Teacher Profile: Olivia Pedroza
About Olivia Pedroza
Olivia has spent her entire life playing music. Inspired by her older siblings, she always gravitated towards her family's piano, and from that spark has created a musical world of her own. Growing up, Olivia had teachers that encouraged discovery, joy, and discipline. In essence, to have music as a tool to communicate, collaborate, and express yourself. She has carried these ideas with her throughout her life, and loves to surround herself with people who are as drawn to making music as she is in her life. From an early age, she was performing onstage in musicals and choral settings. A love of singing and piano led her to lessons in other instruments, like trombone, which she played in school symphonies and jazz bands, and guitar and ukulele, in which she is self-taught. In high school she was drum major of her school's marching band, and was a small ensemble director for her treble ensemble.
Olivia graduated from Western Washington University, receiving a bachelor's in vocal performance, with a minor in creative writing. Under the guidance of her teacher Heather Dudenbostel, she found a new love of storytelling, and pushed herself to further her skills of textual analysis and interpretation. This attention to detail and love of text led her to rediscover her long-standing love of Musical Theatre. Now, you can see Olivia conducting orchestras and playing piano in the pit for musicals all over the Seattle area, including Village Theatre, The 5th Avenue Theatre, and The Strawberry Workshop Theatre. She loves to music direct, and teaches youth theatre classes over at Village Theatre KIDSTAGE. She has also taught private lessons all over the puget sound. Olivia also is in her own band, and loves to write lyrics, compose, and produce her own work. She enjoys seeing all of the pieces come together, and she especially loves collaborating with her band, and others that get involved, such as photographers, designers, and video directors.
When she isn't working on these different things, she loves to read, play video games, hang out with her cat, and be near the water.
More than anything, Olivia wants to inspire a sense of discovery and love for music in her students. She loves watching a young student light up when they discover a new song that they love, and then figuring out how to play it or sing it themselves! She believes music is meant to be shared, and cannot wait to share what she knows with, and learn from, her students.