Stephanie Nesseth
About
Hi! I'm Stephanie Nesseth. I'm a vocalist, keyboard player, bass player, educator and composer/arranger. I play/sing R&B, soul, blues and jazz.
This is my 20th year teaching music and I'm just as excited about teaching as I was on my first day. I've also performed professionally for many years, fronting my own band, doing studio work, performing solo or with combos for weddings and corporate gigs. I've performed in Kansas City, Seattle, and in southern Spain. I've created music for iPhone games and commercials.
I began studio teaching in 1999 and opened my own studio in my home the year after. During that time, in addition to studio teaching, I played keyboards and provided back-up vocals for a successful KC singer-songwriter and taught students with learning disabilities in a public school district. Years later, I decided to put all my efforts into studio teaching and gigging and by 2008 had 35+ students/week. Two years later, my husband was transferred to Austin. I landed a job teaching general music in a public school and earned my Texas teacher certification. After three years, I moved on to a newly-opened school which presented quite a challenge- build a music program from the ground up. I dove in and created curriculum for middle school choir and middle/high school jazz band. After one year, the choir earned a Superior rating at contest. After two years, the top jazz band earned a Superior rating at two different contests and placed second out of several large district schools.
My husband was once again transferred and now I'm working with a new band, preparing for our first show together. I'm also doing some vocal coaching for a student preparing to audition for The Voice.
Education, Certifications and Affiliations:
BA Music, University of Kansas 1998
Masters-level education courses, Northwest Missouri State 2005-2007
Texas Teacher Certification, Music
Former member, TMEA
Former member, TJEA
For me, effective teaching begins with discovering the student's interests, background, strengths, challenges and goals. Then, with the student, you can put together a plan of action. I tend to be project-oriented, so I plan performances or recording sessions (formal or informal, depending on the student) so they have something to work for. Without a focused, short-term goal, it's easy for students to lose interest and get discouraged. For older, more experienced students, I like to function more as a coach and guide rather than a traditional teacher- this approach affords them more freedom and ownership of their education.
It's also imperative that students of any age truly love making music. It seems a simple, foundational concept, but it tends to get lost among technical exercises and theory drills. Technique and theory are, of course, important components of music education. However, I've found that students are more engaged in those topics if they also have an outlet for creativity. From the very first keyboard lesson with me, students improvise melodies. As soon as they're comfortable, I have vocalists improvise or do call and response. All are encouraged to write their own music or arrange an established tune in a different way. My mantra for young musicians is "There are no wrong answers in improvisation." This allows students to express themselves freely without judgment, which is so important in nurturing confidence and a love of the art. From that point, a coach can then guide them to more sophisticated "answers" in their improvisation and music creation.
I believe that the most effective music instruction is tailored to the learner and their personal goals, with sound pedagogy and plenty of opportunities for creativity.
Texas Teaching Certificate PreK-12
For young, traditional students, I teach from method books and supplement with my own materials.
For older, more experienced students, I created the curriculum and pull music from a variety of sources.