About
Hi, I’m Kathleen
I never planned to teach piano—until I realized I couldn’t stay away from music. After a break in my teenage years, I found myself drawn back during my post-secondary studies. Now, with 30 years of teaching experience, I hold ARCT diplomas in both Piano Teaching and Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music.
I’ve had the joy of teaching students from beginners to advanced musicians, accompanying instrumentalists and vocalists, and playing in bands and recording studios. Passionate about learning, I continue to take lessons, attend workshops, and stay up to date with the best teaching methods. As an RCM Certified Teacher and Advanced Specialist in Piano, Harmony, and History, I’m committed to helping students grow and love music.
You can also find me on Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook, & Youtube.
linkedin.com/in/kathleen-prochnau
instagram.com/kathleenprochnaumusic
facebook.com/kathleenprochnaumusic
youtube.com/@kathleenprochnaumusic
Philosophy
My teaching focuses on the application of theoretical knowledge and technical skills, emphasizing experience and real-world relevance to what we are learning. Students are encouraged to use their knowledge and critical thinking to take ownership of their music while being guided by an experienced teacher. Deeper learning prepares students not just for the coming week’s practising, but for musical challenges in future years. Creating beautiful music is a worthwhile pursuit whether a student is preparing for an exam or not. Exam preparations are thorough and rigorous. And we learn some important life skills through the process of learning music.
My students have received numerous ORMTA Ottawa Keyboard Harmony Scholarships and an RCM Provincial Gold Medal in Intermediate Piano Pedagogy.
Continuing Education
I stay up to date with teaching strategies, technologies, and research to enhance my own skills and improve student learning. I still take lessons, so I understand the challenges students face in the practise room.
Here are some highlights:
- CFMTA Connecting Canada 2024 and 2022
- Performance Psychology Essentials for Educators, by Noa Kageyama (The Bullet Proof Musician)
- Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory, Joseph N. Straus
- The Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology, edited by Susan Hallam, Ian Cross, and Michael Thaut
- Learning Sequences in Music, Edwin E. Gordon
- Aural Skills Acquisition, Gary S. Karpinski
- What Every Pianist Needs to Know About the Body, Thomas Mark
Certifications
About My Studio
I am a skilled online instructor, comfortable with technology, who embraced online learning during the pandemic. The studio is equipped with multiple camera angles, virtual whiteboards and multimedia, and high-quality microphones and cameras.
I use Zoom for online teaching. Lessons are recorded for students to review during the week. I use Google Workspace for sharing files. After each lesson students receive detailed practice notes with goals broken-down into achievable steps. I often write and create additional materials for students, such as worksheets and tutorial videos.
I use the Royal Conservatory of Music piano and theory publications as the core curriculum in my studio, plus any additional music that students are interested in. I use online and in-person (for Ottawa-area students) performance opportunities for the reluctant performer to build the skills needed to share their music.
I offer RCM exam preparation for Piano Levels 1 to 10 and ARCT in Piano Pedagogy and all Theory, Harmony, History subjects from Level 5 to ARCT.
The studio follows a flat-fee tuition model. Students receive a set number of lessons in the school (September to June) and summer terms. Lessons are offered weekly, biweekly, or a la carte. Payment is in Canadian funds via the Square payment platform on a yearly, by semester, or monthly payment plan. A full written contract is provided to you before registration.
