Meet the Teachers
-
Lynda Lybeck-Robinson, NCTM: State President
Location: Unalaska/Aleutian Islands
Lynda Lybeck-Robinson, NCTM, is a graduate of Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Her performing experience is diverse, ranging from being an Up With People Alum (‘82) and traveling the world as piano player/singer, to concert performances in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.
In 1996 Lynda arrived in Unalaska on what was supposed to be a 10 week performing contract but settled in. During the next two years, she founded the Aleutian Island’s first professional piano studio at the community center. Lynda returned in 2002, and made Unalaska her permanent home. Lynda teaches beginner to early advanced level piano reaching from Unalaska’s in-person students to remote village students online.
Her students have been thrilled to participate, via video performances, in the NFMC Festival via membership in the Kenai Central Peninsula Music Teachers and online adjudications since 2021.
Lynda has over 50 publications through Hal Leonard Corporation, including “Williwaw”, “Alaska Sketches”, and more. Lynda’s compositions have been selected twice for the NFMC Festival Bulletin, including “Williwaw” (2014-16) and “Cowboy World” (2016-20)
She is currently serving as President of the Alaska Federation of Music Clubs and Kenai Central Peninsula Music Teachers.
Contact Email:
-
Mark Weathers, NCTM : State Festival Chair
Location: Soldotna / Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Mark Weathers, NCTM is a classical piano teacher based in Soldotna, Alaska, offering both in-person and online lessons to pre-college students and adults, from beginner through advanced levels. His teaching emphasizes injury-free technique, classical repertoire, music theory, musicianship, and a lifelong love of music.
Mark’s teaching is shaped by the Taubman Approach, with its emphasis on efficient, injury-preventive movements such as forearm rotation and natural alignment. He also draws from the Russian and Eastern European pedagogical traditions, which focuses on tone production and a relaxed, coordinated use of the upper body. His work is inspired by respected pedagogues such as Irina Gorin, Dorothy Taubman, Dr. Julie Hague, and Theodor Leschetizky. A strong advocate of Frances Clark’s philosophy—“Teach the student, then the music”—Mark blends high musical standards with joyful, student-centered learning.
His studio is known for its warm, encouraging environment combined with the structure of traditional classical training. Students participate in recitals, festivals, adjudications, and optional competitions, gaining a well-rounded musical experience.
Mark has completed advanced pedagogy training through the Gorin Institute (Levels 1–3) and Piano Safari Teacher Training (Levels 1–3). He currently serves on the boards of both the Anchorage Keyboard Teachers Association and the Alaska Music Teachers Association
Contact Email:
-
Geri Brigham: Treasurer
Location: Nikiski/Kenai Peninsula
Geri Brigham began her career in Denver, Colorado where she received her degree in music from Metropolitan State University. She enjoys playing and teaching several instruments, yet her specialized training is piano. Accompanying and teaching are her favorites. Geri has been a resident of Nikiski, Alaska for 39 years. She has served as the treasurer for KCPMT since its inception in 2019.
Contact Email:
-
Maria Allison
Location: Kenai/Kenai Peninsula
Maria Allison holds both a Bachelor in Music Education and Master’s degree in Music from the University of Nebraska. A Kenai resident for over 45 years, she has been an active member of the local music community—performing as a soloist, orchestral pianist, accompanist for schools and community events, and collaborative artist.
Maria offers private piano lessons in her Kenai home studio for students from beginner to advanced levels. Her teaching emphasizes classical literature, musical expression, and solid technique in a supportive learning environment.
Maria’s Email:
-
Annika Hagedorn
Location: Soldotna / Kenai Peninsula
Annika Hagedorn is the owner of Annika’s Music Studio, located inside Whitey’s Music Shop on K-Beach Road in the Kenai Peninsula. With over five years of teaching experience, she teaches a full studio of 60 students and is known for creating a positive, engaging, and supportive learning environment. Annika fosters creativity, builds confidence, and inspires a lifelong love of music through both classical and jazz piano instruction.
Contact Email: annikamusicstudio907@gmail.com
📞 Phone: (907) 420-7620 -
Karen Wright
Location: Seward/Kenai Peninsula
Karen Wright is a piano teacher based in Seward, Alaska, offering classical-style piano lessons for students from beginner to advanced levels, including adults. With nearly 20 years of teaching experience, she creates a supportive learning environment that combines strong musical fundamentals with creativity and personal expression.
Lessons focus on essential skills such as note reading, music theory, and music history, while also helping each student explore repertoire that inspires and motivates them. Whether you're just starting out or refining advanced skills, Karen is committed to guiding students toward confident, expressive musicianship.
She holds a B.S in Piano Performance from Corban University and an M.A. in Music from Portland State University, having studied with respected teachers including Prof. John Bartsch, Prof. Peggy Dougherty, and Dr. Susan Chan.
Contact Email:
-
Stacie Werner
Location: Seward/Kenai Peninsula
Stacie Werner has been loving and teaching piano since high school for over 40 years. She holds a Bachelors in Elementary / Junior High Education with a minor in piano performance. She also offers beginning private flute lessons, guitar and ukulele classes—in addition to her approximate 20 piano students. She also has summer music camp and classroom experience.
Stacie enjoys working with a variety of instruments but her “forte” is piano; accompanying solos and small groups, church congregation, and other instrumentalists. She has experience in recording studios and incorporates “orchestration”, arranging and composition with GarageBand software in her students’ private lessons. Improvisation and incorporating chords are her favorite parts of the already rich classical base of her studio lessons; while strongly incorporating scales, arpeggios, chord implementation and theory. Her students have been an active part of NFMC and they have proudly acquired many trophies and a number of different events.
Stacie loves spending time with her husband, children, mother and grandchildren! Fishing, sewing, and anything artsy are her hobbies. In addition, viewing whales, Denali and the Aurora Borealis are her favorite past-times.
Contact Email:
-
Jonathan Bruxvoort
Location: Soldotna/Kenai Peninsula
Jonathan Bruxvoort lives in the central Kenai peninsula where he studied piano for 10 years. Now with over 20 years of experience on the piano he has started Ivory Excellence Piano Studio and finds great enjoyment in encouraging and helping students to develop their abilities. He focuses on connecting with each student individually to find what will best help them advance their music. His studio branches into many styles of music while his focus remains rooted in the classics.
Jonathan believes basic techniques and musical principles are the foundations for effective musical development and the key to appreciating and enjoying music fully. He teaches beginner to early advanced levels, encouraging students at every level to enjoy what they do and strive for excellence.
Email: ivoryexcellence@gmail.com
-
Autumn Laemmrich
Location: South Anchorage
Autumn Laemmrich holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, where she studied with pianist and instructor Dr. Raffi Besalyan. She began teaching in her home state of Wisconsin in 2008 and relocated to Alaska in 2011.
She is the owner and instructor of Mountain Sound Piano Studio, located in South Anchorage, where she teaches students a full studio of all ages and levels. Her teaching focuses on classical piano, emphasizing the traditional style of learning through method books, later transitioning to standard repertoire. She also caters to students’ individual interests as they develop their skills at the piano. Autumn is a certified Ultimate Music Theory instructor, offering private theory lessons and group theory clubs, which help create a stronger sense of community within her studio.
She currently serves on the boards of the Anchorage Keyboard Teachers Association as well as the Alaska Music Teachers Association.
Contact Email: