Vivace Piano Studio
Innovate. Inspire. Empower
Meet Our Team
Emily Zheng
Ms. Zheng started piano teaching in 2006. As a dedicated music educator who is passionate about helping her students achieve their full potential, Ms. Zheng is committed to creating a supportive and engaging learning environment for her students. Currently, she is a Doctoral Candidate in Piano Performance under the guidance of Dr. Robin McCabe from the University of Washington.​
Ms. Zheng holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education (Piano) from China. In college, she participated in a research project "How Could Music Affect Early Childhood Development of Children" and taught at local schools. She holds Master's of Music in Piano Performance with a full scholarship and a teaching assistant from BGSU, Ohio. Over the years, she has performed in multiple cities in China, Chicago, Toledo, and Seattle, and also in different music festivals. ​
In piano teaching, Ms. Zheng believes in tailoring her teaching approach to each student's unique needs and learning style. She thinks that learning piano should be a fun experience by helping students cultivate self-listening, imagination, and practice habits in the very beginning. She has extensive experience teaching students of all ages and skill levels, from beginner to advanced. As an active MTNA member, she has helped many of her students succeed in performances, exams, and competitions.​
Besides teaching, Ms. Zheng enjoys staying with her family and toddler, trying different coffee, and traveling. ​​​
Benjamin Markin
Ben Markin is a life-long musician, and classically trained pianist/composer. He earned his degree with a focus in composition from Cornish College of the Arts, where he studied under Jarrad Powell and Dr. Peter Mack. In addition, he has earned both local and national awards in music composition through the organizations Joyful Noise and The Choral Project.
He has extensive experience writing, teaching, and performing classical and jazz styles, and specializes in piano and choral composition. He believes in developing a versatile and multi-faceted performer, integrating music theory, analysis, and refining a deeply expressive skill set. His goal is to aid young artists in developing self-sufficiency, and a comprehensive understanding of the language that is music. In this, he hopes to inspire an ever-present commitment to and life-long relationship with music.
Ben believes in helping students discover what speaks to them, writing custom arrangements of their favorite pieces suited to their skill level. These are used to further technical proficiency and apply learned concepts to songs that students are genuinely interested in. His experience in teaching extends to all ages. He believes that we are all artists and that we are all capable of finding both an expressive voice and a sense of self through music.​​
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