Alumni Commentary
Alec Reduker
"My name is Alec Reduker. I study electrical engineering at MIT. I like to fly planes, jump, build things, and play music. I am the Newburyport, and MIT record holder in the high jump. I am also a multiple-time All-American jumper in high school and college. Music is my primary creative outlet. I know where pretty much all the pianos on campus are, so after a stressful day, I can find one and play. I don't play very much classical music any more, but I'm in a band and play the keys. My bandmates are my closest friends at school. For the past two years, I have been working in the MIT Media Lab building electronic instruments.
I studied with Penny for over a decade -- and shockingly that is not at all strange for her students. There is a reason that people stick around. The unique community that Penny has developed around her studio didn't create itself, the hundreds of little things that she does to go above and beyond add up. The community is why so many kids stick around. It is really hard to get a kid to practice scales -- believe me, I know, I was there, I did not like practicing scales when I was 10. I did like hanging out with the cool older kids at mini-recitals though. Luke Seaberg was one guy in particular that took time to mentor and befriend me. He probably didn't realize how important it was to me as a kid, but I remembered and did my best to pay it forward (hi Theo). I didn't appreciate what a talented teacher Penny is until I was older. She always challenged me, but also could take a step back and be a friend when that's what I needed. She pushed me out of my comfort zone in all of the best ways, but also cultivated my strengths."
Katelyn McCarthy
"I took piano lessons with Teacher Penny from middle school to my high school senior recital. Today, I teach high school Special Education and work with students who have moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. Many of my students are Autistic and LOVE to make some noise! I’ve used a lot of what I learned in piano lessons to incorporate music into my academic lessons and to use music in a therapeutic way. We play instruments, dance, sing, and have a blast! I also have had a few students at school that wanted me to teach them piano, which is how I thought to begin offering private lessons, in addition to those I was teaching during lunch at school. Today I have a piano studio in my home and am up to six beginner students. Their favorite part of the piano has been the piano parties that I have hosted, including a mini recital, snacks, crafts, and games. Piano parties are an idea I borrowed from Teacher Penny because they were my favorite too! Penny’s piano lessons have benefited me throughout my life by providing me with a creative outlet and a way to relieve stress. My goal now is to be able to provide those same benefits to my own students. “
Luke Seaberg
"I began taking piano lessons from Penny when I was in 4th grade and continued through until I graduated high school in 2009. My parents raised me with an appreciation for a wide variety of genres, ranging from jazz and blues to classical to folk and rock, so I was excited to start learning an instrument that was so central to so many musical traditions. As I grew and matured over the years, so to did my taste in music, and Penny was always keen on exploring the relationships between what I was listening to at home and what I was playing in the studio. Whenever I proposed adapting some pop song or rock number to the piano, her answer was never, "That's not going to happen" but rather, "Let's see how we can make this work." One of the things that stuck with me was how, when I brought an unorthodox set of inputs to the table, I was met with a profound and sincere sentiment of encouragement and serious consideration. Another memorable aspect of my piano lessons with Penny is how our duet recitals brought together such interesting configurations of students, friends, relatives, and partners. In my time in Penny's studio, I played several pieces with my late grandmother, experimented with a cello/piano duet with my father, performed Pachelbel's Canon in D Major as a quartet with fellow students across various age groups, and even did a duet my senior year with the woman I am in a committed relationship with over a decade later. Penny helped me learn the value of exploring different relationship dynamics with people in your life and how enriching it can be to see familiar people in a new light, whether that means witnessing unexpected vulnerabilities, unanticipated passions, or even unpredictable humor. Finally, and most importantly, I think it's important to recognize that I was by no means the most dedicated or committed piano student at various points in my tenure with Penny. My excitement waxed and waned, and there was more than one occasion where I showed up to a lesson having avoided practicing my scales, arpeggios, and chords, let alone my recital pieces, for the entire preceding week. I'm sure dealing with a frustrated, hormonal, and (slightly) rebellious teenager isn't that much easier for a teacher than it is for his parents, but Penny always met me where I was at, gave me the space I needed, and allowed me to approach the instrument and return to my appreciation for what it did for me on my own terms. More than anything else, I appreciate that I was given the opportunity to learn how to have a dynamic and fluid relationship with something like the piano. I appreciate that I had the privilege, not only to play the instrument, but also to be a part of the community Penny built and, from what I hear, is still building to this day. It feels safe to say that I wouldn't be quite the same person I am today without having taken piano lessons with Penny.”
Raina D’Orazio
"Hi, there! My name is Raina, and I was a student of Penny’s from 2000-2010! I was thrilled when Penny asked me to share my experience with piano lessons and how it shaped my relationship with music throughout my life.
As a kid, I tried out virtually every extracurricular activity, but rarely sticking with them for long. Tee-ball, soccer, archery, chess.. none kept my interest for more than a few months. In retrospect, I realize that I’ve never had much of a competitive side, always preferring collaborative and creative outlets. Penny’s approach to teaching fostered that aspect of my personality. In Penny’s studio, practice goals were set and achieved through student input and personalized techniques. Group workshops and mini-recitals facilitated collaborative approaches to learning and enabled students to get used to performing in a low-stress, encouraging environment. Games, activities, arts, and crafts kept music history and theory fun and engaging. Recitals held at nursing homes and assisted living facilities allowed us to experience the incomparable joy of sharing music with our community. In more ways than I can count, music education at Penny’s studio reaches far beyond “traditional” training while still equipping her students with uncompromised skills in proper classical technique.
As an adult, having the ability to play music has been a gift in a multitude of ways. I truly wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. During times of emotional turmoil or academic stress, sitting down at the piano has been a form of therapy and catharsis. Sharing and playing music with friends is one of my favorite hobbies. Though I never pursued music as a career, I have found a community of friends among those who are professional musicians, and if I didn’t have the ability to discuss music theory and technique, I would likely feel like they were speaking a different language half of the time.
After I finished my undergraduate degree in pre-veterinary science at UMass Amherst, I went on to get my master’s degree in marine biology at Northeastern University. While studying at NU in 2016, Penny approached me about collaborating for one of her piano-practice fundraisers. This event is part of a long list of opportunities Penny curates to keep her students involved in their community through music and charitable work. In this case, students find sponsors who donate to a charitable cause for every hour they practice during the fundraiser. That year, Penny was interested in having an “Ocean” theme, having students learn pieces by Handel and other composers influenced by water, waves, and tides, and donating to a charity focused on ocean health. At the time, I was working with the New England Aquarium’s rescue and rehabilitation department where we cared for sick and injured sea turtles, with a focus on our most common patient, the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. As part of our collaboration, Penny and I brought her students to visit the New England Aquarium where they learned about this endangered species, why they stand on the shores of Cape Cod, and how we help them grow strong and return to the wild! Penny’s students were then able to share this knowledge with their sponsors while collecting donations for the Turtle Island Rescue Initiative through their practice. I am honored to have partnered with Penny’s studio for this wonderful and fun opportunity.
I am now studying at Tufts University where I will complete my DVM (doctorate in veterinary medicine) in 2023, and I am happy to say that music has continued to be a defining feature of my life. Before starting at Tufts, I lived briefly in Portland, OR, where I met a wonderful community of musicians and music enthusiasts who have taught me to apply the skills I learned through piano lessons to mandolin and bluegrass music! Here at school, my roommate and I frequently find ourselves using music as our go-to stress-reliever between study sessions when I play my keyboard and she sings. More often than not, we’re trying to learn the wildly challenging “Hamilton” score, where she has as many words to learn as I do notes! After I graduate, I’m planning to return to the Pacific Northwest where I’m hoping to specialize in aquatic animal health and research, spend lots of time hiking, and finally own my own baby grand piano.”
Elise Ogden
"I studied piano with Penny for almost ten years and under her tutelage, both my technical abilities and love for the instrument blossomed. I continued studying piano at Trinity College, as the piano has always been a relaxing, enjoyable safe haven for me. I am currently pursuing a J.D. at the Boston University School of Law, but despite my busy schedule my love and passion for music remain as strong as ever!"