Carolyn Shaak is an accomplished pianist, composer and beloved music teacher to hundreds of piano students and is known for her interactive games and activities for group piano lessons. She is the co-creator of The Shaak Technique Book and the one-of-a-kind musical game, The Bean Bag Game. She founded Shaak Piano Music with her late husband, Bernard Shaak, and together they created the Shaak Piano Beginning Method and the original Piano Partners, I Love Coffee I Love Tea and Events for Piano. These beloved books have been tried, tested, enjoyed and appreciated by thousands of students and their teachers for years and have been the first piano books for many beginner pianists.
Learn more about the Shaak Piano Music History and Philosophy.
- Born in Florida, grew up in the Carolinas, started playing the piano by ear at the age of four when the family first had a piano.
- Was very dedicated to music and practicing all through school days.
- Gave first joint recital with sister Marinell at the age of seven in Ashville, NC.
- Presented first full-length solo recital at the age of ten in Charleston, SC.
- First time as soloist with an orchestra, played the Weber Concertstucke with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra at age 14.
- Taught first piano lesson at age 10 – a group lesson to three 6 -year -old neighbor girls who wanted to play like her.
- Played for church Sunday School classes and sang in the church choir for years at the First Presbyterian Church in Charleston
- Won numerous local, state and regional competitions.
- Gave another solo recital at age thirteen.
- Won the Wally Reugger full music and academic scholarship to attend the prestigious Ashley Hall, all-girl, college preparatory high school in Charleston.
- Early teachers were Gloria Hendrickson, Marguerite Siegling, Hester Finger and J. Albert Fracht.
- In three years earned an ABA Degree in piano performance from the University of South Carolina, where she studied with Hugh Williamson.
- Won a Fulbright Grant in music to study at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy, where she studied primarily with Dante Alderighi.
- Coached with Edwin Hughes in New York City.
- Earned a Master’s Degrees in Music and Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.
- Was Teaching Assistant to Robert Pace at his private teaching studio in Scarsdale, NY for five years.
- Assistant Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy at the University of Illinois when Duane Brantigan was dean.
- Established and oversaw a student teaching training program at the U of I.
- Married pianist, composer and teacher Bernard Shaak in 1959 and moved to Carbondale, Ill, where she began to teach private pre-college students and where they started their family. They had three daughters – Leslie Hitelman, Kim Panjwani and Jamie Shaak Ragan, all talented in music.
- Moved to Denver in 1962 and in a few years established The Shaak Music Studio with Bernard
- Co-authored with Bernard Shaak in the creation of 20 early piano teaching books, published by Moonstone Music Press.
- Presented two-piano recitals with Bernard Shaak.
- Has five grandchildren: Lily Hitelman, Nicholas Panjwani, Carolyn Hitelman, Evan Panjwani and Juliet Shaak Ragan.
- Co-produced three teaching DVDs with Jamie Shaak. Unique in the piano pedagogy field.
- Co-produced a one-of-a-kind musical game called The Bean Bag Game, originally invented by Bernard Shaak, that helps children learn time values and brings them great delight.
- Co-authored a book called The Shaak Technique Book 1 with Jamie Shaak in 2005.
- Performed two-piano compositions with Jamie Shaak and the Arapahoe Philharmonic.
- President of The Musicians Society of Denver for four years.
- Won the Clef Award of the Junior Symphony Guild (Colorado Symphony Orchestra) in 2002 for her help in establishing a program which grants young piano students in Colorado the opportunity to perform a concerto with Inside the Orchestra, a professional orchestra that plays at area schools to enhance their musical awareness and appreciation of classical music.
- Active member of the Music Teachers National Association and has presented several workshops at their national conferences.
- Active member of the state organization CSMTA and the area organization DAMTA, entering students in local auditions and presenting demonstrations about innovative ways of teaching
- Enters students in the National Guild of Piano Teachers auditions, the annual Baker Piano Center/Kawai Competition and the Wells Music Store/Yamaha Competition, in which Shaak students have frequently won the competition and have received the opportunity play a concerto with an outstanding conductor at the Breckenridge Music Festival, with either the BMI Festival Orchestra or the NRO National Repertory Orchestra.
- Carolyn feels that her purpose is to help young children love and enjoy the process of striving to reach their pianistic potential.