"Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago."
Warren Buffet
About
Dr. Failla, Instructor
Dr. Paul Failla founded the Jamestown Piano Studio to bring inspired keyboard instruction to families of the Triad. He's taught piano professionally for 25 years and is an experienced classroom teacher as well, teaching courses at DePaul University from 2004-2012 that include Analytical Techniques (graduate); Art, Artist and Audience; Aural Skills Levels I-VI; Introduction to Composition; Musicianship Levels I-III (theory/history), and Understanding Music. Most recently, Dr. Failla served as Music Teacher at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in High Point, NC (2019-2024), where he taught PK-8 general music and developed a multi-level band program, a piano studio, a keyboard lab, and a classical guitar program. Annual musicals, talent shows, field trips, concerts, assemblies, and recitals were produced as well. Dr. Failla's passion for early music education stems from experiences teaching in DePaul University's Community Music Program from 2004-2012.
Dr. Failla, Performer/Theorist
Dr. Failla is an accomplished keyboardist, having performed hundreds of solo and ensemble concerts on piano, harpsichord, and organ. Two favorites include the premiere of George Flynn's "American City"(1999) for piano and wind ensemble with Dr. Donald DeRoche and the DePaul University Wind Ensemble, and "Retrosorter" (2008), a 40 minute composition in eleven parts, written and performed in just two weeks with Dr. Jeffrey Kowalkowski for two pianos, harpsichord and celeste. Dr. Failla also specializes in music theory and music analysis. Notably, he's performed complete harmonic analyses of the Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert piano sonatas, as well as most of the four-hand literature stemming from a 10-year piano duo collaboration with Dr. Kowalkowski.
Dr. Failla, Composer
Dr. Failla holds degrees in music composition from DePaul University, B.M., 1996-1999 and Northwestern University, M.M., D.M.A., 2001-2005. He views music composition as the most creative form of human expression. Several of his works have won awards, and several of his students have gone on to enjoy fulfilling careers in music.
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Check out some scores:
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Listen to some music: