Stuart Bernath

Winning my first composition prize with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra at the age of 11, I decided to fully devote myself to Classical piano.  I received perfect scores on local music competitions every year from 6th through 12th grade (except 11th grade, where I didn't compete).  I subsequently won the Whelan Music Scholarship of $10k per year to Millikin University, a renowned music school, where I excelled as a student with a 3.78 GPA.  I was a finalist in the Hollis Prize there and also accepted into Pi Kappa Lambda.  After earning my degree at Millikin, I went on to study with the internationally renowned concert pianist Jon McIntyre at UMKC in Kansas City, which is considered one of the top five Conservatories in the Midwest.  I won a Fellowship to study there, and graduated with a 3.79 GPA.  To put myself through college, I performed as an organist at Hosanna Evangelical Lutheran Church in Liberty, MO.  After earning my Master's degree in Piano Performance, I moved back to the northern Illinois region and performed on a $1.1 million pipe organ at United Presbyterian Church in Freeport, IL, for nearly 7 years.  Over the past five years, I have studied Computer Science at both Beloit College and Rock Valley College.  I have over five years of private piano teaching experience.  

I am friendly and patient, and I like to teach to the student's strengths, i.e., I prefer to teach the musical styles that the student finds most interesting and enjoyable while striving to broaden their horizons.  I am a Classical pianist, and I had a strict regimen of disciplined practice as a student.  So, I do like to be strict, but understanding.  But I like to have fun in lessons too!  The strictness is so the student learns, and so they get their money's worth.  Without this strictness, the student doesn't learn as much, and subsequently doesn't get as much enjoyment out of their music practice.