Welcome to Music With Maya! My love for music, and piano in particular guided me towards a path that now includes serving typical and special needs children in a musical setting. I teach private piano lessons in Brunswick, Maine to 30-40 students on a Yamaha studio upright to children and adults ages three and up.  

I strongly believe everyone has a musical ability, and it is my job to create a learning environment that nourishes each student’s inner musician as much as possible by tailoring my teaching to their unique personality and learning style. What makes my studio different is I teach typical children and adults as well as children and adults with special needs. I worked with special needs children for four years in an educational setting as an ed-tech and a BHP after I graduated with my piano pedagogy degree, just so I could incorporate special needs students into my studio. 

There are two main teaching styles I use in my studio: for the typical student, I use a classical approach with an emphasis on music theory and technique. My degree in Music Performance with a focus on Piano Pedagogy has given me the knowledge to provide a well rounded classical approach that will ensure you or your child receives a solid musical foundation.

For the special needs child, I tailor my lessons much more to match their abilities and strengths. Having a degree in social work along with experience working with this population allows me to focus more on teaching rather than managing behaviors. Developing proficient musical skills with the special needs child varies, since their diagnoses vary significantly. One child may be diagnosed as low-functioning autistic who would receive a completely tailored lesson, the next child may be a high functioning autisc student who could engage in a typical piano lesson with little tailoring. It truly depends on the diagnosis and possible other special needs, interwoven with their own unique personality. 

I believe that learning how to play music should be a skill that everyone has access to. My degrees in both Social Work and Piano Pedagogy, along with my experience have given me the skills and confidence to teach piano from the beginner to the advanced level, as well as work with a diverse group of students.