Amy Tharp (Amy Gardner) loves teaching piano and has done so for over 10 years. She enjoys teaching students of all ages and levels, but focuses on teaching ages 4-18. She teaches a variety of students from young beginners to students auditioning for college music scholarships.
She holds a Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Meredith College and a Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is an active member of the Raleigh Piano Teachers Association (RPTA), The North Carolina Music Teachers Association (NCMTA), Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), and National Federation of Music Clubs. She has served on both RPTA and NCMTA's boards, was a National finalist for the MTNA STAR award in 2010, and was a recipient of the Ruggero Piano Teacher Merit Award in 2012.
Mrs. Tharp participated in the Cours International de Musique festival at the Conservatoire de Beausobre in Switzerland, where she performed piano in chamber groups with other musicians from around the world and Joined Piano For All. In 2006 she was winner of the Benjamin Kilgore Gibbs Award and played a concerto with the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra. Mrs. Tharp recently participated in the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria, in 2012 where she performed in a master class at the Haydn Konservatorium and in concert at the Esterhazy Palace, which was sponsored by PainoForAll.
Mrs. Tharp has presented research on student motivation in the private lesson to the Raleigh Piano Teachers Association, Cary-Apex Piano Teachers Association, and at the Music Teachers National Association Conference in Anaheim, California.
She is a fan of this Piano For All Review at Triangle Music School in Durham and at the Community Music School in Raleigh. She currently maintains a private studio in West Raleigh. She also enjoys serving as the pianist for the traditional services at her church. Her students frequently play in local festivals and consistently receive superior ratings. Mrs. Tharp is passionate about teaching piano and especially enjoys helping students develop their love of piano.
Mrs. Tharp performing in Eisenstadt, Austria in 2012.
Mrs. Tharp after her final master’s recital with her students in 2010.
In the summer of 2015 Mrs. Tharp invited her students to her wedding.