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INSTRUCTORS

Valerie Young is a highly-specialized educator of children who has taught piano and Kindermusik for over 25 years.  Valerie holds a degree in Music Therapy from Wilfrid Laurier University (Waterloo, Canada) and an associate diploma in piano performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto, Canada).  When she's not at the studio, she loves spending time with her 4 kids, reading, painting, baking, and hiking with her dogs.

Dr. Christopher Hahn is a well-respected pianist and performer, teacher, adjudicator, clinician, and author. He has been teaching piano to students of all ages for over 25 years. Dr. Hahn is professor of piano and pedagogy, and Chair of the Keyboard Division at the University of Montana where he has been on faculty since 2004.

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D’Andre Conant has an Associate of Arts diploma from Flathead Valley Community College and is currently a student at UM earning his bachelor’s degree in piano performance. He began learning the piano at the age of 15 in Santa Fe New Mexico and hopes to one day become a performer/professor. Over the last two years he has taught piano to students of all ages at the North Valley Music School, and is looking forward to continuing to share his knowledge with others. In his free time he enjoys reading, hiking, and discussing physics and philosophy with friends. 

Madeleine Folkerts is a Montana-based performer and educator. She is the Principal Horn in Bozeman Symphony, and a former member of the Chinook Winds. She has horn and piano students throughout the state and frequently works in the public schools, both as a horn instructor and accompanist. She has appeared with the Big Sky Festival Orchestra and the National Repertory Orchestra. She enjoys adventuring outdoors in her free time.

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Landon Kleeman began music lessons at age 3 and continued throughout high school.  In 2024 he graduated from UM with a degree in piano performance. He is thrilled to be able to pass along his ever-growing knowledge of the piano to the next generations. During his free time he enjoys reading, noodling on the guitar, woodworking, watching sports, listening to records, and building cars.

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Nancy Labbe has been a music educator in Western Montana for 29 years.  Nancy received her Bachelor of Music degree in music education and Master Degree in Integrated Arts from the UM.  Nancy was honored to be selected as the 2024 Montana Choral Director’s Association Teacher of the Year as well as Arts Missoula’s Art Educator of the Year Award.  Ms. Labbe absolutely loves teaching music and working with young people, and is looking forward to working with the students and teachers at Play Piano Academy! 

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Beth Mast earned a Bachelor of Music degree in music theory from the University of Montana, studying both piano and voice. She enjoys singing in choir, yoga, hiking, and spending time with friends and family. She is looking forward to her fifth year teaching at PLAY!

Elin Peterson
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Elin Peterson holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Montana. Elin began teaching private voice in 2015 at On Center Dance Studio. In 2016 she moved to the Seattle area to join the music leader team with Musically Minded serving as a music educator for children ages birth-five. She also served as a sought after music instructor for Voice in the Valley Music Studio (Maple Valley, WA). She also taught as a preschool teacher, sharing the gift of music with her classroom each day. Elin recently moved back to Missoula to be closer to family and friends. She is very excited to be teaching at Play!

Esther Russell has been playing piano since she was five years old, and is currently studying to take RCM exams with Dr. Chris Hahn.  She often plays at Open Door Baptist Church, and her favorite types of music are hymns and classical.  A recent homeschool graduate, Esther enjoys hiking and skiing.   She recently returned to Montana from a month-long mission trip to Africa!  She's looking forward to her second season at Play.

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