Dr. Elaina Burns, founder and director of Resonance: Mind-Body-Music, LLC, teaches piano and organ lessons, mind-body awareness practices, and alignment techniques for students of all ages, levels, and backgrounds. Resonance private clients have access to customized music lessons, yoga instruction, and coaching from Dr. Burns. Partner and group lessons are also offered. Participants in Resonance activities have the opportunity to work with Dr. Burns in Pearl River, New York, or online lessons can be arranged. Contact [email protected] for further information.
As a young pianist, Dr. Burns was accepted into Dr. Stephen Perry’s prestigious studio at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. She studied organ under Robert Murphy and received the Interlochen Organ Award. She was the recipient of the Theodore Presser Scholarship during her undergraduate studies, and she collaborated with University of Delaware faculty musicians including soprano Marie Robinson and pianist Julie Nishimura. She has studied with Philip Kawin at the Manhattan School of Music, Dr. Andrew Cooperstock and Anne Epperson at the University of Colorado, and Dr. Edward Gates and Jeongwon Ham at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Burns studied piano pedagogy with Dr. Jane Magrath and Dr. Barbara Fast and earned a doctoral degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Oklahoma, a school recognized nationally and internationally for excellence in the fields of performance and pedagogy.
Dr. Burns presented “Community Connections: Becoming an Ambassador for Music in Your Community” at the Music Teachers National Association’s (MTNA) Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland in 2017. In 2018, she was again invited to present at the national conference in Orlando, Florida on the topic “Mind-Body-Music: From Proper Alignment to Artistic Performance.” She frequently serves as an adjudicator for MTNA festivals and competitions, and she served on the Executive Board as the National Certification Chair for the state of Iowa. She currently serves on the Nominating Committee for the MTNA Executive Board in addition to serving on the Independent Teachers Committee for the National Conference for Keyboard Pedagogy.
With the belief that all students can and should experience the mental, emotional, and social benefits of playing an instrument, Dr. Burns, Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM), works to provide positive and enriching musical experiences for all students. Dr. Burns has over 30 years of experience playing the piano, over 20 playing the organ, and over 15 years of experience teaching. Dr. Burns integrates yogic philosophies and mind-body awareness practices into all aspects of her life, performing, and teaching, and she works intuitively and creatively with students in order to provide a musical education that suits students’ needs and ability levels. She is patient, curious, and flexible when it comes to designing a program of study for each individual. Group classes are offered with the same philosophy. Students are welcomed to the studio and provided with positive and joyful experiences at the piano or on the mat.
Dr. Burns is a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200), a member of the Performing Arts Medicine Association, and organist at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Her primary area of research is the impact of meditation and mind-body alignment on performing artists. A national presence in the fields of piano pedagogy and the creative and healing arts, Dr. Burns has given recitals, workshops, and presentations in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Colorado, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Hawaii, Florida, Canada, and Germany. Notable performances include Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
Professional Associations:
Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) - www.mtna.org