Her love for classical music flourished as she continued taking piano lessons with multiple private instructors leading up to her college years. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Music at Point Loma Nazarene University (Spring 2007) where she was awarded a Music Department Scholarship, Willow-May Beresford Scholarship for piano, Dean's Academic Scholarship, and MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) Scholarship. She also won first place for her classical piano performance at "MusicFest", South West CAPMT District I under the guidance of Professor Brenda Martin. Elyse went on to earn her Master of Arts in Piano Pedagogy at San Diego State University (Spring 2012), under Dr. Mitzi Kolar, where her love of teaching really began to blossom. During her studies at SDSU, she became intrigued with the art of sight-reading, as it relates to ear training. She wrote her Master's Thesis on "The Development of Sight-Reading Exercises and Procedures for a Solfége-based Piano Curriculum for Beginning Students." After her graduate studies, Elyse became a certified Yamaha instructor and taught private and group lessons at Greene Music Education Center for 7 years. Elyse has accompanied for many ensembles, including numerous musical theater productions, gospel choir, concert choir, vocal jazz ensemble, orchestra (harpsichord and piano), ballet rehearsals, opera workshops, vocal classes, and solo vocalists and instrumentalists. Elyse's love for teaching stems from both a passion for music and children. She currently teaches in her home studio and continues to enjoy performing and accompanying for weddings, church events, and other various classical forums.
