Jeanette Swiderski
Owner-Director, Piano & Kindermusik Educator
Jeanette is the owner and director of The Piano Lab. She has been a music educator for over 40 years and established The Piano Lab in 1985. She is a licensed educator for Kindermusik International, and is also a mentor for Kindermusik, helping teachers from around the world to become licensed educators. Jeanette is constantly striving to teach students and parents the benefits of exposing music at an early age. She hopes to achieve this goal through structured and entertaining programs designed for all ages.
Sharon Wagner
Piano & Voice Instructor
Sharon Wagner graduated from P.V. Moore High School in Central Square, New York. She attended SUNY Oswego and graduated from Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Kentucky. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Kentucky Wesleyan College. She was a keyboard major with choral emphasis. She started teaching private piano in 1973 while attending college. She has studied piano with Dr. Anthony Crain, Dr. Terry Yount, Dr. Diane Earle and Rami Bar-Niv. She has studied voice with Joseph Line, Dr. Robert McIver, and Ms. Holly Weiss. She is a faculty member of the American College of Musicians and serves as an adjudicator for the National Guild of Piano Teachers and is the local chairman for the National Piano Playing Auditions sponsored by the National Guild of Piano Teachers. She has been teaching piano and voice in the Utica area since 1987.
Heather Drumm
Piano Instructor
Heather began teaching at The Piano Lab in 1989. She has a Bachelors of Music Education, with a piano concentration, from the University of New Mexico. Heather has taught private piano for many years, and is the choir director and organist at Whitesboro Presbyterian Church.
Kevin Ammann
Piano and Voice Instructor
Kevin joins The Piano Lab in the Fall of 2021. He has a B.M. in Music Education from Long Island University and is currently on the staff of Utica City School District. Kevin is active in many music ensembles in the area, including singing in his church choir, Tapestry and Masterworks. Kevin will be teaching piano and voice in Chadwicks and Clinton.
Mary Wilcox
Substitute Teacher
Mary subs for The Piano Lab, and has been with The Piano Lab since 1988. Mary has studied piano throughout most of her adult life, and has worked extensively with children. She has participated in numerous piano workshops which gives her new insights to current teaching methods, among them being Amanda Vick Lethco, Catherine Rollin, Weekley and Arganbright, Keith Snell and Dan Coates. She is very active in volunteering in her community, and is a past member of the Religious Education Board of her church. Mary has brought her love of music and enthusiasm to The Piano Lab. She enters many of her students in the National Piano Playing Auditions and has received outstanding scores and comments by the adjudicators.