About Galina Corkery

Music has been my lifelong passion. I began studying classical piano, voice, and choir at the age of five at Russia’s highly competitive Vladivostok School of Music. I continued my studies as a college student at Vladivostok University.
Upon graduating with my formal degree in piano and voice, I accepted a teaching position at the Vladivostok School of Music, the same institution where my music education began. This was an incredible opportunity, as my former teachers who watched me develop as a musician became my colleagues. I mastered Vladivostok’s rigorous methods through my experience as a teacher and student. During this time I also organized and performed with an ensemble of Russian musicians who toured the Primorsky Region of Russia.

When I moved to the Bay Area in 2003, opening a music studio was a natural extension of my life’s work. Teaching children to perform and appreciate music brings me great joy. I believe that music makes one’s life richer.
My studio accepts students of all ages and skill levels. We can help advanced students develop their skills to prepare for auditions and competitions while introducing music to students who are just getting started. I admire and appreciate all of my students, whether they are continuing their studies, learning piano for the first time, or returning after a hiatus.
With the studio, I aim to combine the best of the Russian and American approaches to music. We provide students with a strong foundation in classical music while giving them the freedom to explore their interests. Music is so universal—I have lived in three countries and traveled to many more and music is the one language everyone immediately understands.

Instructor Biographies

Michelle Rank

Michelle recently moved to California from the East Coast and brings a broad spectrum of experience and skill to Galinas Music Studio. She obtained degrees in both voice and piano from Louisiana College and continued her studies at Ithaca College. A classical pianist by training, she studied with acclaimed concert pianist Katerina Zaitseva and Dr. Nelita True from the Eastman School of Music. Music has been her life's passion since she was 5 years old when she first started playing piano. She has lived this passion through acting and directing muscial theater, through piano and vocal performances in Europe and across the United States, and through teaching the past ten years. She enjoys teaching all ages and levels of students and helping them build confidence in their ability to achieve, both academically and socially.

Graham Richards

I have been a music teacher since 2001, and it has been a pleasure to watch my students progress. With a BM in Jazz Composition Film Scoring from Berklee College of Music and a MM in Jazz Studies, Piano Performance, from the University of North Texas, I am in a unique position to teach piano technique, jazz aural skills and theory, small-group leadership supportive roles, and improvisation. My most recent position was as the Jazz Instructor at the Music Conservatory of Texas, where I innovated and implemented a series of jazz education classes aimed at young musicians. It has been a wonderful environment to develop my personal teaching method.
I have performed or collaborated with artists Ray Price, G Koop, Brad Leali, Rosana Eckert, Michelle Weir, and Lee Oskar. Under the direction of Craig Marshall, I helped administer the annual Addison International Jazz Festival and presented artists Chick Corea, Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, Kenny Barron, The Yellowjackets, Dave Binney, and Tierney Sutton. I scored the independent film "Belonging" for director Jeff Archuleta and I won "Outstanding Original Score" for my work on "Lazarus Go Home (The Unnamed)" at the February 2010 Scary Cow Film Festival in San Francisco. In addition, I run a booking publishing company, "Richards Bros. Music," with my brother Dave (grammy-nominated composer and performer).
Teaching jazz to young musicians has become a passion of mine. Listening to jazz is like learning a new language, and most young students are still developing their basic musical vocabulary. I am excited to have published my first piano method book, Piano, Yeah! vol. 1, which presents basic jazz theory in a simple and fun way that is accessible to kids.

Michelle Lifshitz

Michelle Lifshitz was born and raised in New York City, where she began playing piano at a young age, with a particular passion for the works of Chopin. She began teaching piano in various schools while living in New York. She came to California to study Music and Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley. In 2006 Michelle finished her BA, with music coursework emphasizing theory and composition; and her cognitive science studies focusing on language, neuroscience, and music. She is especially interested in the positive effects learning music can have on the developing minds of children. During college she continued to teach piano, both in local schools as an ArtsBridge Scholar and in private home settings. While studying at UCB, she joined the West African Music performance ensemble, playing traditional percussion instruments as well as singing and dancing. Michelle continues to practice and teach piano and participate in the West African Music ensemble, while she pursues her music teaching career.

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