Melissa Murphy

Melissa Murphy believes in the power of the inherent creativity in all of us. She holds an M.A. in Music Cognition from Northwestern University and B.A. in Music and Psychology from UC Berkeley, at which she studied under Dr. Betty Woo. Her early studies began at age 3 after an aunt gifted a family piano, where her parents discovered her plucking out tunes. Ms. Melissa's holistic approach promotes a strong grasp of classical fundamentals (technique, theory, and music history) as key to structuring confident expression. Through steady support, Ms. Melissa seeks to help each student discover their unique gifts and interests for themselves. Collaboration is a key element of Ms. Melissa’s practice, and she engages students in duet-playing early on to encourage active listening. She is an active collaborator with local choirs and has performed at many events and locales throughout Southern California. When not at the piano, Ms. Melissa loves hiking, reading, and rolling in the grass with her new puppy Toby.