B.M. Piano Performance U.C. Irvine
M.A. Music Education, early childhood specialization Teachers College, Columbia University

Shirley Woo began her piano studies at the age of five and has had a versatile background in performance, accompanying, teaching, and music education. At the age of seven, studying under Paul Huebner, she had many performances with the USC Symphony Orchestra as well as placing in numerous competitions such as SYMF and the Southern California Bach Festival. Shirley was a scholarship student at U.C. Irvine, studying under Dr. Lorna Griffitt. Her studies at U.C. Irvine have led to performances in multiple master classes, including Mennahem Pressler, Emile Naoumoff, Martin Katz, as well as a solo performance with the U.C.I. Symphony Orchestra. Shirley has much experience in vocal accompanying under the tutelage of Rosemary Hyler, as she was a participant of Songfest for many years. She has also performed in vocal recitals in New York at Columbia University. Her studies with Nina Scolnik revolved around healthy technique and musicality. Her studies at Columbia University, as a scholarship student under the tutelage of Dr. Lori Custodero provided the music education background she felt was necessary in bridging early childhood music to piano.

Shirley has been teaching piano to children as young as 3 years old to adults, for 10 years in the Orange County area, as well as New York. She has much experience teaching piano privately, as well as group lessons. Shirley’s performance, pedagogical, and educational background provides a stylistic way of teaching, which caters towards the individual’s development and needs. Healthy technique, musicality, and creativity are main components of her teaching and her specialization in early childhood paves the path for a developmentally appropriate way for beginners and advanced students alike. Her research during her studies at Columbia University revolved around rhythm and its importance in introducing and teaching music. As an educator, she has attended the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy in Chicago, The Dalcroze Workshop in Los Angeles, The Pedagogy of Artistry for Teachers of Young Children in New York, and the Early Childhood Music Education (ECME) Conference in Taiwan. She is a member of ISME (International Society of Music Educatioin), and MTAC.

Shirley's love for children and music provide a nurturing, as well as educational environment for her students. Ear Training and composition are important aspects of the lesson, as well as quarterly Workshops (informal Recital), and bi-annual Recitals held at St. Anselms's Episcopal Church in Garden Grove, CA.