About Me
HI!
I'm a private music teacher in Alaska, teaching in a very small town in the rainy southeastern part of Alaska known as the "Panhandle."
My town is in the Tongass National Forest, a rainforest.
And does it ever rain!
And snow...
My family and I live in an even smaller town (population less than 30, at last count) just across the water from the BIG town.
Our home is a cabin, off-the-grid, and we provide our own electricity, heat, and water.
To get to the bigger town nearby to conduct our businesses (my husband is also self-employed), we don life-jackets and drive a small open skiff across the water to town.
Sometimes it's a lot like camping out!
However, we have the modern amenities... laptop computers, internet hookup, etc. (Though my old Uncle Bud, himself a "rolling stone" who collected no moss, once said that the greatest luxury in the world was HOT RUNNING WATER... and I believe him, having endured frozen pipes more than once in the last few years.)
Perhaps there's a bit of a rebel in people who end up "pioneering."
In addition to buying a cabin in an inconvenient, if beautiful, location so we could afford to live on a beach with the woods behind us, we have also home-schooled our girls, in spite of my music degree which would have allowed me to teach in public school.
All of our kids now have children of their own, and look like they'll be "doing their own thing", as well!
Since getting my degree in Music Education years ago from Seattle Pacific University, I have taught private piano off and on. Mostly off, while our daughters were small, but now pretty much year-round and with a full schedule, since moving back "home" to Alaska.
While I started out just teaching private piano, I gradually became comfortable teaching voice, and then beginning guitar, and most recently, violin (or fiddle, really).
Our home is filled with books, music, our favorite movies (still The Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice, Braveheart, etc.), a wood cook stove, two cats, and a Labrador.
Actually, the dog stays outside. This is a small cabin!
My music studio is small, too...
It's an old Norwegian-style house common in this Norwegian- heritage fishing town, just big enough for my grand piano and a few comfy chairs.
On my home page I say that there is no music store within a hundred miles...true, though not as the crow flies, perhaps.
We are surrounded by mountains and water, and flying or boating is the only way to reach the closest towns to us!
But still this is a beautiful place to live. Hard-working, and sometimes hard-living, this town has some of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.
I feel very blessed to live here, and share music with those I can. I hope you find the music I share on this site useful, fun, and even beautiful.
Thanks for stopping by! Dana
Dianna:
Your website is a light in the darkness. THANK YOU for all you do in helping to spread the love of music. It matters!
Recent Articles
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Angels We Have Heard on High - Free Christmas Songs Arrangements
Angels We Have Heard on High: children love the fancy "Gloria" chorus, and you can download multiple arrangements for piano, violin, & guitar! -
Gospel Song Jesus Loves Me: Beginner & Easy Piano, Plus Lead Sheets!
Gospel song "Jesus Loves Me" is well-known to many children. Here are easy arrangements to learn the music & each word to Jesus Loves Me, for early piano. -
Easy Piano Sheet Music Swan Lake -Beginners & Intermediate Pianists!
Easy piano sheet music Swan Lake, lovely solos & duets, with lyrics in the beginner arrangements for dreamy students who love imagining. New arrangements! -
The Wellerman Sheet Music: Easy Piano & Lead Sheets!
The Wellerman: Tabs, sheet music & lyrics for piano, guitar, & more! Such a fun, high-energy song to sing & play - learn it fast with letters in the notes! -
Christmas Carol Lyrics Song from the Bible: Free SATB and Guitar Tab
Christmas carol lyrics from the Bible and an old-fashioned carol-like tune combine in this free Christmas song for SATB choir or a solo vocalist with guitar.
Interested in songs from the Bible for your students or church? Check out my other website, SingTheBibleStory.com!
All the first-year material I give my beginner students.
Piano keyboard sheets, scales, chords, note-reading exercises, and over 256 pages of music!
This beautiful song book for piano & voice "Esther, For Such a Time as This", available as a digital download, tells the riveting story of the time when Jews in ancient Persia faced a foe named Haman, and how a brave young queen risked her life to save her people.
A good choice for a singing story-teller, an operatic group, a short theater production, or a class of children!
This book is also available from Amazon as a paperback.
This book is available as a digital download from this site. Visit this page to see some free examples from the book.
It is also available from Amazon as a paperback!
This is the perfect easy start for little pianists.
And when they start reading white-key notes on the staff, this is a fun easy resource to say each week, "Choose a new black-key song at home this week and figure it out to show me next lesson!" They will be spending more time at the piano.
A perfect read aloud storybook
for little boys or girls.
The Adventures of Tonsta highlight the travels of a very young boy with a good heart, who goes about helping folk in trouble.
With a red cap on his head and a sack of tools slung over his shoulder, Tonsta seems to meet people in distress wherever he goes.
Lots of trolls in this book - including one who gives him a Christmas gift!
Comments: Do you have a story or a question about music teaching? Share it!
Please note that all comments are moderated, and will not appear until I have approved them. Also, IF YOU ARE ASKING FOR MUSIC THAT IS NOT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, YOUR REQUEST WILL BE IGNORED. That's pretty much any music written in the last 75 years...
What Other Visitors Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
ThankYou 
I just simply want to say thank you for your giving heart! I am a music teacher and I have never seen such quality music and content given out for free. …
An amazing resource!
Hey there! As you all probably know, this site is amazing! I personally write my own pieces, and sometimes wish to draw inspiration from other pieces. …
The Youngest Soloist-vocalist in the world, 4 year old Ava Sadeghipour
I wish to share with you the performance of the youngest soloist-vocalist of the world, 4 year old Ava Sadeghipour, in the biggest concert hall of Iran. …
Thank you for the music Not rated yet
I just need a few more brain cells to help me learn piano, an on going experience at 58. I downloaded a few easy tunes from teacher site - year one and …
Hi Dana and many thanks from Schleswig, Germany Not rated yet
At a young age I learned to play the piano, and at some point I gave up. Meanwhile (66) I have a Piano in my place again, started over again, and practise …
Mark Not rated yet
I think you are amazing. Living where you live in Alaska is very cool, (no pun intended). You have a small population around to recruit students from but …
Thank you Dana Not rated yet
Wanted to say thank you for all the alpha note music you provide, it's been so helpful to give the early pupils or the older, "not-quite-so-achieving" …
Question about composing Not rated yet
Hi Dana!
I am teaching piano to a student who only can use her left hand, so I am working to arrange songs for the left hand. I was wondering is there …
Slane (Be Thou My Vision) Not rated yet
Greetings from Australia.
I loved your posting on the beautiful Irish tune 'Slane'(Be Thou My Vision) . The descriptions of the versions in different …
Spanish Ladies song Not rated yet
Hi Dana,
I've been learning how to play the Violin for a year now and I'm beginning to be a little bit more adventurous. I've recently re-written my …
Found ideas for group lessons. Great resources. Not rated yet
Hi Dana, I feel so blessed to find your website while looking for ideas for group lessons to young beginners. I was looking for a picture of the grand …
Thank you so much! Not rated yet
In my singing workshop with groups I need new songs with samples, sheet music, chords and lyrics from time to time and I am very happy that I just found …
Piano teacher Ellen Berry Not rated yet
Thank you for the helpful music. I live on an island off the coast of Maine, population 650, in the winter. A young student whistled Pachelbel's Canon …
Physically impaired Not rated yet
Because of my disability I have limited use of my hands. With encouragement from my therapist she suggested I try exercising my fingers using the keyboard …
Professional Piano Teachers Here to Share! Not rated yet
Hi Dana!
I just wanted to send a quick note to introduce myself - my name is Suzy, and I'm part of the community at TakeLessons.com , an online marketplace …
Late Bloomer Not rated yet
Over 40 and just NOW learning to read music (completely illiterate) and play piano as part of my living a new, abundant life. I never imagined I would, …
Thanks so much! Not rated yet
As a newbie adult beginner, I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your website, the music, and your generous spirit. And, your lovely "about me" page …
Aromatherapist, French School Not rated yet
First of all, I have to congratulate you on your enormous web site!
I am happy you live where you find the beauty of nature and people.
I teach beginner …
Wonderful! Not rated yet
You're a wonderful woman. I love what you're doing. Being a classical guitarist it has given me great joy to visit this site. Keep up the good work! - …
Nice to "meet" you! Not rated yet
Just found your site while looking for some beginner music for teaching my kids, and just wanted to tell you I enjoyed reading about your small-town life. …
About the Author
Hi, I'm Dana! (Say that like "Anna".) I'm the owner of Music-for-Music-Teachers.com, and a newer site, SingTheBibleStory.com.
Like some of you, I've been playing the piano since early childhood, and have added a few other instruments along the way, plus an interest in arranging and composing music.
You can find out more about me and the reason for this website at my About Me page.