katiemellas.com

Katie Mellas Piano Studio is a private piano teaching practice based in the Willowbrook, Downers Grove, and Oak Brook areas of Illinois. The site describes a studio built around customized lessons for beginning through advanced students, taught by an instructor with over 15 years of teaching experience and training in piano pedagogy. If you are looking for a local piano teacher who adapts to a student's learning style and goals, this site is the studio's introduction and contact point.

Who teaches, and what are the qualifications?

The instructor, Katie Mellas, states that she began piano lessons at age 6 and has continued learning since. Her teaching background includes:

• Over 15 years teaching beginning through advanced students
• Training in piano pedagogy (the method and practice of teaching)
• An undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts: Psychology and a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• Teaching experience dating back to high school

Her musical training extends beyond piano pedagogy. According to the site, she has studied orchestrating and composing more than two dozen scores for community orchestras and ensembles, organ performance at Naper Settlement, music theory and composition, and vocal techniques under an operatic instructor.

The site also lists specific instructors and programs she has studied under:

What is the teaching approach?

The studio's stated goal is to instill a love of music, on the premise that music is fun and enjoyable. Two principles stand out on the site:

1. Lessons are customized to the individual. The instructor says she uses creative techniques to motivate and inspire students based on their learning style, and tailors lessons to each student's specific needs and goals.
2. Methods are evaluated and adjusted. She describes a core principle of reviewing her own techniques and adjusting them to be more effective and to help students succeed.

The site reports that this approach has helped many students win school competitions, play for friends and community, and perform in talent shows. The stated aim is for students to develop skills for their own enjoyment and for playing in their community.

What do students say?

The site includes two student testimonials:

• Hannah: "I really love writing music, and Katie helped me organize my compositions and turn them into some songs and even print them out on my own sheet music!"
• Lilliana: "My experience with Katie is great. She is teaching me so many great things. I would definitely recom…" (the excerpt is cut off on the site)

These suggest the studio supports composition and songwriting alongside standard piano instruction, at least for some students.

Who is it for?

Based on the site's own description, the studio suits:

• Beginners through advanced players
• Students who want lessons shaped around their learning style and personal goals
• Students interested in composition or creative work in addition to playing
• Families in or near Willowbrook, Downers Grove, and Oak Brook, Illinois

What the site does not specify

The provided site content does not list lesson pricing, scheduling details, or whether online lessons are offered. Those specifics are not stated in the available material, so anyone interested would need to ask directly.

How to get more information

The site's main calls to action are Lesson Details and Contact me. If you want to know about rates, availability, or whether the studio fits your level and location, contacting the studio through the site is the practical next step.

Katie Mellas Piano Studio serves students in Willowbrook, Downers Grove, and Oak Brook, Illinois, and the site provides a "Contact me" link as the way to reach out about lessons. If you want to inquire about availability, lesson details, or enrollment, use that contact option on katiemellas.com and include your location, the student's age and experience level, and your goals so Katie can respond with relevant information.

What the Studio Offers

Katie Mellas teaches beginning through advanced piano students and has been teaching for over 15 years. She has been trained in piano pedagogy and describes her approach as customizing lessons to fit individual learning styles and the specific needs and goals of each student.

Lessons are built around making piano enjoyable and using creative techniques to motivate students. According to the site, this approach has helped many students win school competitions, play for friends and community events, and perform in talent shows.

Service Area

The studio lists three locations in Illinois:

• Willowbrook
• Downers Grove
• Oak Brook

If you live in or near one of these areas, mention it when you make contact so you can confirm lesson arrangements.

How to Get in Touch

The website includes a "Contact me" link as the primary way to reach the studio. When you write, it helps to include:

• Your name and the student's name and age
• The student's current piano experience (beginner, intermediate, or advanced)
• Your goals for lessons (for example, learning for enjoyment, preparing for competitions, or composing)
• Your general location within the service area
• Any scheduling preferences or questions about lesson details

Providing these details lets Katie respond with information tailored to your situation rather than a generic reply.

What to Expect from Lessons

Katie's stated goal is to instill a love of music in her students. She customizes lessons based on learning style and adjusts her teaching methods to be as effective as possible. Student feedback on the site reflects this: one student, Hannah, noted that Katie helped her organize her compositions and turn them into songs printed on her own sheet music. Another student, Lilliana, described the experience as great and said she is learning many things.

If composing or creative work matters to you, that is worth mentioning when you reach out, since the studio has experience supporting students in those areas.

Background and Qualifications

Katie holds an undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts: Psychology and a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Her teaching qualifications come from a range of instructors and experiences, including:

• Pedagogy classes and coaching with Jane Baldridge, B.A. in Music Education, NCTM, Certified Piano Instructor
• Private piano lessons and composition techniques with Scott Mayer, M.A. in Choral Conducting
• Private and group lessons with Donna Shinn, Music Instructor and church pianist
• Private piano and theory lessons with Erin Anders and others

She has also studied orchestrating and composing over two dozen scores for community orchestras and ensembles, organ performance at Naper Settlement, music theory and composition, and vocal techniques under an operatic instructor.

Next Step

Go to katiemellas.com and use the "Contact me" option to start the conversation. Share the student's background and goals, confirm which of the three service areas applies to you, and ask about current availability and lesson details. That single message gives Katie everything needed to tell you whether the studio is a good fit and how to proceed.

Katie Mellas has over 15 years of experience teaching piano to students ranging from beginner through advanced levels, and she has been trained in piano pedagogy — the method and practice of teaching. Her formal education includes an undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts: Psychology and a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, rather than a traditional music performance or music education degree. Her teaching qualifications, as described on her studio site, come from a combination of pedagogy training, private study with several instructors, and a broad range of musical experience.

Teaching Experience

• 15+ years teaching piano, from beginning through advanced students.
• Has taught since high school.
• Students have gone on to win school competitions, perform in talent shows, and play for friends and community events.

Formal Education

Note that neither degree is in music. Her music qualifications instead come from pedagogy training and private instruction (detailed below). The psychology and counseling background is relevant to how she approaches teaching — she describes customizing lessons to individual learning styles and adjusting her methods based on what works for each student.

Pedagogy and Music Training

Katie Mellas states she has been trained in piano pedagogy and has studied under a variety of instructors:

• Pedagogy classes and coaching with Jane Baldridge — B.A. in Music Education, NCTM, Certified Piano Instructor.
• Private piano lessons and composition techniques with Scott Mayer — M.A. in Choral Conducting.
• Private and group lessons with Donna Shinn — Music Instructor and church pianist.
• Private piano and theory lessons with Erin Anders, and others.

Additional Musical Skills

Beyond piano pedagogy, she has studied:

• Orchestrating and composing — over two dozen scores for community orchestras and ensembles.
• Organ performance at Naper Settlement.
• Music theory and composition.
• Vocal techniques under an operatic instructor.

What This Means for a Prospective Student

If you're evaluating whether her background is a good fit, here are the practical takeaways:

• Strength in teaching method and motivation: The pedagogy training plus psychology/counseling education supports a teaching approach focused on adapting to each student's learning style and goals.
• No formal music degree: Her music credentials are earned through private study, pedagogy coursework, and practical experience rather than a conservatory or university music program. This is common among independent piano teachers, but worth knowing if a formal music degree is a priority for you.
• Composition and arranging experience: Relevant if you or your child is interested in writing music — one student testimonial specifically mentions help organizing compositions into printed sheet music.
• Beginner to advanced range: She teaches across all levels, so the studio is not limited to early learners.

To confirm current availability, lesson format, and any policies, contact the studio directly through katiemellas.com, since those details are not specified in the site's published information.

Katie Mellas Piano Studio builds its lessons around each student's individual learning style, needs, and goals rather than following one fixed method. According to the studio's own description, the teacher uses creative techniques to keep lessons fun and adjusts her approach based on how each student learns, with the stated aim of instilling a love of music. This makes the studio a fit for beginners through advanced students who want a personalized pace—not a one-size-fits-all curriculum.

The customization approach

The studio describes several connected practices:

• Learning-style-based teaching. Lessons are customized to fit individual learning styles instead of a single standard sequence.
• Fun and creativity as motivators. The stated goal is that "music is fun and enjoyable," so creative techniques are used to motivate and inspire students.
• Student-specific goals. Teaching is shaped around "the specific needs and goals of each student," which means the content of lessons can differ from one student to the next.
• Ongoing self-evaluation. One core principle is that the teacher evaluates her own techniques and methods and adjusts them to stay effective and help students succeed.

In practice, this means a student who loves composing might spend lesson time organizing and notating original music, while another student working toward a school competition might focus on performance preparation. The studio reports that this approach has helped many students win school competitions, play for friends and community, and perform in talent shows.

What this looks like for a student

The customization shows up in concrete ways. Student Hannah describes writing music and getting help to "organize my compositions and turn them into some songs and even print them out on my own sheet music." Student Lilliana describes being taught "so many great things" in a positive experience. These examples suggest lessons can bend toward composition and creativity, not just repertoire.

For a prospective student, the practical takeaway is that you would likely discuss your goals and how you learn best before or during early lessons, and the teacher would adapt technique and materials accordingly.

Who teaches the lessons

The studio's qualifications page states that the instructor has been teaching beginning through advanced students for over 15 years and has been trained in piano pedagogy—the method and practice of teaching. Her background includes:

• An undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts: Psychology and a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• Teaching experience since high school
• Orchestrating/composing over two dozen scores for community orchestras and ensembles
• Organ performance at Naper Settlement
• Study of music theory, composition, and vocal techniques under an operatic instructor
• Pedagogy classes and coaching with Jane Baldridge, B.A. in Music Education, NCTM, Certified Piano Instructor
• Private piano lessons and composition techniques with Scott Mayer, M.A. in Choral Conducting
• Private and group lessons with Donna Shinn, Music Instructor and church pianist
• Private piano and theory lessons with Erin Anders and others

The psychology and counseling background is relevant to the customization claim: it supports an emphasis on understanding how an individual student learns and stays motivated.

Locations and next step

Katie Mellas Piano Studio serves Willowbrook, Downers Grove, and Oak Brook, Illinois. The site provides "Lesson Details" and a contact option for reaching out. If you want to know whether the studio's style fits a specific student—for example, a young beginner who needs playful motivation or an advanced student preparing for competitions—the most direct path is to contact the studio and describe that student's goals and learning style.

The customization model is the main thing to evaluate: it suits students who benefit from a flexible, interest-led approach, and it may be less suited to someone who wants a rigid, standardized curriculum. The studio's own materials do not list pricing or scheduling specifics, so those details would need to come from direct contact.

Students at Katie Mellas Piano Studio can work toward several concrete outcomes: winning school competitions, performing for friends and community events, playing in talent shows, and composing and organizing their own music into printed sheet music. These outcomes are described on the studio's site as results that have come from its teaching approach, not as guaranteed results for every student. Whether a particular student reaches them depends on their goals, practice, and how long they study.

The Outcomes the Studio Describes

According to the studio's own description, its approach has enabled many students to:

• Win school competitions — the site states that many students have won competitions at their schools.
• Play for friends and community — students are encouraged to develop skills for their own enjoyment and for playing in their community.
• Perform in talent shows — listed alongside competitions and community playing as a performance outcome.
• Compose and organize original music — one student, Hannah, describes writing music with Katie's help, organizing her compositions into songs, and printing them on her own sheet music.

These are the achievements the studio highlights. They are presented as things students have done, so treat them as examples of what the studio aims for rather than a fixed curriculum checklist.

What the Teaching Approach Looks Like

The studio says lessons are customized to fit individual learning styles and to meet each student's specific needs and goals. The stated core principle is that the teacher evaluates her own techniques and methods and adjusts them to be more effective.

That matters for outcomes: if a student wants to compose, the lessons can lean that way. If a student wants to perform, the focus can shift toward performance preparation. The studio describes teaching beginning through advanced students, so the starting point can be adjusted too.

A Student Example

Hannah, a student, is quoted on the site:

"I really love writing music, and Katie helped me organize my compositions and turn them into some songs and even print them out on my own sheet music!"

This is a useful illustration of the composition outcome. It shows the path from having musical ideas to producing finished, printed sheet music — a concrete deliverable rather than just a general skill.

A second student, Lilliana, describes her experience as "great" and says she is "learning so many great things," though the quote is cut off in the available material.

What to Consider Before Expecting a Specific Result

• Outcomes depend on the student. The site says lessons are tailored to individual goals, so what one student achieves may differ from another.
• Competitions and talent shows are not promised. The studio says its approach has enabled students to do these things; it does not state that every student will win or perform.
• Composition is available but not mandatory. Hannah's experience shows composition support exists, but the site does not say every student composes.
• No pricing or scheduling details are given here. The available material does not cover cost, lesson length, or enrollment terms, so those need to be asked directly.

How to Decide If It Fits

If your goal is one of the outcomes above — performing in school or community settings, or developing your own compositions into finished pieces — the studio's described approach of customizing lessons to individual goals is directly relevant. The clearest next step is to contact the studio and describe what you or your child wants to achieve, then ask how lessons would be structured around that goal.