EDUCATION
"Leanna was our first encounter with music lessons for our kid... I cannot say enough about her talent, commitment, and her tender touch and understanding with our daughter during her flute lessons!
Leanna is a wonderful person with an epic amount of talent along with her gentle soul..."
- Flute Parent
"Leanna has been a wonderful fit as a flute teacher for my 10 year-old son. Her ability to make music learning fun and interesting has been key in keeping him engaged and interesting. She has designed a flute learning program based on gaming (like D&D and other fantasy games) that totally connected with my son. She is warm, bright, young, and talented and we feel lucky to have her in our lives!" - Flute Parent
Leanna has taught privately for over ten years, and is dedicated to teaching music to people of all ages, and especially enjoys working with kids. She has developed an unique teaching style that allows each student to learn at their own pace, as a collaborative process to learn the fundamentals of flute playing. Her program includes music from many cultures, improvisation, composition, and even beatboxing. Her students have become music majors, placed in honor bands and All-State, and won Solo and Ensemble awards.
Leanna is the Flute Professor at Cornish College of the Arts. She also teaches at JazzEd, a music education non-profit with a focus on accessibility and the quintessential Black American art form. She was a teaching artist with the Seattle Symphony, where she taught orchestral exploration, recorder and vocal skills, and musical confidence. She has taught masterclasses and workshops at the University of South Dakota, Denver University, and the University of Washington on a variety of subjects including: flute technique and tone development, extended techniques, composer collaboration, electronics and music creation, improvisation, and world flutes. She was also a featured instructor at the Omaha Under the Radar SOUNDRY young composers camp. Leanna has previously served as the flute and piccolo specialist for the Omaha, NE location of the Schmitt Music Company, where she taught children as young as 7, middle school and high school students, as well as adults.
Contact Leanna today to schedule your first lesson! leannakeith@gmail.com
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
My lessons are first and foremost a whole lot of fun. I believe that all musicians are creatives, and I love to help develop the student’s confidence in both their musical creations and in their personal lives. I hold high standards for my flute students, which I have found develops a sense of discipline, and drives students to succeed. I expect students to practice daily - finding bits of time to make sounds in our already busy schedules. In my class, students can expect to use toys to make melodies, have paper blowing contests, explore flutes from around the world, and discover how to make their own looping pop song on the flute.
What do you get from music lessons?
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Confidence, Empowerment, Discipline, Self-Motivation
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Beautiful tone and proper technique
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Improved auditions and performances
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Developing your musical ear
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Body awareness
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Discovering a wide variety of flute music
Students of all ages find that my lessons are catered to their interests. My education is classically informed, but shaped by jazz, rock, pop, experimental music, and improvisation. My students use extended techniques (like beatboxing or sing/play) to enhance their performance practice and tone development. Additionally, students learn ways to practice which are most suited to their posture to prevent injury and maximize performance.
