Valerie Pafford, Piano
Ms. Valerie grew up in central Illinois where she began piano lessons at age 7. In addition to participating in band and choirs from elementary school through college, she began accompanying school and church choirs in junior high and high school, and has continuously taught private piano since age 14. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree with a piano concentration and minors in voice and organ, and a Master of Church Music degree with emphasis in early childhood development. In addition to teaching at the Jacksonville School of Music, she has been on the piano faculty at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts since 2005 and is a free-lance pianist/organist in the Jacksonville area.
She and her husband, also a musician, share especially deep bonds with their three grown sons, who they raised while enjoying many musical moments together as a family. She considers her greatest musical achievement to be teaching all three of her children to play the piano. Two of her sons now have careers in music. Although she has taught students who have gone on to be college teachers and concert pianists, Ms. Valerie’s primary goal in teaching all ages of students, preschool through adult, is to give them a solid foundation so they can enjoy making music for their personal pleasure, for the rest of their lives.
She and her husband, also a musician, share especially deep bonds with their three grown sons, who they raised while enjoying many musical moments together as a family. She considers her greatest musical achievement to be teaching all three of her children to play the piano. Two of her sons now have careers in music. Although she has taught students who have gone on to be college teachers and concert pianists, Ms. Valerie’s primary goal in teaching all ages of students, preschool through adult, is to give them a solid foundation so they can enjoy making music for their personal pleasure, for the rest of their lives.
