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Owner/Founder/Teacher:
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Mrs. Sharla Van Cleave, NCTM has 0ver 50 years of experience teaching piano and theory. She attended Abilene Christian University and is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music, in Piano. She began teaching friends who followed her home from school for a lesson at the age of 10. At the age of 14 she was an apprentice member of AMTA and joined as a regular member in 1976. Pianos Are Fun was born in 1990 and named by Niece and Student Staci Stovall.
Mrs. Van Cleave has held most of the offices in Abilene Music Teachers Association including President, Vice-President, Student Affiliate Coordinator, and chairs of events such as Springer-Manly Music Festival, Ensemble Festival, Fall Festival and Public Relations Coordinator. She has been a piano team director representing AMTA with piano teams at the TMTA State convention and directed a piano team from Abilene MTA at the MTNA National convention in Austin in 2006. She was presented with a 50 year award by MTNA at the MTNA National convention in Chicago of March 2026. She regularly judges for contests and festivals out of town.
Mrs. Van Cleave accompanied for AISD for 14 years and also Wylie High School, she was one of the accompanist for The Celebration Singers, a community show choir, for 11 years. She has performed in such venues as Abilene Community Theatre, the Paramount Theatre, Abilene Civic Center and Moody Coliseum. Her solo performances include Artwalk, Abilene Founders Day, Abilene Woman's Club and the Abilene Philharmonic Home Tour. She performs annually with the AMTA teacher team at the AMTA Showcase Concert. Mrs. Van Cleave maintains continuing education through workshops, seminars, classes and performing in adjudicated events. She studied with Shirley J. Anderson, NCTM as a teacher for 12 years. Previous teachers, include Roberta Cleveland, NCTM, Dr. Ron Rathbun and Dr. Sally Reid. Mrs. Van Cleave is on the National Guild of Piano Teacher’s National Honor Roll, has earned the National Guild of Piano Teachers Paderewski Medal. She believes that teachers should always strive to continue to learn more. She is a strong advocate for continuing education.
Sharla Van Cleave has served TMTA (Texas Music Teachers Association) as a theory test grader for 16 years and has served on the TMTA Theory Review Committee. She was chair of the TMTA June Leondar Chamber Music/Ensemble Contest and also served on the Texas Music Teachers Association Board of Directors as state Certification Director for 4 years. Additionally, she has served Music Teachers National Association as South Central Commissioner for the National Certification Commission from 2015-2017. She served as head trustee for Texas Music Teachers Association/Texas Music Teachers Educational Foundation. 2019-2022
Sharla Van Cleave was awarded AMTA Teacher of the Year Award in 1999 and 2007. She has served AMTA as President three times and as Student Affiliate Coordinator twice.
Abilene MTA was the 2002 MTNA Local Association of the Year, under the leadership of Shirley Anderson, NCTM, and TMTA Best of State in 2009 under the leadership of Sharla Van Cleave, NCTM.
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Mrs. Van Cleave has been married to William (Ken) Van Cleave for 50 years and has two grown children, Steven (Vince) Van Cleave, and wife Sharon, and Laci Noble and husband Myles. She also has 17 year old identical twin grandsons Bryant and Brayden Hall, and bonus grandsons Aubrey 19 .Peyton Noble, 17 and newly adopted grandaughter MacKenzie Van Cleave 17 . She also has 3 horses, 3 donkey's 4 large dogs and a lot of chickens. Sharla began Milan Art Institute September of 2025. She learned that visual arts and musical arts are definitely related. You can find her art at paintinthelight.art
About the Studio
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PianosAreFun, was located in Abilene, Texas until 2021 when Ken and Sharla moved to thier family farm outside of Tuscola. She has taught lessons online internationally and has had in person students from 16 countries. Elite educational private one on one piano lessons are given to students ages 8 and up. . PianosAreFun was in the process of going online when Covid 19 hit in March 2020. Covid rushed our plans a little, but our students never missed a lesson due to quarantine.
Our goals for all students and our educational process for lessons remain the same online as in person. . It has been interesting to notice that current students have improved in becoming more engaged and asking more questions since going online.
Students learn to play the piano with emphasis on reading accurately, understanding music theory and playing with expression. Focus is given on working to create a comfortable performance. Each lesson accomodates the individual learning styles and is tailored to the needs of the individual student from week to week.
Online lessons provide convenience, safety, better focus, more student engagement and fewer loss of lessons due to illness, bad weather or location. Reliable high speed internet is required. Laptop or other large screen device provides the student a better overall experience for viewing documents, referencing specific details in the music and teacher demonstrations. The teacher's end has multiple camera views and specialized software providing better and more easily understandable demonstrations than in person . Camera's are angeled for views which provide better than in person visuals and understanding of movement and motion for technique, pedalling and key shapes for chording.
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We recommend a larger device than a phone. You will get a lot more out of lessons with a screen the larger, the better. If needed an external speaker, bluetooth or otherwise and an external mic can be helpful. Some students prefer to wear headphones. On the other end of the spectrum some students have just used their phone with no additional equipment. I would just prefer a much larger screen for a better education
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About the Students!
It is exciting to watch these students progress and accomplish goals and perform well for events they may participate in.
Students for the past 50 years have received honors such as Texas Music Teachers Association Theory Medals and TMTA Theory Senior Award, AMTA Student Participation Award Winners, AMTA Piano Solo Contest winners, National Guild Auditions Founders Plaque, Bach Plaque, and Paderewski Medals. They have received ratings of Outstanding at the NFMC State Festival and Gold Medals at the Texas State Solo and Ensemble UIL Contest in Austin. Her students routinely receive highest awards for Festivals and Pianos Solo Contests. Students perform on piano teams at the TMTA convention annually and have performed on a piano team at the MTNA National Conference National Guild auditions. Students have performed and accompanied for school graduations and assemblies, and choir, orchestra, and band events. They have performed for weddings, and public events. They have also been school jazz band pianists, honor choir accompanists, and Drum Majors at their University. As graduated adults they are church pianists, community pianists and community accompanists, professional musicians and professionals in the music business as well as teachers.
Our Students enjoy participating in community events and activities such as playing at the Mall of Abilene at Christmas, Artwalk, Retirement Centers and various other venues. We have 45 minute private one on one lessons once a week, and in the past have held some group lessons and summer camps. Online and in person. During Covid our Spring Recital was held live online with each student performing from their home with friends and family from out of state and various other locations live on zoom. Our students also enjoy helping as pages for AMTA events such as Springer Manly Music Festival.
Contact Me & Let's Get Started
Drop a message to me here, or give me a call at 1-325-665-3057
I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have and look forward to hearing from you.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
My love of music combined with my enthusiasm and desire for playing the piano makes my job the greatest on earth. Most of the time I find it hard to believe that I actually get paid for “playing” and having fun. My job as a piano teacher is to help the student develop the necessary skills to read music, understand music theory, play with proper technique, and perform musically. My goal is to train the student to function independently as a musician, and share in the lifetime benefits that music provides. Discipline and responsibility are a vital part of this process. Showing my excitement about music, and having fun with the student encourages motivation, discipline and responsibility.
I believe it is my duty to take advantage of the opportunities that God has provided for me in the field of music. I enjoy sharing the gift of music and feel a responsibility to provide a well rounded musical education. I strive to build confidence in the student’s ability to perform what they have learned. I feel as much pride in students with learning problems, who are able to make the slightest amount of progress through their efforts and hard work, as I do in those who have natural talent and progress rapidly. One of my goals is to teach the student to let go of negative stress and use the lesson time as an escape from the outside world through music. I believe that God has provided and entrusted me with these students and their musical futures.
It is my obligation to do my best to serve God in this capacity; to make a difference in the lives of my students by influencing them and cultivating the intrinsic motivation that already exists.