About Marian Lamoureux Hinsdale

Marian Lamoureux of Hinsdale was born in Newcastle, Pennsylvania in 1959 and moved with her family to Ontario, Canada when she was five. Piano lessons began at seven. By sixteen, she was teaching beginning students of her own. She pursued music seriously through her teenage years, receiving scholarships to the University of Western Ontario and to the Banff School of Fine Arts. At Western, she completed an Honors Bachelor of Music in Music Education and a Bachelor of Education.

Marian received her teaching certification in 1984 and spent ten years in the Ontario school system while running a private piano studio at home and raising three children. In 1999, the family relocated to Illinois. She stepped away from classroom teaching for a decade to focus on her children full-time, then returned to teaching piano from her home studio. She now works with students of all ages and prepares them for Royal Conservatory of Music examinations.

Marian's approach is built on a simple observation: students who feel connected to the music they're playing practice without being told. Students who don't feel that connection won't practice no matter how many minutes are posted on the fridge. She chooses repertoire to match each student's interests and stage, blending classical training with music the student actually cares about. The technique stays rigorous. The music changes to meet the student where they are.

Marian can usually tell within the first lesson whether a student is going to stay with piano. Not because she can predict talent—talent is overrated and harder to read than people think. What she's reading is how the student responds when something is hard. A student who hits a wrong note and tries again with a small smile is going to do fine. A student who shuts down at the first mistake needs different work before the music can even begin. The part that decides long-term success is not visible in month three. It's visible in year three, and it's mostly about whether the student can sit with frustration without falling apart.

Marian enjoys cooking for family and friends, hiking, cycling, and spending time with her three grandchildren. She helped her daughter launch a theater company that began in their backyard and now runs a 200-seat venue. She still handles the company's finances. She and her family return to a cottage in Canada when they can. She recently traveled to Japan and South Korea.