Sarah Bisceglia

Music Teacher Harmony Road Oregon

Sarah has been a teacher at Harmony Road, teaching all class levels, since 2006. After spending her student years at Harmony Road, it was a natural transition for Sarah to move to the role of a teacher of her favorite music program. Sarah also teaches group piano classes to students who have graduated from the Harmony Road program. She coaches many of them to successful annual Festival performances presented by the Oregon Federation of Music Clubs.

Sarah says: "I particularly love the Harmony Road program because of its emphasis on experiencing music from the inside out, with rhythm, movement and singing as a natural counterpart to basic piano skills. I learned to play by ear by using the "fixed do" solfege approach when I was young, same as the current Harmony Road program uses. I also appreciate how the program teaches kids to read chords and make their own arrangements, which are skills not always taught in private lessons, but I have found invaluable in my own music making endeavors. The community atmosphere of group lessons keeps me enthused about teaching."

Sarah started learning music at age 4 when her mom took her to a Yamaha music class. Later that year, Sarah’s family joined Harmony Road Music School and have supported the school ever since. Classes at Harmony Road were the highlight of Sarah’s week as a child. She studied with Ms. Keiko through high school, earning nine consecutive superiors and four gold cups from the National Federation of Music Clubs. After graduating from Harmony Road, Sarah continued to study piano with various professional musicians in Portland and at Clackamas Community College.

The family's experience with making music as a group at Harmony Road inspired Sarah and her sisters formed the Celtic band Whispering Roses. For many years they played regularly at coffee shops, churches and music festivals throughout the Northwest. With everyone growing up and moving on in life, the band is currently on hiatus. They have recorded three CDs: Journey Through The Highlands (2007), Drive the Cold Winter Away (2009), and Whatever Befall (2012).

Sarah also accompanies choirs, student violin recitals, youth theater musicals, and plays regularly for church. She spent two years as the accompanist for the Clackamas Community Chamber Choir directed by Lonnie Cline. She is the state festival chairman for the Oregon Federation of Music Clubs.

Sarah enjoys learning about the history behind different composers and eras of music but she usually listens to Irish, Scottish and American folk music. At the piano she loves to play late Romantic era music by the likes of Debussy, Grieg and Ravel. When not doing something with music, you can find Sarah spending time with family and friends, organizing social events, reading, hiking, watching movies adapted from classic literature, or Irish folk dancing.