciate her laid-back attitude and creative energy. Her passion and drive make her a great role model for students. She can keep things fun while making sure her students build a strong foundation in music. Students who are interested in improvisation and composition, even at a young age, will do particularly well with Jessie.

Lyrika Holmes moved to Atlanta recently from Memphis, and Atlanta is the richer for it. Lyrika's primary instrument is harp, which she incorporates into performances of her own original music - she is a spellbinding perfomer. Lyrika has a master's degree in music education and Orff certification from the University of Memphis and extensive teaching experience in choir, drama, general music, recorder, harp, voice, and piano. She has the experience and dedication to work with young beginners and is a great resource for aspiring professional singers, songwriters, and harpists.

Kathleen Lang, originally from Chicago, began her music career as a cruise-ship perfomer before settling down with her husband and daughter in Virginia-Highland, where she teaches lessons in her home studio. Kathleen began teaching at Eclectic Music in the fall of 2009 after having taken several years away from teaching when her daughter was young. She brings to teaching the same sense of joy and mindfulness that she gives to her other numerous creative pursuits, among them painting and dance. Kathleen makes a point of teaching her students how to practice and how to play with musicality, giving them a strong foundation to weather the rough patches and develop a strong love for their chosen instrument.

Patrick Lochridge, who is a graduate of the Westminster Schools here in Atlanta, has a passion for songwriting and production. Having studied music theory and songwriting at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt before becoming a music business major at Belmont, he splits his time between Nashville and Atlanta in order to pursue his own songwriting and performance career. However, since he began at Eclectic Music early in 2011 he has proved himself to be a dedicated teacher who provides a highly encouraging and supportive environment for his students.

Jessica Mavros recently completed a master's degree in piano performance at UGA. She also holds a bachelor's degree in piano pedagogy (i.e., a focus on piano teaching) from Shorter College in Rome, Georgia. She is an accomplished classical musician who has the patience, experience, and skill to teach young beginners as well as advanced players. A native of Canton, Georgia and a past Miss Shorter College, Jessica has an understated grace and a soft-spoken, kind demeanor that will be especially helpful for a student who may be transferring from another teacher.

Casey McCann, founder and director of Eclectic Music, has over a decade of experience teaching piano, guitar, voice, drums, and songwriting. As a piano teacher, she especially enjoys working with students in transition. Whether the student is changing teachers, changing styles, struggling with special needs, hitting a plateau, or showing unusual ability in a certain area, Casey will help to determine the best course and begin getting the student on track. She teaches students to practice using a well-defined, repeatable protocol, but also provides room for getting "off the book" by encouraging students to play by ear, discover their own musical tastes, and trust their musical intuition.

Libby Nation is a Georgia native who is at home on bass, guitar, and piano, in addition to being an accomplished singer/songwriter who has toured internationally and shared the stage with many nationally-known perfomers. Libby brings many creative ideas to her teaching, including beautiful illustrations of animals and other characters that make musical concepts come alive for small children. In person, Libby is low-key, relaxed, and elegant, possessed of a sustained, mature energy that allows her to connect authentically with all kinds of different students, from preschoolers to adults. She is a treasure.

Thomas Vinton, known as "Mr. V" to his students, is a performer, composer, arranger, producer, husband, and father in addition to being an experienced and dedicated teacher. Mr. V joined Eclectic Music early in the summer of 2011 in order to lead camps and workshops and quickly became a beloved member of our staff. Mr. V manages to be both gentle and enthusiastic as he guides students toward greater self-expression and skill. He treats kids with dignity and respect, getting great musical results from his collaborations with young artists.

Karen Wyatte is a singer, pianist, guitarist, and songwriter. She is working toward a music degree at Georgia State, having already completed a B.S. in Chemistry from Emory. Karen brings a mature, high-minded perspective to teaching, aiming to achieve the perfect balance between awakening each student's creative spirit and providing the technical foundation for the student to express themselves through music in a variety of styles. Karen's personality is energetic and engaging, with a great sense of humor; she is also very peaceful and grounded, which helps her to channel the energy and attention of young students into music-making.