Sue Ruby, piano teacher, makes every effort to put her students first, matching her teaching style to their learning style. Her curriculum and approach are flexible, individual and vary based on the needs of each student. She believes that while piano study isn’t always easy, it should be satisfying. Sue encourages curiosity and creativity, initiative, and self-discipline. Her students range in age from 5 to adult, but when working with children, she likes to engage the parents. By working together, they can make music one of the most enjoyable experiences a student will ever encounter.
She holds a Bachelor of Music in piano pedagogy, summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota, Duluth and a Master of Music in piano pedagogy from Columbus State University in Georgia.
During her 20+ year tenure at MacPhail, Sue has taught in nearly every department! She has a passion for collaborative piano and often moonlights accompanying students and ensembles throughout the organization and beyond.
Sue is co-founder of APPI, the Association of Professional Piano Instructors, a non-profit that provides networking and professional development opportunities for independent music teachers. She frequently presents at local, state and national music teacher conferences on a variety of topics from student motivation to music literacy to her current interest, the lives and works of female composers. Sue is a very active chamber musician and freelance pianist throughout the Twin Cities metro area. She is co-founder of Fridays in the Valley, a monthly chamber music series that has raised over $50,000 for local charities. She is also a member of Phi Kappa Phi, MTNA (Music Teachers National Association), MMTA (Minnesota Music Teachers Association) and is a NCTM (Nationally Certified Teacher of Music).
Favorite non-musical hobby: She loves to hike outdoors or losing herself in a great book. In leisure time she treasures adventuresome days and quiet evenings with husband, Kurt, and cat, Unk.
