| Paul Nazzaro Paul Nazzaro's love of music began early while taking piano lessons at the age of 8 years old, and he later began been teaching private and group piano classes in high school in 1985. He graduated with a B.A. in classical piano from The Catholic University Of America in Washington, DC in 1993. Mr. Nazzaro has been on the staff of the Springfield and Milltown school systems, is a state certified music teacher, a member of the National Music Teachers Association (MTNA), a certified Kindermusik Teacher, and a member of the Westfield Chamber Of Commerce. He currently teaches full time in his studio with about 80 students and a staff of 3 supporting teachers.
Mr. Nazzaro has published numerous piano books for the elementary and intermediate levels, part of the Nazzaro Music Adventures Series. He has mastered and produced many professional CDs in his studio—for his students, his professional clients, and his own compositions. He has trained many music professionals in digital recording, computer music notation, and theory and composition.
While classically trained, Mr. Nazzaro is proficient in and enjoys teaching many genres of music, such as jazz, popular, new age, folk, Christian, Broadway, rock, and many others. He continues to expand his own musical development by writing and arranging music on computers, writing his own music book series for children, enrolling in further musical studies at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, and being an active member of the St. Helen's Catholic Community Music Ministry in Westfield. |
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| Dr. Galina Zisk has been teaching private and group piano classes since 1990. Dr. Zisk has served on the piano faculty of Manhattan School of Music, Hartwick Summer Music Festival & Institute (Oneonta, NY), International School for Musical Arts (Canada), and Tchaikovsky Summer School (Cambridge, MA). She has also collaborated with the Boys Choir of Harlem, Inc., Songs of Solomon Academy for the Arts, Christine Jowers’ “Moving Arts Projects”, Tchaikovsky Music Society, and The New Stage Theater in an off-Broadway show “Some Historic/Some Hysteric.” Dr. Zisk holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music Degrees in Piano Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and a Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the University of Toronto, Canada.
In North America her performances have included Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Klavierhaus, World Financial Center, the Juilliard School, Steinway Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, University of Buffalo Center for the Arts, Goethe Institute, and Roy Thomson Hall among many other prestigious venues. Dr. Zisk is a winner of numerous competitions including First Prizes from the Kiwanis Music Festival, Canadian Music Competition, and “Starts of Tomorrow” Concerto Competition. She is the recipient of the Yamaha Scholarship, Sinclair Radio Laboratories Ltd. Award, as well as the Artists International Presentations, Inc. award.
Dr. Zisk has performed throughout North America and Europe as concerto soloist, chamber musician, and in solo recital. She has given numerous master classes and adjudicated many music competitions, and is a member of the MTNA (Music Teachers National Association). Dr. Zisk currently teaches both at the Nazzaro Music Studio as well as at her own studio in New York City teaching students ranging in ages from 4 through adult. |
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| Tasha Gwin has been teaching private and group piano lessons for over ten years, and has taught piano in her own private studio of about 30 students. Ms. Gwin graduated with a degree in Piano from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, AL, and has dual concentration Masters Degrees in Piano Pedagogy (Piano Teaching) and Opera Musical Theater from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Ms. Gwin is currently teaching elementary music in the Newark Public Schools. She is experienced at teaching many age levels, including teaching Piano, Vocal, and Musical Theater at Humes Middle School, Memphis TN, and has taught at the college level as Piano Instructor, Choral Director at Southwest Tennessee Community College, Memphis, TN. Ms. Gwin has written, choreographed and musical directed shows for elementary, middle, high school and college students, and has been Vocal Instructor for AMAS Musical Theater in New York City. She is a state certified music teacher, a member of MENC (National Association for Music Education) and of MTNA (Music Teachers National Association). She has had much experience with music technology, and is currently writing music and performing locally. |
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| Mark Raimondi is our student teacher on the staff with remarkable accomplishments for his age. He is a Junior at Cranford High, where he has been a keyboardist in the Cranford High Jazz Band Ensemble since freshman year. Mark has been taking lessons with Mr. Nazzaro for eight years, and has performed at the studio’s recitals and informal parties throughout the years. His dedication to his musical studies has already led him to studying many advanced pieces such as Beethoven Sonatas, Bach Inventions, and advanced jazz standards. Mark has composed many of his own works for solo piano, as well as liturgical settings and songs for his church, St. Theresa’s in Kenilworth. He has been an active member in his church’s Music Ministry, where he has not only been accompanist for weekend masses, but also plays professionally for weddings and special liturgies. Mark has gone through extensive training with Mr. Nazzaro and has a talent not only for music, but making music fun for every student. Mark is looking forward to a career in teaching music as well as composing. |
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