Testimonials
Undergraduate Composition Graduate
“Stephanie Leotsakos is a mad genius, well, perhaps just a genius, and her way of thinking will shatter whatever rigidity you bring to the table. That’s not just her guidance harmonically and creatively- No, Stephanie changes the way you interact with the world. Nothing is off-limits, everything is inspiration.
Stephanie will ask you:
“What is the smallest unit in your composition?” and you will reply thirds. She will look at you quietly and you will know that was insufficient. Right now you can’t think smaller than thirds, that will change.
She will make it clear to you that in your sonic universe, you determine the atoms.
Stephanie will ask you:
“What does gravel sound like?”
She will push you on that for two months until you’ve come up with an answer that you believe in (at which point she will inevitably believe it too as she has led you to fresh, running water.) She will show you that there may not be an answer, but you must believe in what you write.
And after two months of grilling 30 seconds of music, or one sound of the piece, or the philosophical reason we are moved by sound in the first place, she will guide you to create an entire work in the next two months.
Stephanie will ask you what you want to do and then you will do it. You will approach structure, harmony, and theming different. You will be different and you will think deeper and work harder than you knew was possible. That is because Stephanie is a mentor, and a genius, and her mental byways will lead you to a creative spring. All you have to do is determine what you’re going to make.”
Undergraduate
“Professor Leotsakos is amazing. I have never understood music theory like I do now. She has such an inclusive approach to teaching her students, and it has allowed me to think of things in different ways.”
Undergraduate
“Stephanie has the ability to help students build and expand their creative ideas and instincts, and flourish in composition styles and techniques. She has supported me on a creative level, has provided me with thoughts related to career, networking, future education, and expanding my creative lens.”
Undergraduate
“Stephanie’s teaching style is so malleable to each different student.”
Undergraduate
“Stephanie is a fantastic professor focused on making sure the students leave her class having learned something that they can actively use in the future.”
The Brooks Family
"The Brooks family cannot express enough gratitude for the incredible journey my daughters continue to have with their violin teacher, Stephanie Leotsakos. Stephanie has guided them in the world of music since 2017, with both face-to-face and online lessons.
From the beginning, Stephanie displayed a remarkable ability to individualize her teaching to cater to the unique skill levels and temperaments of both of our daughters. While they are only two years apart in age, their personalities and learning styles are different. Stephanie, with her patience and insight, recognized this immediately and crafted personalized lesson plans for each of them. This not only ensured their technical progress but also made learning the violin a joyful experience.
Stephanie has an unwavering passion for music. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and it has instilled in my daughters a profound love for music. I’ve witnessed a great deal of growth in my daughters’ playing, no doubt because of Stephanie’s unwavering mentorship. We are immensely grateful for the impact she has had on their musical journeys, and would strongly recommend her to any family or anyone who is looking to learn and grow under her expert guidance."
Undergraduate
“Professor Leotsakos is one of the most caring and understanding professors I’ve ever had.”
Doctor of Musical Arts Applicant
“I was preparing for an entrance exam for my DMA degree, and I was looking for a tutor to help me going through some hard music theory questions. My voice teacher Chelsea recommended Stephanie to me, and she couldn’t be more helpful! We had a few one-on-one online lessons together. Before the lesson even started, she asked me about how my thought process was and looking for a best way to fit her teaching process with my thought process. I found this very considerate because this can maximize my understanding of the lesson materials. During the lessons, she was very detailed. Not only did she helped me to answer the sample questions themselves, but she also told me where to find related practices to do. Of course I ended up having a good exam and got into the program. I literally couldn’t do it without Stephanie!”