Bio
Stephen Sivley (They/Them, He/Him) began accompanying choirs at the age of 14 when they became the organist and children’s choir accompanist at their church. Stephen knew then that they wanted to be a collaborative musician and went on to study church music and piano at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). At UAH, they studied piano and piano pedagogy with Dr. Melody Ng, organ with Dr. David Miller and Dr. Rebecca Whited, and choral conducting with Dr. Matthew Carey. In their studies, Stephen sought out as much coursework as possible in music education, choral teaching, and educational psychology, while regularly attending and presenting at conferences to further their education in these areas.
Stephen currently works as a piano teacher, collaborative pianist for the Huntsville Community Chorus Association (HCCA), and as Director of Music Ministries at Faith Presbyterian Church (PCUSA). In January 2026, they were appointed the Interim Director of the HCCA Treble Chorale, after serving as the ensemble’s collaborative pianist from 2021 to 2025. Stephen also works at Austin High School as staff pianist and choral teaching assistant, a role they held from 2021–2022 and again from 2024–2026.
They regularly collaborate with singers, choirs, and other arts organizations in the area. This includes extensive work with Opera Huntsville as a collaborative pianist for their productions of Die Fledermaus (2023) and Così Fan Tutte (2020), as well as serving as Music Director for their traveling children’s operas, Little Red’s Most Unusual Day and Goldie B. Locks and the Three Singing Bears. They also served as Music Director and collaborative pianist for Once Upon a Mattress (2025) and as Assistant Music Director and pianist for Smoke on the Mountain (2024) for HCCA.
In addition to their work at the keyboard, Stephen has sung with several academic, community, and church choirs for the last 20 years. Most notably, they have performed with the semi-professional chamber ensemble Valley Consort, since 2023. Stephen is an active member of the Greater Huntsville Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Stephen has taught piano for over 14 years now, alongside their work as a vocal coach. Their teaching is heavily influence by their personal motto “Lead with love!”. A far cry from a traditional neighborhood piano teacher, Stephen always strives to build a deep rapport with and set high expectations for their students, while encouraging them to make and learn from their mistakes without judgment. Their studio is an affirming space that celebrates all unique identities, focusing on helping each individual reach their full potential in a safe, fun, and challenging environment.
Teaching Philosophy
I am a different kind of piano teacher, definitely not your traditional, neighborhood piano teacher. I don’t believe in allowing students to coast through their lessons and practice time mindlessly. I firmly believe that if I build a rapport with my students, affirm them as the unique and multifaceted individuals they are, and set high expectations for their progress, they will meet those expectations and their own goals with my help. For school-age students, this also means they require their parents to be involved, to aid them in building healthy practice habits, and in cheering them on even when they’re struggling to grasp a concept or perfect an assignment.
While I always push for excellence with students of all ages, I understand that life happens, and every one of us is human. I often find that students need time to adjust to the fact that I encourage them to allow themselves to fail and make mistakes, with no judgment from me, despite how much practice time they did or did not accomplish. I know that often a lack of practice is due more to frustration with a concept, technical issue, or poor practice habits—so I will often spend a significant amount of lesson time helping students to utilize the tools that they accumulate during lessons and strategize how best to accomplish their goals in their practice time.
Heavily influenced by my personal motto “Lead with love!,” my studio is an affirming and welcoming place where all are celebrated for what makes them unique. I gladly welcome and celebrate people of all walks of life, religions, ages, ethnicities, abilities, gender identities, and sexual orientations. My goal as a teacher is to take each of my student’s gifts and differences into account – working to challenge them and help them reach their potential in a safe, fun, challenging, and affirming learning environment.
Teaching Times and Locations
- Home Studio near Hampton Cove
- Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:45 PM – 6:30 PM
- Faith Presbyterian Church in Huntsville
- As needed