Instructor Spotlight

Heera Jang

Heera Jang has been teaching piano lessons at Harris Academy of the Arts for more than four years, but she has been teaching since 1989. She grew up in Seoul, South Korea with a family that loved music. At five years old, she began piano lessons and, as she says, “it came naturally to learn to play the piano.”

Heera, her husband, son, and daughter moved to the United States from South Korea in 2004 where she and her husband worked on degrees in St. Louis. They moved to Lincoln in 2011 when her husband became pastor of the Lincoln Korean Church. Now, with her daughter in high school (learning cello!) and her son finishing his freshman year at college, their family is a blend of preserved Korean tradition and absorbed American culture.

Heera teaches beginning to advanced students of every age, some as young as four years up to adults. Her teaching is just the right combination of “push” and nurture, modeling and praise, creating a discipline in her students that leads them to succeed. Above all, Heera helps her students find the love of music within the music itself.

On top of that, you should hear Heera play! She’s truly a master of the piano, both in performance and instruction. We’re lucky to have her at Harris—a modest, caring gem developing each student’s unique skills back in Studio 6.

More About Heera:
How long have you played your instrument?
For a long, long  time….. since I was 5 years old.

Do you play any other instruments?
No. I only play the piano but I have always wanted to learn to play cello as well.

What is your favorite kind of music?
I appreciate various kinds of music, but I find myself enjoying classical music the most.

What is one of your favorite recital or performance memories?
I believe some of you still remember that last year, we instructors played a piano sextet with 2 keyboards. It was a lot of fun.

What is your hometown?
I was born in Yusung, South Korea but grew up mostly in Seoul.

Do you have any good stories about where you grew up?
Seoul is the capital city of South Korea, so it is quite a big city, and has a lot of fun places to visit. It’s also a city where older palaces and newer, more contemporary buildings coexist because it has been the capital city for more than 500 years.

What other hobbies do you have besides music?
I love watching movies and spending time with my family.

What is your favorite food?
I like Korean food such as kimchi and bulgogi, but like spaghetti too.

What do you think is the best movie of all time? 
Gone With the Wind