A legacy of music and passion for teaching

I was born into a musical family and from the earliest age was exposed to the best players and teachers.  My grandfather, Orien Dalley, helped establish National Music Camp, now Interlochen Center for the Arts. Both grandparents were avid educators and mentors. Upon graduating from Curtis Institute of Music my parents joined Marlboro Music Festival. My father John Dalley was violinist with the Guarneri String Quartet. 

I earned by Bachelors in Piano Performance from the University of Michigan and have enjoyed a multi faceted career, teaching and performing, as a soloist and collaborative pianist. My passion has always been teaching and passing on the practice and love of classical music to others.

Highlights of my career include serving on piano faculties at leading conservatories in the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area, including Hoff Barthelson School of Music, the New School for Music Study, Rutgers Community Arts, and Westminster Conservatory of Music.  I co-directed a county wide adult group piano program with 60 adult students, while fellow with American University's Arts Administration Program in Washington, DC.  I've created curricula for group piano and group music theory courses for Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and Westminster.

While training and teaching at the New School For Music Study, I coauthored "Planning for Progressive Growth in the Intermediate Years", Proceedings of the National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy, in press, presented at National Conference.  

My training and teaching certifications include K-12 Music, Music Makers at the Keyboard, Conversational Solfege, and Dalcroze.  Formative teachers were Louis Nagel, Nelita True, Seymour Lipkin and Marvin Blickenstaff.  

Currently I operate a private piano studio in Traverse City, Michigan.