| Our Teaching Staff |
Jolin Hsu – Music Director  
- Piano, group programs, design and teach group programs
- Master’s degree in Music Education, The Boston Conservatory, Boston, MA
- Bachelor’s degree in Professional Music in Piano, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA
- General music teacher at Cambridge Public Schools, MA
- 8 years experience in teaching both children and adults piano and other music programs
- 6 years as the Music Director of LexiMusic
The Music Director of Happy Music, Ms. Jolin Hsu, earned her Master's
Degree in Music Education from The Boston Conservatory (TBC), after
having graduated from Berklee College of Music with a Bachelor’s Degree
in Professional Music in Piano. Her graduate thesis for Master's
Degree "The Investigation of Absolute Pitch” demonstrates her strong
academic background, as well as the extensive knowledge and skills in
teaching and performance.
While at TBC, Jolin worked as
an assistant in a series of Orff classes for young children under the
guidance of Ms. Edna Geary for a full year. Before her graduation from
TBC, Jolin was a general music teacher for children from grades K to 2
at Cambridge Public Schools from 1998 to 1999, while she was also
teaching private piano lessons in The Musical Suite in Newburyport.
Jolin has been giving piano lessons for private students scattered in
the greater Boston area for over 8 years. Among those, Jolin has
prepared and helped some students to pass the piano grading
examinations administrated by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools
of Music (A.B.R.S.M.).
Jolin designed and developed all
our group lessons, including Music Beginner I, Music Beginner II, and
Music Beginner III, Music Step One, Music Step Two and Music Step
Three, Magic Keyboard I, Magic Keyboard II, and Music Theory for Kids.
For private piano instructions, she also designed Private Piano
Beginner Book, Finger Exercise, and Music Theory, all of these cover
the basic, technical, and theory aspects of piano instructions. Her
comprehensive experience in teaching as well as her strong academic
background establishes for Happy Music and for your children a solid
ground of music education.
Currently, Ms. Hsu is also the Music Director of LexiMusic studio in Lexington, Mass.. |
Reda Slizauskaite 
- Piano, violin
- Graduate Performance Diploma in violin performance, The Boston Conservatory, Boston, MA
- Bachelor’s degree in violin performance, Lithuanian Music Academy.
- 6 years experience teaching violin
Currently the second year in the Master of Music Education program in The Boston Conservatory, Boston, MA.
Ms. Reda Slizauskaite is an outstanding and passionate violinist.
Starting violin training at the age of 5, she has been enjoying
learning this instrument, and eventually she has become a master of
this instrument.
Reda has a heart of romantic music. Her
repertoire includes concertos and sonata pieces of those Romantic era
composers such as Paganini, Shpor, Vieuxtemps, Suk, Glazunov, and
Chachaturian. She also enjoys and performs music by J. S. Bach and
Mozart. Her love of violin music has won her laureate of many
competitions, including J. Fledzinskas (1997), A. Svirskis (1998), and
Competition of Chamber Music (2002).
Starting form the
year of 1999, Reda has taught a number of violin students. She then
discovered that not only performing is fun and satisfactory, so as the
teaching of this instrument. Reda acquired violin pedagogy training by
herself, and eventually inspired her to attend The Boston Conservatory
for more advanced performing skills as well as teaching philosophy and
methods.
Now, Ms. Slizauskaite is in her second year in the
master of Music Education program. While not too busy in school, she
maintains a busy schedule in performing and teaching private students.
She is a very welcome addition to the teaching staff of
Happy Music. |
Julie Stevens 
- Piano, vocal, group programs
- Bachelor of Music, emphasis in Church Music and Organ, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
- Experienced accompanist for all instruments, church organist, choir director, and bell choir director
- Private piano teacher
Ms. Julie Stevens is a versatile musician, exciting music director
for church choir and bell choir, and an inspiring and passionate piano
teacher.
While in St. Olaf College, Julie studied not only the
church music and organ performance, but also she took private lessons
in piano, vocal, euphonium, and harp. This broad range of training, on
top of her academic study, enables her with a deeper insight into the
music. She enjoys teaching private students, as well as in a group
setup such as church choir or the bell choir in churches.
Currently Julie is the Music Director of Community Covenant Church in
West Peabody, MA. She teaches private students in Metro West area.
Julie is teaching both piano and group program in Happy Music.
|
Mark Henderson  
- Guitar, electric guitar
- Bachelor’s degree in Music with Emphasis in Sound Recording Technology, Music Education, UMass Lowell, MA
Mark is truly versatile and musical. He earned his Bachelor's Degree
of Music with Emphasis in Sound Recording Technology as well as in
Music Education in December 2004, from UMass Lowell. He has
comprehensive experience in performing in jazz, especially electric
guitar, as well as in classical guitar solo and in mixed chambers
setting.
While in UMass, he has participated in many
recording, mixing, and production of projects, including two full
length albums. Also invloved are some experimental projects that he
dedicated much energy in. Mark was also very active in UMass Audio
Engineering Society Chapter and MEISA Chapter.
Mark was
the Guitar Instructor in Dracut Music Center, MA, as well as the web
master of a number of websites. A truly versatile artist! |
Ji-Youn Shin
- Piano
- Second year in Ph. D. program in Musical Arts, Boston University, Boston, MA
- Master’s degree in Piano Performance, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
- Performer’s diploma in Piano Performance, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
- Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance, Yon Sei University, Seoul, Korea
Ji-Youn is a virtuoso in piano performance. She has been learning
piano under master pianists in the caliber level as Dr. Emile
Naoumoff. She had won many piano performance competitions and had
performed concertos with many orchestras.
Currently she
is the second year student in Ph.D. program in Musical Arts in Boston
University, after graduated from Indiana University
in Bloomington, IN,
one of the most prestigeous conservatory in US, with a Master’s
degree in Piano Performance and a Performer’s diploma
in Piano Performance.
Ms. Ji-Youn Shin only teaches piano
in our studio. Her training in piano pedagogy and performing skills,
combined with her experience in teaching is a very welcomed addition to
our piano teaching staff.
|
Reiko Yamada 
- Piano, Music Theory
- Master’s degree in Music Composition, Boston University, Boston, MA
- Bachelor’s degree in Professional Music, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA
- Computer skills with music notation software
Reiko is an enthusiastic music maker. She works on music all the time
– she plays piano, she composes music, and she teaches music. Her
insight into the composition and de-composition of music when teaching
young children makes her a very efficient teacher. As such, Reiko is
also able to offer instructions for Jazz Improvisation, as well as
composition for our students.
While Reiko is not teaching
for Happy Music, she teaches piano lessons for after-school programs
offered by IRN. She also teaches youth programs in Boston University
on Sunday. Happy Music is very enthusiastic, as well, to have her on
board as a member of our teaching staff. |
Yee-Han Wu
- Piano
- Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance and Music Education, Wartburg College, Waverly, IA
- 6 years experience in teaching piano
- Experience in general music program in primary school
Yee-Han is an experience piano teacher. She has been teaching piano as
well as teaching music programs in primary schools before she came to
US for advanced study. While at Wartburg College, Yee-Han maintained
busy teaching schedules including private students as well as student
teaching for very young children. Currently, she is enrolled in Longy
School of Music in Cambrige for her Master’s degree in Piano
Performance.
While not teaching at Happy Music and school
is not that busy, she teaches piano lessons in LexiMusic as well as
teaching her own private students. |
Viktorija Knezevic Jessica Alba
- Piano
- Bachelor's degree in Music and German, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
- Second year in Master’s program in Piano Performance, New England Conservatory, Boston, MA
- 8 years teaching experience
Viktorija is an established pianist as well as an experienced piano
teacher. She has the passion in teaching piano as a career
satisfactory goal, as well as playing piano.
She has been
teaching piano since 1998 and her teaching experience includes a piano
studio in Burlington, Vermont, where she taught students of different
ethnical backgrounds, raging in age from 5 to 22. Although she is a
piano performance major, her heart lies in teaching the piano. She is
an enthusiastic and energetic teacher and there is no greater
satisfaction for her than being able to support the skills and talents
of young musicians.
Currently, Viktorija is enrolled in
the Mater of Music program in Piano Performance at New England
Conservatory, and she expects to receive her Master's degree in 2006.
Prior to her enrolment in NEC, she had enjoyed teaching piano lessons
in her own private piano studio in Burlington, VT. |
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