Faculty Profiles

CSA Instructor since 1975

As a long-time Suzuki Piano Faculty member at CSA, Ms. Andersen has had numerous students study with her for twelve to fourteen years, some of whom have gone on to study at the Conservatory. She has taught many contest winners in the Granquist Piano contest, ISMTA Berkley-Pendell piano competition, had students win gold and silver medals in the Sonata Festival, and had many students receive the Paderewski medal from the National Piano Guild for playing ten or more pieces for ten years in the Guild auditions. Additionally, several of her students have been selected to perform at the Suzuki Association National Conference.

In 1986, Ms. Andersen traveled to Matsumoto, Japan to observe and study under the teaching of Dr. Haruko Kataoka and Dr. Shinichi Suzuki. She is a registered Teacher Trainer of the Suzuki Method for piano and has trained teachers at summer Institutes in the USA and Canada.

In the CSA, Ms. Andersen has been on the planning committee of the annual Concerto Concert for all but six years, and has had students perform concerti in almost every concert since the inception of the concert in 1986.    

In 2012, she was on a faculty panel about “How to teach the Twinkles for piano” at the Suzuki Association National Conference in Minneapolis. In 2009, Marilyn presented teaching ideas on the Bach Prelude and Fugue in D major to Suzuki Piano Teacher Trainers at the Trainer conference in Boston. As an organist, she has held various church organ jobs and was the organist for the Wheaton College West Suburban Choral Union for several years, performing the Brahms’ Requiem, Mozart’s Mass in C minor, and other oratorios. After grad school, Ms. Andersen was on the faculty of music at Fort Wayne Bible college for seven years and taught organ, piano, music theory, women’s chorus, music history, band, and music appreciation.

Marilyn lives in and owns the house built by her father and grandfather in 1948. Rehabbing this house is one of her passions. She is an avid flower gardener and hydrangeas are her special favorite. Her two cats are named Button and Zuzu. Ms. Andersen plays the piano at her church as a service to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Indiana University
M.M. in Organ Performance

Wheaton College
B.M. in Organ

• American College of Musicians, local chairman of the Piano Guild Auditions since 1984
• Suzuki Association of Americas
• Music Teachers National Association