Meet the Teachers
Cindy Snell (piano / voice)
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My fascination with music came at a very early age. My mother was always singing around the house and, naturally, my sister and I started singing along. There were countless hours of singing and it was something we bonded over. My mother would lead, my sister and I would follow, and our father would occasionally attempt to join in with his best "soprano" voice... which made us all laugh.
I remember walking into a piano store for the first time as a young child and being amazed with all the different kinds of pianos on display. I thought being able to play such a beautiful instrument would be the coolest thing in the world and I promised my parents, if they bought me a piano, I would practice every day. It was so exciting hearing the different sounds each key produced and, although I was pretty much just banging on the keys, I was convinced that I was the next Beethoven. In middle school, I learned how to play the flute as part of the school band and discovered the joy of performing as part of an ensemble. In high school, I was a member of the show choir and remember being excited for after school rehearsals where I could sing my heart out. We won several competitions and had opportunities to perform concerts in Disneyland. Music has always been so fun for me! |
I studied piano since the age of 5 with a wonderful teacher, Mrs. Akiko Hasunuma, who was head of the Music Teacher’s Association of California. Aside from being an amazing instructor, she was a mentor, a friend and a second ‘mama’ to all her students. She knew when to have fun and when to be fierce, and I respected that. She presented me with my first teaching opportunity in high school. She asked that I teach some of her younger students while she attended an overseas music conference. That's when I discovered my love for teaching.
In college, I studied art and education and was involved in after school music programs for underprivileged children who would have otherwise had no access to musical instruments. I love seeing the proud faces and smiles of my students when they succeed after putting in hard work and hope to spread the joy of music to as many students as possible.
In college, I studied art and education and was involved in after school music programs for underprivileged children who would have otherwise had no access to musical instruments. I love seeing the proud faces and smiles of my students when they succeed after putting in hard work and hope to spread the joy of music to as many students as possible.