Who We ARE?
Piano Lab is owned and operated by Marilyn O’Leary. Marilyn was a piano performance minor at American University. Since graduating in 1994 she has worked continuously as a professional musician including 3 years as the pianist for Doc Scantlin and His Imperial Palms Orchestra and 15 years as lead singer for Chaise Lounge, a popular DC sextet. She has over 20 years experience as a piano teacher in both private and group settings.
As a student and as a teacher, Marilyn has observed some common pitfalls to traditional piano instruction. It became clear to her that without an engaging, multi-dimensional approach…
- Students can get bored and lose motivation
- Progress often slows as teachers are forced to work around erratic practice patterns
- Skills can become unbalanced (a student may play well but not read fluently or read well but have undeveloped ear training)
- Piano students never develop the special ability to play with groups of musicians
And unfortunately, these common issues can pave the road to the common phrase, “I played a little when I was a kid but…”
Marilyn decided that she did not just want to teach piano, she wanted to cultivate musicianship. She wanted to give students a broader and deeper understanding and love of music that they can apply wherever they are inspired (songwriting, forming a band, classical competition) while also ensuring a proficiency that they can have with them, always.
Marilyn decided that she did not just want to teach piano, she wanted to cultivate musicianship. She wanted to give students a broader and deeper understanding and love of music that they can apply wherever they are inspired (songwriting, forming a band, classical competition) while also ensuring a proficiency that they can have with them, always.
And as a parent, Marilyn knows the balance once has to strike to give children enrichment opportunities. Time and money are finite and it is painful to invest in experiences that either the student doesn’t enjoy or that don’t seem to be building significant skills and abilities. Group learning makes activities such as dance, martial arts and sports fun, effective and affordable. Now that option is available for piano instruction as well.
Meet our STAFF
We have a wonderful and talented team of teachers that bring their own musical experience and talents. But what do we all have in common? We are grateful to have had parents and teachers who protected our musical educations and gave us this lifelong gift. It is now our pleasure to pass that gift to your family.
Marilyn O’Leary
Marilyn is the founder/owner of Piano Lab. She is a professional musician and a piano teacher with 25 years experience.
Marilyn was a piano performance minor at American University. Since graduating in 1994 she has worked continuously as a professional musician including 3 years as the pianist for Doc Scantlin and His Imperial Palms Orchestra and 15 years as lead singer for Chaise Lounge, a popular DC sextet. She has over 20 years experience as a piano teacher in both private and group settings.
Marilyn was a piano performance minor at American University. Since graduating in 1994 she has worked continuously as a professional musician including 3 years as the pianist for Doc Scantlin and His Imperial Palms Orchestra and 15 years as lead singer for Chaise Lounge, a popular DC sextet. She has over 20 years experience as a piano teacher in both private and group settings.
Marilyn was trained as a solo, classical pianist before entering the world of jazz and swing ensembles. It is the combination of these experiences that inspired the creation Piano Lab. Marilyn envisioned a learning environment that would create successful, well-rounded musicians who were not only comfortable at the piano, but had the skills and experience necessary to follow their musical inspiration, wherever it led them.
John Hayes
John is the Studio Manager at Piano Lab. He is a Shenandoah Conservatory Graduate with a B.S. in Arts Management.
John had a focus in Jazz Guitar as his instrument while attending Shenandoah University, but was also participating in group piano lessons, classical private lessons, & even classical voice lessons every year. His passion for teaching was also found in college when he was enrolled in a first year seminar course that required him to assistant teacher a fourth grade class at a local elementary school.
John had a focus in Jazz Guitar as his instrument while attending Shenandoah University, but was also participating in group piano lessons, classical private lessons, & even classical voice lessons every year. His passion for teaching was also found in college when he was enrolled in a first year seminar course that required him to assistant teacher a fourth grade class at a local elementary school.
In addition to Piano Lab, John performs regularly with his band Threesound which he has been a part of since 2011. John is also a member of the Jazz/Organ trio House Band “The Soul Benders” which play Friday’s in Leesburg, VA at Tarbenders Lounge.
Darrin Burrell
Darrin has been teaching music in the DC area since 2011, working as a private instructor and a group instructor with Music for Life Kids, Winterhalter Music, and Learn Now Music Inc.
He graduated from Greensboro College with a BA in Music Performance and an MBA from Louisiana State University.
He graduated from Greensboro College with a BA in Music Performance and an MBA from Louisiana State University.
Travis Alexander
Travis has been teaching music since he graduated from Norfolk State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. In addition to playing and teaching piano, he also loves playing and teaching guitar.
Joyce Friedman
Joyce is an experienced piano teacher who joined Piano Lab to learn an alternative way to teach piano in a group setting. Joyce is a dedicated teacher who loves to see her students achieve their goals and most importantly, have fun!
Mrs. Ellyn
Ms. Niloofar is excited to be a part of a strong educational team and to share with her students a skill they will have for life. She moved to the US from Iran 5 year ago and is studying architecture and landscape design. Her name is the word for a flower that in America is called the water lily. She loves painting and listening to all kinds of music.
Ms. Niloofar
Ms. Niloofar is excited to be a part of a strong educational team and to share with her students a skill they will have for life. She moved to the US from Iran 5 year ago and is studying architecture and landscape design. Her name is the word for a flower that in America is called the water lily. She loves painting and listening to all kinds of music.
