Laura

Piano Faculty, Kiker Elementary After School Piano Teacher

Laura was born in Austin and is a product of AISD. After graduating from Austin High School, she attended TCU in Ft. Worth, where she received a Bachelor of Music Education with a minor in Piano. She taught 6th Grade general music at Joslin Elementary when it was a 6th grade center for 5 years and then took a 9-year break to stay at home with her 2 boys. She has been teaching music at Williams Elementary for the last 19 years, and is still there.

Throughout the years, Laura has accompanied hundreds of AISD band students for UIL competitions, as well as various choirs. She sings in her church choir, and sometimes plays the piano during the worship service. Music is a huge part of her life. She has been teaching with Capital Music Center since 2005 at Kiker Elementary School's after school program. "I see so many positive benefits from the class piano concept, as well as the Hal Leonard curriculum, using disks that accompany the students. My students, many of whom are boys, love the "team" idea of playing with a group; whether it is the same piece, or an ensemble. They encourage each other, as well as "show off" for each other, and love picking various instrumental sounds each week on their pianos to play the pieces they have practiced. I wish my own boys had had this opportunity with pianos, because I think they would have played for many more years than they did." She has students from Kiker in her program, as well as some from Clayton Elementary, Oak Hill Elementary, and Fulmore Middle School.

Here’s what Ms. Laura’s students have to say about her:

“We like the convenience of lessons at our elementary school. This keeps us from having to fight traffic or worry about busy schedules and having to get from here to there in a limited time. The teacher is PATIENT, kind, understanding. Practicing with the disks help us keep our sanity. From beginners to the more advanced stage, it makes practicing so pleasing to the audience's ears. It is a great way to teach rhythm. Jake has progressed so much from when he started in kindergarten. He will never be a gifted pianist, but we never expected him to be. We are strong believers in the relationship between music and math skills. I want to thank you for providing this opportunity to the children of Kiker. You have an excellent program and have consistently provided quality instruction to your students.” –Alma Chapa M.

Laura Leshikar is an exceptional piano teacher. My daughter absolutely loves the piano lessons and looks forward to attending class each week. The Roland Music Tutor has been a wonderful aid in helping our daughter Allison maintain a high level of interest in playing on a daily basis. Practicing with the MIDI files makes the lesson more interesting and interactive. The versatility of the Music Tutor is fantastic. The ability to vary the speed as one learns a new difficult piece is a priceless learning tool. The Music Tutor makes learning fun, interactive, and appealing so that our child is self-motivated to practice the piano as soon as she arrives from school. As wonderful a tool as the Music Tutor has been, we emphatically believe that Ms Laura deserves much credit for Allison's success. Nothing can replace Laura's professionalism. Allison absolutely loves coming to her group lesson with Laura. --Rich & Sylvia S, parents of Allison

“Love our teacher, Laura! She is great! My younger son wanted to quit piano in the past, between Laura & us, we convinced him to stick with it. Now, he acts proud knowing how to play the piano! Success! We are pleased with our boys' progress.” --Mark & Natalie B, parents of Nicholas & Jacob

Group lessons are good for competitive boys! It’s lively and makes learning fun! –Lisa P, mother of two boys