A bit about me

Hi, I’m Maurita Eberly Hanford, a piano accompanist and instructor based in Dana Point, California. I am excited to accompany for your musical endeavors or teach you to play piano with excellence. I have worked extensively as a collaborative pianist and vocal coach, playing for student recitals, countless choral concerts and district choral festivals, competitions, and opera/musical productions. With 18 years of experience as a piano teacher, I offer piano lessons to children and adults at my private studio. I am Kodály Level I certified and an active member of the Music Teachers Association of California. I serve as the accompanist for the Concert Chorus of the Southern California Children’s Chorus (Lori Loftus / Carol Aspling, Directors).

My love for music began at a very young age growing up in Italy. There I began my piano studies at the Conservatorio di Musica Vincenzo Bellini (Palermo) at the age of ten. These were greatly formative years as they imprinted upon me a love for the stage, a joy in accompanying choirs and other musicians, a tender heart for children and youth, and a passion to teach musical excellence through encouragement. After returning to the US, I attended Moody Bible Institute and James Madison University, where I received a Music degree in sacred music/piano and a Masters of Music degree in piano performance/accompanying. I enjoy playing the pedal harp, serving on church worship teams, gardening, bird watching, walking, and cooking. I live and teach in Dana Point, CA with my surfer husband Joseph.

Accompanist résumé Teaching résumé

Maurita Eberly Hanford – Bio

Maurita Eberly Hanford is a native of Virginia but spent her first 18 years living in Italy. She began her musical studies at the Conservatorio di Musica Vincenzo Bellini in Palermo, Italy, at the age of ten. It was there that she developed a love for the piano, for performing, and for teaching, and where she became fluent in Italian and established a working knowledge of French.

She later returned to the US and received her Bachelor of Music degree in sacred music/piano at the Moody Bible Institute (Chicago) and a Masters of Music degree in piano performance/accompanying at James Madison University (JMU) Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Maurita loves collaborating with other musicians and has worked extensively as a collaborative artist, playing for student recitals and opera/musical productions at JMU, Eastern Mennonite University, Bridgewater College, and the Valley Playhouse. She has accompanied at Harrisonburg High School, Eastern Mennonite High School, and JMU vocal camps.

In 1999 Maurita returned to Palermo, Italy for two years to help develop a school of music among the Italian Mennonite Churches. There she taught piano, music theory, solfege, and she started and directed children’s and adult choirs. During those years in Palermo, Maurita coached vocal students from the Conservatory and at Palermo’s Opera Laboratorio. (All teaching and coaching was in the Italian language). Since then, she has returned to Italy regularly to hold children’s choral workshops.

In July of 2005, Maurita received her Kodaly Level I Certification at JMU and from 2011 to 2016, Maurita accompanied District Choral High School Festivals all over the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.

Years 2001-2016 Maurita was the Principal Pianist of the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir (past Artistic Directors Julia J. White and Dr. Jo-Anne van der Vat-Chromy and current Director Janet M. Hostetter). In this work, she had the privilege of accompanying the performance and preparatory choirs in rehearsals and in many local, ACDA, VMEA, and OAKE performances.

She has collaborated with the American Boychoir and The Washington Symphonic Brass Quintet; has played at the White House Christmas Tours, at the Greenbrier Resort, and The Homestead. Maurita has also performed for composers and choral directors such as Paul B. Bouman, Bob Chilcott, and Jean Ashworth Bartle, and has been the featured accompanist on numerous Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir (SVCC) CD productions. A distinct privilege was teaching the SVCC’s Advanced Musicianship Class, where she taught advanced solfege and music theory, and directed SVCC’s a cappella chamber ensemble.

Since 2001, Maurita has developed and expanded her piano studio, focusing on training children and youth from ages 6 to 25. Maurita’s philosophy of teaching includes the following: fostering a love for music; personalizing the lessons to each student’s interests, personality, and learning style; choosing motivational repertoire; developing well-rounded musicians through the study of rhythm, music theory, ear training, music history, and varied musical genres; helping students become confident, expressive, accurate performers; and guiding the development of a safe technique for a lifetime of passionate playing. Maurita has trained piano students of various levels and has had the satisfaction of seeing her students accepted into university music degree programs.

A surprising new passion for Maurita has been learning to play the pedal harp. Taking lessons and learning to play a new instrument as an adult has given her many insights into the pedagogical development of students.

Maurita greatly enjoyed serving on church worship teams in Harrisonburg, VA from 2002-2016.

Maurita treasures the memory of two particular career highlights. She was honored to play the Rachmaninoff Second Piano concerto (mov. I) with the Georgetown University Orchestra in Washington, DC. Then, from a mountaintop overlooking her beloved Shenandoah Valley, Maurita played with the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir on “Oh Shenandoah” for a video commissioned by the National Park Service. See article of mountaintop concert with SVCC.

Maurita now resides in Orange County, CA, with her husband Joseph, where she enjoys teaching and performing.

 

25 years of collaborating with incredible musicians!

Collaborative Pianist

Accompanying is my favorite musical role! I have accompanied extensively for children, youth, and university students, both in choral and chamber settings, operas, musicals, for district choral festivals, competitions, and in church contexts. I have extensive experience in vocal coaching, where my skills in Italian and French help students flourish. I enjoy “being in tune” with the director, singers, or instrumentalists in attaining excellence in notes, rhythms, diction, expression, and interpretation. I am fascinated by colors, tone quality, balance, and vocal blend. I receive great enjoyment from participating in the maturing process from first rehearsal on a piece of music to its completion ~ watching notes on a page coming to life on the stage! I view collaboration with other musicians as a pianist’s ultimate joy!

Accompanist résumé

Maurita  always maintains the highest standards in musical artistry and technical skill. Her sensitive rehearsal style, her flair for performance, her attention to detail, her fluency in Italian, her willingness to teach theory and her care for choristers, made Maurita an invaluable asset for SVCC. When it comes to choral accompanists, Maurita is topnotch!

Janet Hostetter
Artistic/Executive Director 
Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir

I love teaching children – ages 6 to 99!

Piano instructor

I delight in fostering a love for music in my students and personalizing lessons to each student’s interests, personality, and learning style.  I provide motivating repertoire, help students become confident, expressive, accurate performers, and develop a safe technique for a lifetime of passionate playing. In my studio, pianists will explore a variety of piano genres from classical to contemporary to sacred, jazz and beyond. Students will master sight reading, ear training and music theory at their level.  I can teach chording, arranging, compositional, and improvisational skills and will also coach pianists who want to hone their aptitude for accompanying. I am Kodály Level I certified with 18 years piano teaching experience.  I am an active member of the Music Teachers Association of California.

Teaching résumé

Reviews

What parents are saying…

“Maurita is a vivacious but serious instructor who has the ability to adapt to her students’ needs on a lesson by lesson basis.  Her performance-focused teaching style results in students who are well prepared for recitals and festivals.  Her students consistently excel in confidence, precision, and artistry” ~ Chris T. “Maurita is a gifted piano teacher. She is able to assess each student individually and to tailor a personalized course of piano instruction. Seven of our eight children were in her studio, and each had a unique experience. That is what I loved most. Maurita took care to select repertoire that would motivate and challenge them. She took time to hear their struggles on days that were difficult. She could sense when to push and when to back off. She held high expectations balanced with grace that drew out the best in them. Recitals were a joy to attend, because each student in her studio, from beginner to advanced, played music that they loved. This was a result of Maurita’s attunement and dedication to her students. They reflected her musicianship. Maurita is a top-notch musician. If you are able to get a space in her studio, snatch it up. I will never regret the day when I called to register two of my children in her studio. After one semester of sending them to lessons, a third wanted to join because of how much her siblings loved it. Years later (from 2004-2016), the rest is history, and the investment has been well worth it. My children are fine musicians, but more than that, better people for the hours that they spent in Maurita’s studio.”    ~ Julie M.

What students are saying…

“Miss Maurita, Thank you so much for the past nine years! I wouldn’t be half the musician I am today if it weren’t for you! I thank you for pushing me, even when I didn’t think I could do it.” ~Love, C. (HS Senior headed to be a music ed. major at Florida State U.) “Dear Maurita, I can’t thank you enough… I’ve never come away from a lesson feeling down-hearted or unsuccessful or stressed, despite my hectic schedule. I have always come home amused, excited, and ready to hit the ground running in learning new pieces and perfecting the ones I’ve got. You’ve been truly inspiring to me. I have loved every minute spent in your piano studio, and I have loved laughing with you most of all!”  Love, L. (Senior headed to UVA) “Miss Maurita had a great way of making me learn. I was having so much fun in my lesson that I didn’t even realize how much I was learning (and I grew a ton in my piano skills in 3 years!). She is very loving and she’s super encouraging!” ~ H. (a home-school student)

 

Video

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Contact me


    Maurita Hanford Piano
    Dana Point, CA
    (540) 209-4185