Joanne Barker, UMTC Elite Educator, ORMTA RMT Affiliate member, has been teaching group piano since 2002!
"I believe that group piano lessons offer my students so much more than a weekly 30 minute private lesson.
I can give my students a solid foundation through exploring and reinforcing theory concepts together as a group so they can learn their music with more confidence. The longer lesson time, combined with "solo" lessons, gives students the best of both worlds!"
Joanne has composed or arranged all of the material that her students use in Levels A through F, and composed some of the curriculum for her Conservatory Level students as well. Joanne is able to focus on
what her students need and create level specific pieces to assist her students as they develop as musicians.
To date, she has composed well over 300 pieces for use by her students.
"Music is a joy to me! I love passing on my passion for music making to my students. It is my goal to give my students the tools they need so they can learn new music on their own and carry the love¡ of playing with them throughout their lives.”
Theory is an integral part of classes at the Let`s Play Music Studio. Sometimes learning a new concept looks more like a game as we use many different ways to "learn". Many students have achieved great success in both piano and theory exams, including the most recent theory exam results of 92% and 98% for Level 8 Theory (formerly Advanced Rudiments).
Joanne is a firm believer of "NEPD" - "Never Ending Professional Development"! In April 2020, Joanne enrolled in 2 professional development courses; "The Ultimate Music Theory Elite Educator Program" and " Teach Music Online". She regularly seeks out new professional development opportunities as there is always more to learn about music and teaching!
"A solid understanding of music theory is so important for students. Giving my students the tools they need is my goal. The Ultimate Music Theory online courses have really helped me solidify and prioritize my theory lesson goals."
Joanne has been professionally producing games for use in piano classes since 2005 and in 2012, began creating games for Ultimate Music Theory. She is now the Creative Designer for the Ultimate Music Theory series and the Ultimate Music Theory Supplemental Series.
She is also the Ultimate Music Theory Community Manager where she offers support to teachers all over the world.
Joanne has a Grade 10 Piano Certificate from the former Western Ontario Conservatory of Music. She studied piano at the University of Western Ontario with Marion MacLennan. She gave her first public performance in the spring of 1970 after only 6 months of piano lessons and has been heard at numerous events throughout south western Ontario ever since! Joanne served as church music director and organist for over 17 years and has been an accompanist for over 30 years as well. She has played for many area weddings, funerals and other special events.
In the fall of 2020, Joanne was a Panelist of the Women of Wisdom Mastermind, and was a featured speaker at the 2021 Magic of Music Global Music Teachers Summit.
Over the years, Joanne has been a presenter at many conferences, including the World Piano Pedagogy Conference in Atlanta, Georgia and the Ontario Music Educator`s Conference in London, Ontario. She is a published composer, with her pieces appearing in student manuals used internationally.
