The Making of a Musician

A Career in Performing and Teaching

Some of Tania's fondest childhood memories included her weekly organ/piano lessons with a pianist who played in a rock band. From the tender age of seven, she learned to read "fake books" or lead sheets and create instant accompaniments on the organ. Each week, her teacher would write out the big top 40 songs of the day on manuscript paper and added the correct chord symbols. Her first recital, after only a few months of lessons, was at a keyboard showroom at a mall, where she played "Let There Be Peace On Earth" to a pedal/chord/chord accompaniment. Thanks to her first teacher, Lenny, she can still fake accompaniments with the best of them, and she honors his memory by passing on those skills to her music theory students. 

She minored in piano while working on her bachelor's degree and was privileged to have a caring and compassionate teacher who was highly skilled in classical pedagogy. He drilled scales and the works of composers from different eras and made Tania a more complete pianist. He passed on his love of teaching and his desire to share his love for music, and Tania's passion and enthusiasm mirrors that of Dr. Pennington. 

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Tania began playing the flute when she was eleven years old. She didn't choose the flute; it chose her because it was a gift from her uncle. Unlike most young flutists, she began studies on an open-hole instrument and thus felt more serious about her studies from the beginning. She was always a technical workhorse and excelled naturally since the flute was easier to control than the piano. Although she majored in music education as an undergraduate student, performance was her first love, so she sought out the expertise of world-renowned orchestral flutist, David Cramer. She was astounded by Mr. Cramer's beautiful tone, fast, even technique and other-worldly musicianship. She tried to emulate the skills of her mentor and, after only two years of study, was able to compete at the national level - one of only 12 flutists nationwide and the only flutist from the state of Pennsylvania. She studied all the standard flute repertoire, over 30 volumes of etudes and the standard orchestral literature. After her first performance at Carnegie Hall, her heart overflowed with gratitude for all of the skills that were passed on to her. She is always eager to share her knowledge of the repertoire and vast performance experience with students of all ages and ability levels.

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Tania's love of music history, theory and research began in graduate school, where her master's project revolved around the French Flute School and its style of elegance and her master's thesis was devoted to Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes. Her writing and research skills improved exponentially under the tutelage of Dr. Carl Schmidt.  He encouraged her to pursue a professorship at an arts school after he heard her passion and enthusiasm for the flute repertoire in the concert hall as well as her excitement for the historical development of music and its relevance in the classroom and society-at-large. Tania was hired at the Art Institute of Philadelphia in 2004 and was quickly labeled the "happiest teacher in the school." She always loved the school's diverse student population and the challenge of presenting cohesive lectures to students without any prior musical experience. She adores referencing popular culture in the classroom and has developed entire lectures around Bugs Bunny, Walt Disney and Star Wars. 

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To keep the legacies of all her mentors alive, Tania offers private flute and piano lessons in 30 ($35) and 60 ($60) minute increments and tutoring in music history and theory ($50 per hour).