SM

Lisa Maher, M.Ed.

512-663-5530 (voice or text)

email:  keysforkids@mac.com web: www.keysforkidspiano.com

Round Rock, TX

"My children like piano lessons with Ms. Lisa because they say she makes it fun and she is nice. I feel Ms. Lisa is an excellent piano teacher because she knows how to engage and encourage children to play the piano.  She is positive in her teaching and compliments the chidren for their hard work. She has a lot of patience and makes the lessons fun." - Anita G., June 2011

"My children have taken lessons from Ms. Lisa for the last 2 ½ years.  Ms. Lisa is very patient, kind and knowledgeable. She works hard to build their confidence and challenge them. They enjoy performing what they have learned at the recitals." - Andrea F., 2011

"I would like to recommend Lisa Maher to anyone considering piano lessons for their children. My ten year old daughter has enjoyed taking piano from Ms. Lisa for three years, and my seven year old son has been excited to join in on the fun with lessons for a little over half a year.  We couldn't be happier! Lisa makes lessons interesting and exciting for children without overwhelming them. We are so very pleased with the progress our children have made and would love to see other families benefit from her teachings, as well! " - Mary. T, 2011

June 19, 2008

To whom it May Concern:

It is my pleasure to write in support of my teacher, fellow volunteer and friend, Lisa Maher.  I first met Lisa four years ago when she was highly recommended to me as a piano teacher for my oldest son.  Since then, she has taught piano and music theory to all three of my children (ages 5 to 9), my niece (age 4) and to me.  She has also taught ballroom dancing to me and my husband.  In addition, I have worked with Lisa in my role as an executive board member of the Blackland Prairie Elementary PTA.  Lisa generously donates her time and talents to our school on a regular basis. 

Lisa’s natural teaching ability and dedication to her students impressed me from our very first lesson.  She wants each student to be successful and, even though she teaches more than 25 students every week, she works with each student’s individual strengths and weaknesses to help them achieve their goals.  For example, each of my three children learns differently and enjoys different aspects of music.  Lisa encourages my shy child to bring his stuffed animals to lessons to “watch the performance.”  She changes her teaching method as needed to keep my less attentive child engaged, and gently pulls him back into the lesson when necessary.  She uses my oldest child’s naturally competitive spirit to motivate him to continue to improve.  I have also experienced Lisa’s dedication to her students first hand as a beginning adult piano student.  I am learning more because of her willingness and ability to change our lessons on the fly to direct them to my needs and interests, whether it be certain music I want to learn, trouble I am having with a particular concept or how much practice time I have available.   

Lisa often goes above and beyond my expectations as a teacher.  She makes sure my children know more than just how to play the keys or read music.  She also introduces them to different styles of music and different composers.  She creates special CDs for them so they can hear the difference in different types of piano music.  She lets me know of any musical events in our area she thinks our family would enjoy.  She utilizes computer software, games, workbooks and even arts and crafts in her teaching.  When my oldest child decided he wanted to take a break from piano (after three years of lessons) and learn guitar, she was very supportive and even helped us find an excellent guitar teacher for him.

Lisa is encouraging and positive with her students at every lesson.  Not once in four years have I ever seen her anything but warm, cheerful and professional.  My children truly enjoy their lesson time and are always happy to attend their lesson. 

Lisa’s dedication and skill has also been a huge benefit to our local elementary school where she puts in many volunteer hours.  Lisa has shared her talent with our school of over 1,000 students by teaching line dances to all grade levels during wellness classes, performing at our International Fair (even filling in time for another performer who was late),  and singing with children at a student outreach event.  Her love of teaching and enthusiasm for music always entertains the students.  Lisa has also volunteered to organize a school-wide talent show next year.  Lisa has donated lessons to numerous fundraising events.  She is a homeroom mom and even raised over $1,000 for our school by selling advertising space in our school directory and yearbook.   

Lisa is bright, enthusiastic, dedicated, hard-working and skilled, making her an exceptional candidate for graduate study in education.  She has earned my deepest respect and I recommend her for your Master of Education program with absolute confidence. 

Sincerely,

Shelley Matcha

"My son really enjoys piano lessons with Ms. Lisa because she is so encouraging to the young beginning pianist, and she has a contagious enthusiasm for music. We also believe that piano lessons have proven to be valuable in improving his focusing ability, which has carried over into the classroom." ~ Carrie D., June 2011

June 24, 2008

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to take this opportunity to offer a formal recommendation for Lisa Maher.  Lisa has been my daughter’s piano teacher for several years, and I have been impressed by her commitment to teaching and dedication to her students.  Lisa would be an excellent candidate for the Master of Education Program at Concordia University.

Lisa is energetic, compassionate, and genuinely well-rounded.  She spends a considerable amount of time developing and implementing different methods to keep her students (from elementary school age through teens) truly interested in music and passionate about learning more.  She shares her high level of enthusiasm for music with students and parents alike – a quality most important for someone with a desire to be an educator.

For these reasons, I highly recommend Lisa Maher as a candidate for your Master of Education Program. If you have any questions regarding Lisa or this recommendation, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Rhonda L. Stohrer

June 10, 2008

Dear Concordia Graduate Admissions,

I would like to recommend Lisa Maher for inclusion in your Master of Education program.  As her supervisor at the American Academy of Music and Dance, I have seen first-hand her commitment to teaching, to helping others grow through learning and her thirst for knowledge as a lifelong learner. 

During our time together, Lisa has demonstrated a tremendous commitment to teaching.   She works daily with elementary school children teaching them music theory and piano. She does so with passion, energy and drive and with a single focus in mind:  ensuring her students achieve great things.  Whether helping them learn a complex music piece for an upcoming performance, studying great composers or finding ways to overcome their day-to-day challenges, Lisa excels in helping her students succeed. 

For example, Lisa has worked with an autistic student for more than two years, patiently helping him go from being unable recognize “middle C” or even sit at the piano bench for more than a few seconds  at a time to performing flawlessly at a recent recital in front of more than 100 people.  Many teachers would have given up on this child within weeks of starting to work with him.  Lisa would not give up on him, and his life has been forever changed by her loving commitment to his success.

Lisa works equally well with gifted children, helping them fully appreciate and respect the gifts they’ve been given.  As an example, one of her long-time piano students recently began emulating Lisa by becoming a music teacher himself, training elementary school students in piano.  As a gifted pianist, he has been inspired to share what he’s learned from Lisa with other students.  The remarkable thing about this student is he is only in the 8^th grade.

Lisa is equally comfortable teaching one-on-one and teaching in a large group setting.  We recently taught dancing to more than 1,100 elementary students in a single day, in groups of more than 100.  Lisa’s energy and confidence were visible throughout the day and she gave as much of herself to the final group as she did to the first group. 

Great teachers hunger for knowledge to share with others.  I have never known anyone in any capacity who loved learning more than Lisa.  She is thrilled with the experience of learning, of finding that bit of information that illuminates the past, helps to define the present or points to the future.  Her capacity and thirst for learning is boundless.

Those around her describe Lisa as creative, fun, energetic and vibrant. She will have a positive impact on her fellow teachers and administrators and be a wonderful addition to her teaching team.  I have no doubt that she will be one of those few teachers on whom students look back years later and think “She was my best teacher.  Ever.”

I am honored to be able to recommend Lisa to you for inclusion in your program with the knowledge that she will be an outstanding asset to your university and a wonderful teacher to her future students.

Best regards,

W. Dean Kline

Director, American Academy of Music and Dance