Marcia Burchard

Piano and Composition

Marcia Burchard—a professional pianist, composer, and dedicated instructor—shares Upbeat Music Company’s goal of spreading the joy of music to students of all ages and levels. She studied classical piano with Peggy Salkind (San Francisco Conservatory of Music), jazz piano with Mark Levine, and composition with W.A. Mathieu. After receiving an M.A. in piano performance from Dominican University, she served as the pianist for such ensembles as the Napa Valley Symphony, the Baroque Arts Ensemble, and the San Francisco Composer’s Chamber Orchestra. Marcia has taught piano for over 20 years in a variety of settings: in her private music studio, in music schools, and in colleges and universities—at Santa Rosa Jr. College for 16 years, and Dominican University for 12 years—where she taught piano and music theory. A highlight of her time at Dominican was receiving a grant to stage her short chamber opera in which students and community members participated alongside faculty and professional musicians for an enriching collaborative experience. Marcia enjoys music of all kinds and encourages her students to play with friends and family when possible for the sheer joy of it. She has fond memories of the Burchard family “band” comprising her son (born on Charlie Parker’s birthday) playing alto sax, her husband on drums, and herself on piano. She is very interested in modal music and hopes to finally learn to play that dulcimer she bought a few years ago after falling in love with the delicate sound of the instrument and the music associated with it.