Dailie Students Perform for Piano Guild Judge

Six piano students who study under Sheila Dailie performed for judge Maria Grant of the National Guild of Piano Teachers. The auditions were held in Brookings on Friday, May 12. The Milbank students each received a superior or superior-plus rating. 

Students:
Maci Mueller –  State Winner – 4 years 
Natalie Thaden – District Winner—4 years 
Isabelle Karels –  District Winner –3 Years 
Kaci Zinter –  Hobbyist Winner—2 years 
Lydia Gall –  District Winner—1 year 
Kylynn Schwandt –  Local Winner—1 year 

The National Guild of Piano Teachers is the largest non-profit organization of piano teachers in the world. The Piano Guild, a division of the American College of Musicians, was founded in 1929 by Dr. Irl Alison and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. Over 118,000 of its musicians perform internationally each year.

Grant is an American College of Musician Hall of Fame teacher and a Master Certified Minnesota Music Teachers Association endorsed judge. She  teaches at her private studio in Minnesota and  is a faculty member at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan during the summer.

Her piano instruction has spanned 28 years and North and South America. Amongst the awards her students have received are a special grant from the Schubert Club, the Raissa Tselentis Scholarship for highest score in the All-Bach Program, the Paderewski Gold Medal, and the Irl Allison Gold Medal.

Grant served a three-year term on the Suzuki Association of Minnesota Board of Directors, has a master’s degree in Piano Pedagogy from Holy Names University in Oakland, California, and a bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from Santa Marcelina College in São Paulo, Brazil.

Photo: Isabelle Karels, Kaci Zinter, Macy Mueller, Lydia Gall, Natalie Thaden, and Kylynn Schwandt.