ABOUT ANDOVER

Danielle Van Fleet, owner and operator of Andover Music, began her music education at the age of 8. She took private piano lessons throughout her childhood, high school, and college. Danielle was accepted into the Piano Performance program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and studied piano under Dr. Linda Perry. Danielle has performed in a variety of settings, including as accompanist of the SIUE Treble Chorus, the SIUE violin studio, and in solo and chamber performances at the university and in the greater St. Louis area.

During her undergraduate years, Danielle made the decision to also pursue another passion of hers, education. Danielle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Minor of Music in Piano Performance and went on to complete a Master of Arts in Reading Education and an endorsement in English as a Second Language. Danielle has been teaching in the public school setting for the past 10 years, as well as in various music education settings including private piano lessons, directing a school chorus, and directing a children's choir at church.

Danielle is extremely passionate about giving children the opportunity to experience music. The benefits of music are rich and undeniable, and any child who finds joy and self-discovery and expression in it should have the opportunity to receive quality experiences and education in music. That is why Danielle does not follow the same exact curriculum or sequence of skills and techniques with every student. Danielle believes that students should be exposed to all musical genres and styles, but that students' interests are another very important part of the equation. This may lead to some students' lessons being more focused on playing lead sheets and accompanying themselves or others singing in church worship settings, while others have a greater focus on ensemble playing or accompanying a school choir or band and orchestra students, while still others have a more traditional focus of learning the classic repertoire of each musical period. And any combination of the above. Being a musician is not a one-size-fits-all scenario, and one of the goals of Andover Music is to help each student explore and pursue the musical opportunities that bring him or her the greatest joy, fulfillment, and growth.

Danielle's unique background in both the general education setting and as a musician leads to Andover Music being a studio where students are not only taught the instrument but truly developed as individuals. In addition to her background as a pianist, Danielle's education background gives her a variety of instructional strategies and techniques to draw from, allowing her to provide the most effective and individualized instruction for each student. If you would like to explore whether Andover Music might be the right fit for you or your child, please fill out the contact form and Danielle will be in touch!