I offer piano lessons, voice lessons, and songwriting lessons for kids and teens, beginner through advanced levels.
Music Lessons in Rochester, NY
Piano Lessons
I teach classical piano technique in a unique way that fits each student’s learning style, so that lessons are always engaging and inspiring. My students become independent, thriving musicians, and learn to love music from the inside out.
Depending on the student, I may incorporate improvisation and composition into lessons, as well as pop music, lead sheets, songwriting, visualizing music, duets, blues patterns, and musical games.
Focus areas: strong technique, reading music notation, arranging and composing, improvisation, deep listening, instinctual/expressive playing
Songwriting Lessons
You’ll learn something new in every lesson. Whether you are bringing prewritten songs that you want to workshop, or learning how to write a song from scratch with no experience, I will help you build confidence with songwriting.
Voice Lessons
The voice is an organic instrument. For that reason, my voice lessons focus on the imagination as the primary tool we have to sing well. My students learn how to maintain an even tone throughout their range, hone in on their natural voice, and expand their technical skills so that they can sing the music they love.
I encourage my students to reach just outside of their comfort zone without straining, to ensure that they gain confidence in themselves as vocalists.
Focus areas: ergonomic vocal technique, interval training, even tone, expanding range, clear tone, healthy posture
Pedagogy Workshops
Have you been studying piano avidly for awhile, and would like to start teaching? I love helping piano teachers reach the next level in their career. My pedagogy workshops prepare you to teach beginner to intermediate students how to break down pieces, play by ear, and practice more effectively. After 2 workshops, you’ll be able to teach the music you love, and help your students become budding musicians themselves.
Case Studies from Siena’s Studio
The Gifted Composer
An 11-year-old student came to me from another piano teacher, having learned how to read music, a few basic scales, and some chord progressions. She was using a method book, and doing fine with it, but had so much more music inside of her. She was constantly coming up with melodies and chord progressions of her own, so I started guiding her through writing down her own compositions.
Together, we worked on arrangements, composition techniques, and musical notation. Since then, she has performed an original piece in a public recital, had her original composition featured with the Rochester Public Library, and is now gearing up to apply to college with a double major in music and art.
The Berklee-Bound Beginner
A year ago, a 14-year-old student walked into my studio having never taken a piano lesson in her life. She had a dream: to audition and be accepted into the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. We started working together in earnest, following a specialized approach in which I paired basic note-reading with more advanced technical exercises and songs.
With this satisfying combination of challenge and simple skill-building, her piano playing has developed to the point where it sounds like she has been playing for far longer than a year. She is on track to rock her Berklee audition when she’s a high school senior in 2025.
Testimonials
My child studied piano with Siena for two years, until Siena left Montpelier, Vermont for her own studies. I have put three children through piano lessons, and so knew a good teacher when I met one, particularly in her seemingly innate understanding about how to ineract and connect with her students, and find musical pieces for them to work on that engaged the students, and made them feel excited to return to lessons every week. My only regret is that my child did not have more time with Siena before she moved out of town.
–Cassandra
Siena is a wonderful teacher to my 7 year old daughter, she’s very professional and patient. And my daughters piano skills have improved so much since she started working with Siena.
–Juila
I’ve been taking piano lessons with Siena for about 4 years now, and I’ve significantly grown under her instruction. I went from an average pianist to composing my own pieces with her guiding and encouraging me along the way. I’m very thankful that she teaches me as an individual, rather than following a book 🙂
–Sophie
Siena Facciolo 