Philadelphia Area Piano Teachers

Alissa Allen

Ali Marie is a young musician from Philadelphia, who has been studying piano and violin for 13 years. Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School introduced Ali to orchestra and stage performance, having performed at various venues on the Avenue of the Arts, such as the Kimmel Center and Merriam theater. From there, she attended Creative and Performing Arts High School, a school that truly sculpted the creativity, individuality, and ambition that makes music a passion, rather than just a class. CAPA provided Alissa with the opportunity to play and perform with the All-City Philadelphia Orchestra, Curtis Institute of Music, Temple Orchestra, as well as performing with the conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-séguin. Alissa continued on to Rowan College after high school, continuing to teach lessons from home. 

In addition to consistent practice, Alissa has tutored many younger students for piano and violin within her schools, and has taught lessons to children of friends and family. Her teaching style enforces creativity, individuality, and a thorough understanding of music theory as a tool to express yourself through music. She believes that introduction to music should never feel like a chore; a first impression to an instrument should be fun and exciting. 

Bill Coccagna

Bill Coccagna has been studying and playing the piano for over 40 years, teaching for over 15 years. He believes in the power of music as a great connector for all skill levels and ages alike. In addition to knowing theory & technique, Bill has perfect pitch and an exceptional ear for music. His strengths are bringing out the best in all of his students and has the ability to customize lesson plans designed around each individual.

Bill's students range from 5 to 80 years old. He believes that with proper instruction and guidance that anyone can learn the piano and experience this joy. For those who have had prior lessons or past experience with playing music, Bill can harness what was learned and help build on that foundation. 

David Pearl

David Pearl is an old soul with fresh ideas. He is a nurturing, compassionate, patient teacher and a mentor dedicated to challenging his students to grow independently to become better musicians and take pride in their hard work and dedication. 

David has played and studied piano and drums for nearly thirty years and has been teaching for over fifteen years. He has performed with a variety of musicians and bands throughout his career. 

David teaches in homes, studios, community based outreach organizations as well as behavioral health facilities and other institutions. Engendering and instilling focused discipline and a fun loving attitude towards practice and performing is important to him.

David's teaching methodology is catered to each unique student based on age, level of musicianship, specific interests and learning style/personality. Lessons are designed to enhance students' learning process and progress in order to help develop over all self confidence. The lessons are created to help develop skills in reading notation, developing the proper technique, interactive improvisation and overall ability to play music in any performance setting with other musicians in a creative collective. David's overall teaching philosophy is designed to guide students to appreciate the joy of playing music.

Rob Wickline

Rob Wickline is a composer, producer and rhythm section instrument guru. He started with piano when young and in high school found guitar. After becoming thoroughly hooked, Rob decided he would dedicate all of his energy into preparing to go to school to study jazz guitar. After a semester of guitar study at The University of the Arts felt he was in a place where he could manage his own guitar education with the aid of just private lessons and was growing more interested in composition and decided to make the switch.

Throughout college Rob honed his skills in a variety of different environments of composition: Electronic music was the first addictive fascination but jazz composition for various ensembles, arranging video game music, progressive rock for large ensembles, film scoring, contemporary classical and many more started taking hold. It was also in this time that Rob took the opportunity to play in the many different ensembles available to perform in at UArts. 

While exploring these many different avenues of musical creation Rob was also slowly learning the ropes in the recording arts. He developed a love and admiration for the recording arts be it engineering, mixing, mastering or collaborating with artists on songs and arrangements. Nowadays, Rob continues to wear these many hats. Some days he is a producer, some days a mixing engineer, artist, arranger, church guitarist, wedding musician, educator, bandmate and sometimes composing classical music when spare time permits - and the list goes on!

Alyson Massa

Alyson Massa is a graduate from Syracuse University with a BM in voice performance and is currently working towards her Masters in Music Education at Temple University. She has been teaching both piano and voice privately for almost eight years. She has also directed several choral and vocal ensembles including children's choirs, acappella groups and vocal jazz groups. As a proficient pianist, she has accompanied vocal recitals, choirs, and musicals in the New York and Philadelphia area and also arranges and composes for various vocal ensembles. 

Alyson's goal as a teacher is to foster a fun, creative environment where students will enjoy the music making process as well as the learning process. While teaching the fundamentals of music theory, writing and reading, she also encourages her students to explore various genres and styles. She teaches age appropriate, healthy vocal and playing technique and helps to develop productive practicing habits. Most importantly, she hopes to spread her passion and love for the arts so that her students can also experience the joy of music making

Alexia Lekos

Ms. Alexia Lekos is originally from East Greenwich, Rhode Island and moved to Fredonia, NY to pursue a dual major in Music Therapy and Applied Music with concentrations in violin and piano and a minor in Psychology at the State University of New York at Fredonia. Ms. Lekos has completed 120 hours in the clinical setting working with older adults, adults and children in addition to field teaching in an early childhood setting for three semesters. 

Outside of clinical and field teaching placements she is heavily involved with campus leadership. On campus she gave private adaptive violin, piano and ukelele lessons including the New Horizons Band of Western New York, a group providing opportunities for the "chronologically gifted" adults (50 and older) to learn to play a musical instrument and enjoy playing with others. 

Ms. Lekos is the founder of the Fredonia Ukulele Club since Spring 2016, encouraging amateur musicianship through playing the ukulele and provides opportunities for collaborative music making within the campus community and the greater Fredonia community. Both the club and New Horizons have contributed to creating the workshop, "Expanding Ukulele Technique in the Clinical Setting", which was presented at the Student Research and Creative Exposition in Fredonia, NY, the 2017 Regional Passages Conference at Molloy College and the 2018 Mid Atlantic Regional American Music Therapy Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. The website, www.uke4muty.com, is designed for the presentation, giving access to ukulele sheet music and offer possible applications with the intention for professionals to utilize this resource within their practice. Today she continues to give ukulele instruction to individuals and ensembles. 

Ms. Lekos is an active violinist, continuing to participate in numerous small and large ensembles including string chamber ensembles and the College Symphony Orchestra. She has participated in a masterclass featuring Jiah Chapdelaine from the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. Previously, she was the musical director at the Fredonia Place Baptist Church and has played in other community ensembles such as The Trinity Masterwork Choir in Fredonia, NY and the South Country Chamber Orchestra in Narragansett, RI. This past October, Ms. Lekos gave her graduation recital featuring works by Mozart, Burgmuller, and de Falla. She continues to play violin in order to make music for herself.