Hi! I’m Sara Campbell. I teach voice and piano lessons.
As a kid, music was my life. Yeah, I was that girl with the fermata t-shirt that says “hold me” on the back. (Okay, not really… but I totally would have worn that shirt. And if you don’t know what that means, just ask a chorus or band kid.)
I’ve been playing piano since I was 5 and singing since, well, forever. I went to college fully convinced I was headed to Broadway. And then I realized I didn’t actually want to live in New York City.
So I found a beautiful liberal arts college nestled in the hills of Amish country instead — earned my Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Westminster College and later a Master of Music in Music History and Literature from Youngstown State University. (If you love 20th century music and 11th century Irish poetry, I have a master’s thesis with your name on it.)
Why I Opened This Studio…
I saw a need for creative, joyful music education in the Shenango Valley — the kind that meets students where they are instead of forcing them into a one-size-fits-all box. So in 2010, Sara’s Music Studio opened its doors in West Middlesex, PA, and I haven’t looked back.
More than a decade later, I’m still here. Still teaching, still performing, and still genuinely excited about what happens when the right student finds the right teacher.
Outside of the Studio…
I’m an avid houseplant lady, a gym enthusiast, and I enjoy spending time with my husband and our three weirdo cats.
I’m also an active performer and director in the Shenango Valley. You may have seen me onstage at ACTS in Sharon, where I played Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd and Meg Brockie in Brigadoon, among others. Community theatre is a huge part of my life, and it deeply informs how I teach.
I’m especially passionate about helping adults find their footing in the community theatre world, whether that means building confidence at the piano, strengthening their voice, or just finally doing the thing they’ve been putting off for twenty years. And I love working with kids and teens who are discovering that singing and playing piano can open doors they didn’t even know existed.
How I Approach Teaching Piano and Voice Lessons…
Every student who walks through my door is different. Different goals, different learning styles, different playlists. My job is to figure out what works for you and build from there.
I blend tried-and-true technique with newer tools and approaches, and I draw from a wide range of repertoire: classical, jazz, blues, musical theatre, and whatever’s currently living rent-free in my students’ heads. The goal is always the same: to make music feel worth showing up for.
Because if it’s not fun, why do it?
Aside from private teaching and performing…
I’ve done the adjunct thing. I’ve served as a part-time faculty member at Youngstown State University and a musicology guest lecturer on the Semester at Sea Enrichment Voyages through the University of Virginia.
And I’ve worked as an educator for teachers and other professionals. In April of 2015, I joined composers and authors Jennifer Eklund, Kristin Yost, and Debbie Center as a workshop leader through the Piano Bench Mag’s Creatives on the Sea Cruise. From 2015 – 2018 I worked with Upbeat Piano Teachers, and in 2017 and 2018, I served as the Resident Piano Pro at Musical U. And I worked with Molly Mahoney as a coach at The Prepared Performer.
My current endeavors include business coaching for music business owners, working with Michelle Markwart Deveaux as a coach for The Speakeasy Cooperative, a business group for creative service providers.