Teacher Round Table - Cheri Leifert

Teacher Round Table: Teachers’ Bugaboos: Handling Practice, Payments and Make-ups!
Cheri Leifert, moderator
April 11
10 a.m. — 12:30 p.m.
Karen Koch home 

Cheri LaRue Leifert is a professional pianist and instructor. In a sentence, “Music is her life.” There is no area that has not been touched by her love of music and the piano. As early as 4 years old, she was begging for piano lessons from her grandmother, who became her first teacher. (Much to her dismay, she was forced to wait until age 5.) Her parents were quite active in their local Methodist Church, which was full of excellent musicians. Her elementary school music teacher attended the church and took over from her grandmother. Later, the church organist became her third teacher. This teacher had studied under Groff Bittner, a piano professor at what is now Lindenwood University. On the organist/teacher’s recommendation, Leifert started her studies with Groff as a 12-year-old, seventh-grade student, continuing with Groff through her studies at what was then The Lindenwood Colleges. She began full-time church musician duties as a 12-year-old, started taking students and began playing professionally at 14 while also becoming active playing jazz with her highly acclaimed high school jazz band. Since then, she has been blessed to be able to work in the field she loves while also raising a family (including one son who is a professional bassist) and continuing to teach, lead worship at her church, teach vocal music at her children’s school and play gigs around the area.