Pineapple Music Studio

Lessons Offered

Where are Lessons Offered

About Me

Pineapple Music Studio exists to provide families with creative and quality music lessons in their homes. We specializes in tailoring your child’s lesson to fit their learning style and playing preferences. Each lesson includes the usual going over of assigned pieces, learning scales and theory, but it is done in a creative and hands on way. Your child will learn aural skills by playing “Parrot” or learn musical symbols by playing musical “I Spy” or “Memory”. You might even find us outside on a warm, sunny day using sidewalk chalk to create a giant musical staff to learn on.



For the older students even scales and theory can be taught in a creative fashion with letter tiles that help the student visualize each scale and chord. Whether your student wants to learn pop music or be a classical pianist we have the right teacher for you to take you where you want to go.



We also do two large recitals a year that all our students are welcome to perform in, as well as smaller community events. Each recital is at a special venue, has a theme, activities, noise makers, food and a take home gift. These are special events for our students that are looked forward to with great anticipation.



Not only do we offer all of the above, but our teachers come to your home, so you can be doing other things around the house while your student has their instrument lesson. With Pineapple Music it is possible to enjoy the convenience of in-home lessons while having all the benefits of being part of a studio!

My Musical Education Background

All of our teachers are trained and highly qualified music instructors. We work hard to match our students with the teacher that will fit best with their personality, background, playing level and learning style.





Meet Our Teachers!



Sarah Burke, (Director) Piano/Voice

Mrs. Burke's formal music training began at a very young age, and continued through college where she earned a Music Education degree from Valley Forge Christian College in Phoenixville, PA with piano as her primary instrument and voice her secondary, as well as a concentration in piano pedagogy. She went on to earn her PA Music Education certification and has been teaching piano lessons for over 10 years and in various classroom settings for the past 4 years in the States and in Europe. Although her background is strongly classical literature, she also enjoys playing pop music and working with chords and lead sheets. Her classroom experiences have helped her to become a creative teacher, and she enjoys finding new ways to catch a student’s interest or explain theory in a way that makes sense. Mrs. Burke currently resides in Phoenixville with her husband Kyle and their two cats Charlie and Murphy. She loves outdoor activities, gardening and listening to all kinds of music. The Burke's have a collection of vintage and current records and Mozart is Sarah's favorite composer to play and perform.





Lyn Imgrund, Piano

Lyn received formal piano lessons for 11 years, one of which was spent at the Pennsylvania Academy of Music in Lancaster, studying Classical music and theory. She will be receiving a Specialist Certificate in Music Theory from Berklee College of Music this August, after completing a 9 month online program, which included 3 levels of theory courses. Lyn spent many years accompanying choirs in high school and college. She enjoys performing, and has played in church services and wedding ceremonies for friends and family. Lyn has taught piano for 2 years with the goal of building a musical foundation through basic theory and principles. She strives to help students learn to love music and become more comfortable performing. She is the most trained in Classical music, but has recently learned a lot about Jazz and Blues and has been introduced to composition and improvisation. She is expanding her knowledge of all genres of music. Lyn enjoys playing and listening to all types of music, composing, reading and scrapbooking.





Brianne Gates, Piano

Brianne began formal training in piano at the age of 11. She first came to the piano because of her passion for the emotive power of music. The possibility for music to speak to the human spirit in a way that language is unable continues to give her joy. She received 7 years of formal training and had the opportunity to perform in statewide competitions. Educated at Penn State and certified as an elementary and middle school teacher, Brianne has applied these communication and motivational skills to teaching piano since 2007. Her warm and encouraging personality goes naturally with her desire to grow her students own personal joy in making music. Along with piano, Brianne also loves to sing. She has an ear for harmony and sings in the worship team at her church. Brianne currently lives in Mont Clare with her husband and two adorable children.





Jonathan Steel, Guitar

Jon is an enthusiastic 18 year old with a passion for music. Like many aspiring guitarists, he began teaching himself out of various guitar and theory books at a young age. He went on to take formal lessons and improve his skills. Jon's goal as a teacher is not just to drive home the major theory and techniques behind great guitar playing, but also to make learning an enjoyable experience where the students have a say in the path they wish to take. Jon teaches both electric and acoustic guitar and seeks to inspire a love for music in his students. In addition to music, Jon loves sports and the outdoors. He enjoys going to the beach in the summer and snowboarding in the mountains in the winter.





Isaac Strader, Piano/Bass/Percussion

Isaac Strader is a transplanted West Virginian now living in the Phoenixville area. He is a recent graduate of Valley Forge Christian College having earned a degree in Music Performance with percussion as his primary instrument and piano as his secondary, also attaining minors in Church Music and Music Technology. Isaac has over 6 years of teaching experience in various settings and instruments such as Piano, Bass Guitar, and Percussion, as well as the occasional class on Music Theory and Composition. Having worked with many different styles of music, such as Classical, Rock, Swing, R&B, Jazz, Sacred, Pop, and Drum & Bugle Corps, Isaac's passion is to foster well-rounded musicianship in his students that will enable them to be successful at whatever musical adventure they choose to pursue. Isaac is an avid Tennis, Racquetball, and Bridge player, enjoys roasting his own coffee, and loves anything by Claude Debussy.






Sarah Bollenbach, Piano

Sarah graduated of Millersville University where she earned her B.A. in English and a minor in Piano Performance. Music, specifically the piano, has been an enormous part of her life since a very young age. Homeschooled all the way through her high school graduation, Sarah was the pianist for Volante, a classical music ensemble that toured around the Greater Philadelphia Area performing at retirement communities and public and private schools, seeking to instill a passion and interest for classical music in young and old alike. While at Millersville, Sarah accompanied The Keystone Singers, the University’s most elite choral ensemble and worked at various community theatres in Chester and Lancaster counties as a musical director. Sarah is very passionate about musical theatre and choral accompaniment and is currently the assistant musical director at Octorara Area High School and the piano accompanist for the Marauder Men’s Glee Club at Millersville University. In addition to teaching piano privately and various piano accompaniment positions, Sarah is the Fundraising Director for a very exciting non-profit called SWAN: Scaling Walls A Note At A Time which offers musical opportunities to children whose parents are incarcerated. Sarah finds music to be one of the most exciting things in life and believes it is an invaluable skill for students to learn. In her spare time, Sarah loves to write, watch old 1960s musicals, and is a huge Philadelphia Phillies fan!

Genres and Subjects Taught

We are pleased to offer lessons in the Phoenixville, Chester Springs, Exton, Malvern, Glenmoore, Downingtown, West Chester and Collegeville areas.



We currently have openings for students to take lessons in:

Piano, voice, guitar, bass guitar, strings and percussion

Lesson Rates

Pineapple Music Studio functions on a tuition policy September through May, and a pro-rated weekly rate during the summer months.



Our monthly tuition rate of $130 a month includes:



1. Weekly 1/2 hour in-home lessons.



2. Periodic newsletters emailed to you, featuring creative musical activities and resources for your budding musician.



3. Our fun and educational website which is designed to keep you informed and to nurture in your child the joy of making music—not just on lesson day but every day!


4. Access to our studio data base so you can access your billing and account information at any time, see our studio calender, log practice time and stay in touch with your teacher.


5. Music Ace- a musical and educational computer game available through your teacher during lesson times that helps reinforce skills taught throughout the curriculum.



6. Participation at free group lessons where your student can expand on what they are learning at individual lessons.



7. Two large recitals a year, plus other community events to perform at.



8. Planned field trips that will help to grow and inspire aspiring musicians.



We accept payment by check or PayPal

Ages / Skill Levels Taught

We teach lessons to children and adults of all ages and abilities from early beginner to advanced.

My Certifications and Awards

Pineapple Music Studio is a member of the NMTA, PMTA, and MLMTA. We offer our students the opportunity to participate in festivals and state-wide competitions.
All of our teachers have up to date clearance forms and are experienced professionals.

My Musical Influences

You will find that each of our teachers has been inspired in their music in various ways and by various composers or performers. We strive to expose our students to a wide variety of materials so that they can experience the same appreciation for music that we enjoy as a team, whether it's learning the newest pop song, playing for church, or becoming a concert pianist.

Service Area

Linda
Phoenixville, PA

My daughter has taken piano lessons from Mrs. Burke for almost two years now, and before beginning lessons with her, my daughter took piano lessons with another teacher for almost two years starting in second grade. The progress she has made during her time with Mrs. Burke has exceeded my expectations and demonstrated what an excellent teacher she is. Not only has my daughter grown as a piano player, she has also gained more confidence in herself. Playing and practicing the piano is not so much a chore now but rather an activity she does willingly and happily. Mrs. Burke is able to impart her enthusiasm, compassion and love of teaching and playing the piano onto my daughter. She is good at gauging my daughter’s level of knowledge and ability. She customizes the music and lessons to her current skill level while at the same time providing challenges to keep the learning process going. Sarah chooses pieces my daughter wants to learn so she has more motivation to practice and play at home. My daughter often plays the piano at my mom’s house or whenever she passes one at her friend’s house or our church. Mrs. Burke is reliable, honest, punctual, flexible, patient and passionate about her work. She has excellent interpersonal skills as she interacts with my daughter not only during the lesson, but before and after as them as well. The most important quality about Mrs. Burke is her ability to connect with her students and customize their piano lessons according to their strengths. I highly recommend Mrs. Burke as a piano teacher and know that whoever experiences her passion and love of music first hand will grow tremendously in their knowledge and ability to play the piano.

Emma
Phoenixville, PA

I am the proud parent of three girls who attended music class with Mrs. Sarah Burke. Our children speak very highly of their beloved teacher, and have thoroughly enjoyed music class under Mrs. Burke's teaching over the past two years. My 4th grader has often shared with me how very patient and kind Mrs. Burke is, as well as how creative she is with her lessons to make the music exciting for everyone. My 3rd grader, tells me that she appreciates how Mrs. Burke works with the kids to help them grasp each new concept, at each child's level, rather than lecturing the students or teaching right past them. My 1st grader has expressed how much she loves to sing with her music teacher. All of the girls love that they not only learn about all kinds of music with Mrs. Burke, but that they get to play the instruments and practice what they're learning. Overall, a great class to be in! Our oldest daughter plays violin in the school orchestra, and at her recent winter concert, we all truly enjoyed the music and dance of the choir, under Mrs. Burke's leadership. What a fun, gifted bunch! It was so easy to see the children's care and respect for their leader, as well as their confidence gained under her direction. The kids in both the choir, and the music class, clearly enjoy Mrs. Burke's teaching and leadership, and we know that she would be a treasure wherever she teaches!