Cheryl’s love for playing and teaching music has led to a long and satisfying career as an educator, pianist, church organist and choral director. She finds a deep joy in encouraging, inspiring, and refining the skill sets of her students, regardless of where they are in their music studies.
Piano courses at COM function in tandem with theory and musicianship classes to provide a solid foundation for music majors, while also exploring the richness of keyboard literature and creative self-expression for those who play for their own pleasure.
Cheryl’s own creative projects have included composing music for choral ensembles, organ, and piano. Recent performances have included her Ave Verum Corpus, and Five Poems by Mary Oliver in Piano Settings.
Another subject dear to Cheryl’s heart is Jane Austen — as a pianist! The beloved author’s descendants have preserved her collection of music, which together with her novels provide an intriguing view of music-making in English daily life. Cheryl has presented demonstrations and workshops featuring Jane Austen’s favorite songs and dances.
Cheryl graduated summa cum laude from Humboldt State University as a piano student of Frank Marks. Returning to that music department as a substitute instructor, she taught college piano and organ classes before continuing her education. Cheryl earned the Master of Music degree in piano performance at Dominican College with an emphasis in Piano Pedagogy, and studied organ with Sandra Soderlund, author of How Did They Play? How Did They Teach? A History of Keyboard Technique.
