Melissa Murphy

Melissa Murphy believes in the power of the inherent creativity in all of us. She holds an M.A. in Music Cognition from Northwestern University and B.A. in Music from UC Berkeley, at which she studied under Dr. Betty Woo. Her early studies began at age 3 after an aunt gifted a family piano, where her parents discovered her plucking out tunes.

Ms. Melissa’s zest for music-making comes from a rich heritage that honors improvisation, historical context, and technical facility, thanks to her incredible mentors and opportunities growing up.  She understands the difference that a caring piano teacher can make. Through steady support, Ms. Melissa seeks to help each student discover their unique gifts and interests for themselves.

A two-time recipient of the Heroes and Legends Award, Ms. Melissa credits her comprehensive approach to mentor Dr. Eubanks of the Eubanks Conservatory and technical facility under Dr. Kirill Gliadkovsky in Orange County. In her own teaching, she emphasizes a strong grasp of fundamentals as key to structuring confident musical expression.

Collaboration is another key element of Ms. Melissa’s practice, and she engages students in duets from early on to encourage active listening. She collaborates with local choirs and has performed at many events and venues throughout the Southern California area.  When not at the piano, Ms. Melissa loves hiking, reading, and rolling in the grass with her new puppy Toby.