SAINT JUDE PIANO PROGRAM
The Piano Lessons Program at St. Jude School provides all students in grades K5 through 8th grade the opportunity to study piano during school hours or after school. Private, individual lessons are 30 minutes long, and are scheduled throughout the week during school hours or after school. Three excellent teachers staff the program: Dr. Peggy Otwell, Mr. Aeron Ogden, and Ms. Emily Rokser. All are experienced, professional teachers who love working with students
of all ages.
For more information, please contact:
Email: Peggy Otwell, program coordinator
or telephone her at (262) 786-1361, evenings after 7pm, or weekends.
of all ages.
For more information, please contact:
Email: Peggy Otwell, program coordinator
or telephone her at (262) 786-1361, evenings after 7pm, or weekends.
St. Jude Piano Program Faculty
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Peggy Otwell
Peggy Otwell is an accomplished concert pianist and master teacher who has taught students from ages five to eighty in group and private lessons in her independent piano studio and at several universities. She is a published author/editor and composer (G. Schirmer Editions, Hal Leonard), a nationally known presenter in the field of piano pedagogy, and a performer whose solo and chamber music concerts have gained critical acclaim. Professor Otwell is a member of the music faculty of Mt. Mary College and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and manages an independent music studio in her home, as well. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she studied with renowned teachers Stewart Gordon, Nelita True, and Thomas Schumacher. As a Fulbright scholar, she also studied with French pianist Gaby Casadesus, in Paris, France. As a teacher, Peggy believes that every person benefits from having music in his or her life, and acts on that belief by fostering active participation in the arts. She encourages students to explore their personal creativity through their piano lessons with her, incorporating creative exercises in improvisation, music composition, ear training, and theory into weekly piano lessons. She lives in New Berlin with her son, Joshua. |
Aeron Ogden
Aeron Ogden is a composer, musician, and educator with 18 years of experience teaching piano. A member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Mr. Ogden has composed music for theater and commercial projects and recently completed work on concept music for a major feature film for The Third Floor, a production studio specializing in previsualization for feature films, game cinematics, and commercial projects. He has worked as an accompanist for the Florentine Opera and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Dance Department, performed for numerous events and venues, and served as a church music director. As an educator, Mr. Ogden has taught classroom music and workshops and has managed a piano teaching studio since 1994. He has worked with hundreds of students ranging from age 3 to 80, teaching both individual lessons and group classes in piano, music theory, composition and recording technology. Mr. Ogden received a Bachelor of Arts in Music (piano major) from Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana, with the inclusion of a study abroad program in Florence, Italy. He has studied recording technology and film scoring through the Berklee College of Music (Boston, Massachusetts) and has completed all coursework towards a Master's degree in Music Composition and Technology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Mr. Ogden lives in Waukesha, Wisconsin, with his wife Kate and his daughters, Avery and Tess. |
Emily Rokser
Emily Rokser graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with her Master’s degree in Piano Performance in the spring of 2012. Previous to this degree, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Along with her extensive performing, accompanying, and collaborating experience and a full year of collegiate-level Piano Pedagogy courses, she also brings over ten years of private teaching experience to her studio. Her students have competed in the state and local levels of the annual Wisconsin Music Teachers Association (WMTA) Badger Competitions, and she is an active member of WMTA, Milwaukee Music Teachers Association, and Music Teachers National Association. Emily has taught students ranging in age from four years old to adult, but especially enjoys working with children and helping them to realize how truly enjoyable music-making can be. Emily lives in Greenfield, Wisconsin with her husband Ian. Piano Forms |
ST. Jude Piano Lessons Program FAQS
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This FAQ sheet summarizes many questions we’ve fielded since the piano lessons program at St. Jude School began in 2007. We hope you will find it helpful as you consider having your child study piano this year.
What does the piano program offer St. Jude students? The piano program at St. Jude offers students in grades K5 through 8th grade the opportunity to take individual piano lessons during school hours, or after school. Most lessons are scheduled during the school day, at times when your child would normally be having recess, study hall, part of the lunch period, or another non-academic class period. How do I pay for my child’s piano lessons? Is piano lesson tuition included in school tuition? The cost for piano lessons is not included in annual school tuition or fees. Tuition is paid directly to the individual teacher by check, with payment plans set up by that teacher. Tuition payments may be mailed to the teacher, or dropped off to the school office. The piano lesson program has a mailbox in the school office. How long is the program, and how often are lessons held? The program year is divided into three quarters: fall, winter and spring (Sept through May). Each quarter is 8 – 10 weeks long, (the length depends on an individual teacher’s schedule). Lessons are 30 minutes long and are scheduled once a week, during the school day. What is the tuition rate? The average cost per quarter is $285. Tuition rates may vary slightly from teacher to teacher, depending on the total number of lessons and length of the quarter, which is determined by your child’s individual teacher. You will receive specific tuition information directly from your child’s assigned teacher after teacher assignments are made in September. Will I need to have a piano for my child to begin piano study? Yes – this is not optional. Your child’s success and enjoyment of his piano study depends greatly on having a good instrument at home for daily practice. We recommend purchasing or renting a quality acoustic upright piano, or a good-quality digital keyboard (one that sits on the floor, has a bench, has a full keyboard - 88 keys, pedals, and weighted action). Anything less than this is not adequate for successful piano study. Two stores nearby sell fine acoustic and digital instruments: The Steinway Piano Gallery and Netzow’s Pianos, both on W. North Avenue in Wauwatosa. Both stores sell a wide variety of pianos, and always have quality used and new acoustic and digital uprights and grands for sale that make great student pianos. Netzow’s sells Yamaha digital keyboards, while Steinway sells Roland digital keyboards. Both are fine digital piano brands. Both stores have rental/purchase plans for instruments. Who are the piano teachers in the program? Three piano instructors currently teach at St. Jude the Apostle School. All are professional musicians and pianists with advanced degrees in music, and all are experienced piano teachers who love teaching students of all ages and with a wide variety of skills, from beginning to advanced-level students. A file with their bios can be downloaded from the “Piano” page on St. Jude’s yourclasspage.com. Whom can I email or call to get more information before registering for lessons? Call or email the piano lessons program coordinator – Email: Peggy Otwell. Home phone: (262) 786-1361 I want my child to take piano lessons this year. How do I register? There are several ways to get in touch with us:
I’d like my child to take piano lessons, but not until later in the year. Can I register my child anytime during the school year? Our official registration period is August 31 – Sept 30. It’s best to register for lessons at the beginning of the school year, when our teachers have the most time available in their schedules. After October 1, please call or email the program coordinator (see above) to ask about teacher availability. We do maintain a wait list for piano lessons and can add your child’s name to that list if no teacher openings are available. Do you accept students who are currently taking piano lessons elsewhere? Yes, provided you have notified the child’s current teacher that you will be starting lessons with a new teacher, and have satisfied any tuition contract with that teacher before beginning lessons at St. Jude. |
I’ve sent in the interest sheet. When will I know who my child’s teacher is and the day/time for my child’s lesson? When will I receive specific details regarding tuition, semester calendar and piano recitals, etc.? After you have filled out an interest sheet, we follow this process to schedule piano lessons for your child:
This process takes some time because we usually have many new students to schedule each year. We’ll be back in touch if we have questions about your child’s schedule. By mid-September, we usually have most new students assigned and scheduled. We will stay in touch throughout the process and keep you informed. When will my child’s piano lessons take place? Lessons are scheduled throughout the school week during recess, study hall, non-core academic classes, lunchtime, or after school. With prior parent and classroom teacher’s approval, some students take their lessons during an academic class period. During a typical school week, it’s relatively easy to find a free half-hour slot for a piano lesson. How is my child’s lesson day/time determined? We consult with each child’s classroom teacher and discuss optimal schedule options with the principal each year. Grade level and availability are the most important factors that influence when a lesson is taken. It’s important to keep in mind that piano lessons occur only once each week and are only 30 minutes long. Our priority is to be sure students do not miss important academic work. We also do our very best to schedule lessons so that your child does not miss a class that occurs only once per week. Where are piano lessons taught? The parish has generously dedicated space in a quiet room in entrance area of the church for piano lessons. This room is equipped with a high-quality digital keyboard and CD player. How does my child know when to leave the classroom for his/her piano lesson? We send all classroom teachers a list of students who are taking piano lessons at the beginning of each year, with the day/time of each student’s lesson noted. The classroom teacher reminds the student of his lesson on the scheduled day. The student gathers up his piano books up and leaves the classroom at the appointed time. Does anyone supervise my child on his way to and from the piano-lesson room? Students in higher grades usually go right to the piano-lesson room in the church. Young students (K5 and 1st grade) go first to the school office, and wait there for their piano teacher. The teacher greets them in the office, and they go to the piano room together. Piano teachers accompany young students back to the school office after lessons have concluded. What if my child forgets his piano books on his lesson day? Learning to play the piano is more than just reading music out of a book, and we are always ready to do creative activities with students who have forgotten their piano books. It’s a good idea for parents to remind students to place their piano books in their backpacks on lesson days, but we understand that busy parents sometimes forget to check backpacks. What if my child misses a lesson because he is absent? Each teacher in the piano lesson program determines his or her own missed-lesson policy. After your child has been assigned a teacher, he or she will send you a “studio policy” that addresses most questions you might have about your child’s piano study. How does the piano teacher stay in touch with me about my child’s progress? Each teacher has his or her own system for staying in touch with parents throughout the semester. Emails, newsletters, occasional phone calls, and notes sent home to parents in a student’s piano assignments notebook usually work well. Parent/teacher conferences can be set up when needed. |