About Us

ArtsNova is the foremost consulting practice in the United States for all phases of pianism. For over 30 years, ArtsNova has provided individual instruction in the Lab School (Zinn Piano Academy Lab School) as well as care for hundreds of pianists. Over the years, ArtsNova has become a research institute as well, encompassing subjects such as:

• development of cognitive social learning theory in beginning and intermediate piano training
• cognitive neuroscience of all phases of pianism, at all levels: we are currently exploring how the brain processes stress for children and how to teach teachers to handle it in the lesson environment

ArtsNova Consulting Group encompasses one common theme: transforming piano instruction practices in the 21st century. We have been careful to only change our practice with teaching interventions which were selected with care. Recently, we have begun choosing new individuals to work with us with the same care who meet our standard of quality and expertise, but simultaneously deliver the most compassionate instruction with every participant. Our addition of several individuals to aid us has not taken away from our mission.

While we are growing and bringing our clients the most current practices in education, psychology and technology, we likewise make sure everyone knows that they are receiving world class consulting. We accomplish this by continually raising our own standards, our goals and redefining what it means to participate in the culture known as being a musician. Our mission is to provide exceptional, personalized consultation and instruction within a setting whereby each instructor's subspecialty training is available as part of an expert team and available to all participants. In this way, we are able to preserve the richness of the one-on-one teacher-student relationship, yet, take advantage of the incredible knowledge base which exists within other forms of music instruction currently available to all of us at any level or interest.

LOCATIONS: ArtsNova Consulting Group has two convenient locations. One in Pleasanton, CA, near the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area and the other just west of the Chicago area, nested in historic Batavia Illinois, where Mary Todd Lincoln stayed after the death of her husband. Both locations house Performing Arts Psychophysiology Research Institute, where clients can participate in research, aimed at testing the newest teaching modalities and neuroscience findings. Many of these findings are not yet released to the public, but instead are integrated into the innovative care we give the students in our school. These practices are then part of our consulting packages, and later become empirical articles as we believe the findings scientifically sound. Both offices operate under cutting edge technology, including development of internt-based teaching, with the most advanced information available in cognitive neuroscience, as well as psychology and psychophysiology.