About Toucan Piano
Hi there, thanks for stopping by! Toucan Piano is a labor of pure love for all things piano. It is a way for me to share the resources and ideas I’ve used with my piano students over the years. I LOVE coming up with fun, creative, and interesting ways to teach music! It not only helps my students but it is also a fun outlet for my own creativity.
As we all well know, the journey to learning to play the piano (or any instrument for that matter!) requires a lot of dedication, patience, and perseverance over a lifetime (I know I’m still learning new things all the time!). I believe that journey can be so much more enjoyable with materials that motivate students to keep on working hard and inspire teachers to teach in new ways (we need variety too!).
Why a Toucan?!
Simple answer… I love toucans! When I was 10 years old, my family moved from Mentor, OH (USA) to Brazil. I grew up in Brazil and I love it and miss it so much (I am now back in the States)! The toucan is a symbol of Brazil and is a way for me to instill a little of my “Brazilian-ness” into my work. And besides, toucans have the BEST puns!
My mascot here at Toucan Piano and at my private studio is Yookan the Toucan. He pops up sometimes in my teaching materials and books. At my studio, I have a stuffed toucan named Yookan that travels to my student’s homes to help them with their practicing.
About Stephanie
I don’t remember the first time I pounded on the keys of a piano, but I know it was during a visit to my aunt and uncle’s house when I was a toddler. It must have lit something inside me because I was hooked! My toy keyboard became my best friend as I figured out how to play all my favorite nursery rhymes. When I was six years old, I begged and begged my parents for a piano (and a dog!). I got both!
From there it was just one of those love stories that grew stronger and stronger with every new piece I learned. I started lessons with a local piano teacher in Mentor, then I earned a full scholarship to study at the State University of Santa Catarina’s (UDESC – Brazil) community music program when I was 13, and then, during college, I studied with respected Brazilian pianist Harold Freibergs Auras.
I graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC – Brazil) and then went on to obtain a Ph.D. in power electronics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. After working as an engineer and a professor, I decided to follow 12-year-old me’s dream and make the piano my profession. Through teaching I have discovered a new type of love for the piano!
Fun Facts
I LOVE Beethoven! Hands down, my favorite composer, no comparison. If I could have caught him on a good day, I would have loved to have met him. Other composers who share a little a piece of my heart are Haydn, Scarlatti, Chopin, and J.S. Bach.
I’m a big soccer fan! Since moving back to the States I haven’t had much of a chance to follow my favorite leagues (Italian Serie A and the Brazilian league) but I do follow all my favorite retired soccer players on Instagram!
Besides the piano, my other love is drawing and art! Toucan Piano has been a great way for me to focus my love of illustration into something that makes my students excited to learn.
Toucan Piano 