Zoe McKenzie

BM, Texas Wesleyan University

Native of San Antonio, Zoe McKenzie began studying piano at age 8 and knew right away music was something she loved. Over the years she has also studied voice, dance, musical theater, and violin. She began teaching piano at age 15 in order to pay for violin lessons, which she started at age 16. Teaching became a huge part of her life, influencing her decision to study with Dr. Ilka Araujo at Texas Wesleyan University, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy in 2022. She has been a private instructor in the DFW area since 2016 and a piano instructor and theory coordinator at the Fort Worth Conservatory of Music and Fine Arts since 2019. Since graduation, she has received two separate certifications from the Royal Conservatory of Music, one of which allowed her to become a pioneering teacher, helping to bring RCM’s new Smart Start music program to DFW. In addition to teaching, she continues to perform, most recently being the Fort Worth Music Teachers Association Duo Piano Competition and the 2024 Texas Wesleyan Alumni event.

Zoe actively keeps up the violin as her secondary instrument; having previously been a member of the Fort Worth Civic Orchestra, and currently meeting regularly for string quartet and quintet rehearsals and performances, as well as occasionally teaching for the Arco Chamber Music group. She is an active participant in the Fort Worth Music Teachers Association, including running their Fall Festival in 2020 and 2021 and directing their current Open Recital series since 2021. She has been happily married to her husband since 2023 and continues to accompany and arrange pieces for her church and students, always looking for ways to improve her own playing and teaching.

Teaching Philosophy

I believe that because every student is different, my approach to teaching each student should be individualistic and flexible. I understand that not every student I teach will want to pursue a career in piano, so I work with my students to set clear long and short-term goals. I determine the best way to reach those goals by working with the learning styles, personalities, strengths, and weaknesses of each student. I strive to communicate the benefit of piano studies for not only the aspiring musician, but for the cognitive, emotional, and physical development of any student I have the pleasure of teaching.

My goal is for every student to enjoy mastering their instrument, but communicating that the process is not always easy. I ask hard questions and encourage my students, of any age, to think for themselves. I help to guide them into becoming confident and proficient piano players, while gaining a greater knowledge of the theory and wider musical context behind their studies. My lessons include aspects of sight-reading, ear-training, technical studies, memorizing, theory, and performance practice. I encourage my students to be active about scheduling consistent practice time for themselves, knowing that building good playing habits is the only way to see improvement and overcome difficulties. Lastly, since I do not believe that perfection is attainable on this earth, I ask the same thing of myself as a teacher that I ask of my students: A good work ethic and willingness to improve, to admit and learn from our mistakes, and to keep going knowing that the best things in life don’t come easily.