MELISSA BARKER

Prineville
Piano

Melissa has been teaching piano since age 14. After her high school piano teaching experience, she attended Portland State University to study pedagogy with Mary Kogen. Graduating with a BA in Music, she became certified as a Kindermusik teacher after seeing the amazing effects of music on children during her volunteer work in the nursery at a drug and alcohol treatment center. After operating Green Grass Music in Portland, a small music school offering private piano lessons, pre-piano classes, and Kindermusik classes, Melissa relocated to central Oregon in 2011, and has since earned her MTNA national certification in teaching, as well as her adjudication certification.

Melissa is also the Music Director for the First Baptist Church in Prineville, where she leads 20+ volunteer musicians. She enjoys playing many types of music, with a special love for traditional folk music (playing guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and singing). When not making music, she enjoys reading, traveling, and time in the great outdoors. She also cherishes the time she spends with her husband, Joseph, and her two sons, Birch and Riddley.