Dr. Sharon Brown Cheston Ph D

www.tiamoyoarts.com
1. Ph.D. in Music Education-joint program Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Institute of Music
2. Licensed Music Specialist: K-12, Ohio Department of Education
3. Cleveland Institute of Music Suzuki Theory Faculty Member from 2003-2009; currently Substitute Faculty
Dr. Sharon Brown Cheston received a Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.) degree from Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music, a Master of Music (M.Mus.) degree in Music History/Ethnomusicology from Cleveland State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Music Education from the Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Institute of Music joint program. She pursued additional graduate studies in music theory at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Dr. Cheston completed Suzuki theory curriculum and pedagogy training at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Jennifer Conner. In addition, she obtained her Suzuki piano teacher training at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Katherine M. Barley. She completed Introduction to Dalcroze for Suzuki Teachers with Jeremy Dittus. She is a Suzuki violin mom as well. Her piano teachers include James Tannenbaum, Robert Mayerovitch, Gary Graning, and Claracy B. Kimbrough, including piano pedagogy with Evelyn Gott. Her music theory studies were with Alvaretta West and James Feldman. She studied ethnomusicology with T. Temple Tuttle. As a collaborative pianist, she has performed in concert with Cleveland Orchestra violinist Mark Dumm. As a member of the Ivy-Cheston Piano Duo, she has performed with the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra and throughout northeast Ohio. Dr. Cheston lectures and performs throughout the United States on the topic of African-American Gospel Music Piano Accompaniment Performance Practices, Music in Worship, and other topics. As choral conductor, pianist, and music educator, she has held numerous positions in universities, public schools, and churches throughout northeast Ohio. She has served as adjudicator and guest conductor at choral festivals and contests. Currently, she is Rehearsal Assistant for the Cleveland Orchestra Martin Luther King Jr. Community Chorus, which sings each year as part of The Cleveland Orchestra’s annual MLK Celebration Concert. Also, she is a Summer Faculty Member of the Cuyahoga Community College’s Vocal Arts Mastery Program. During her Artist-in-Residence position at the Cleveland School of the Arts, she composed music scores for mainstage productions performed in the Playhouse Square Entertainment Center, including Chicken Little, which received the Cleveland Critic’s Circle Carolyn Reid Award for Educational Theater and The Northern Ohio Live Magazine Award of Achievement in Theater. She composed the popular children’s worship songbook series, Praise with Pizzazz: Contemporary Praise Chorus Scripture Songs. She served as Worship Director at Church on the Heights until 2019 and teaches Suzuki piano and theory at Tiamoyo Music Academy in Woodmere, Ohio in Cuyahoga County (near Orange/Pepper Pike) where she is Academy Director/Proprietor.