HITTING THE RIGHT NOTE

HITTING THE RIGHT NOTE: MEET PIANO INSTRUCTOR SAM FERBUYT!

Sam Ferbuyt has been playing music for most of her life. “My mom started teaching me piano when I was really young,” she said. Though she loved the instrument, she was eager to learn more and soon began trumpet lessons, where she excelled.

As a trumpet performance major, Sam received her undergraduate degree from the prestigious Eastman School of Music before moving to Colorado to complete her master’s degree. “I originally wanted to be a performer,” she says, “but later, I figured out that I liked teaching a lot more. Now, I play for fun but mostly teach.”

HITTING THE RIGHT NOTE

So, the piano became her primary instrument again. “I really like creating my own music, and piano is such a fun instrument because you can create the whole song by yourself,” she says. She began teaching independently and through studios in Colorado but eventually moved back home to Minnesota to continue her career, noting, “I missed my family too much.”

She has now been at MnSOM for three years. “I love the people,” she says. “My students and the other staff are fantastic. I like watching the kids grow and gain confidence in their skills.” In particular, she loves watching her students have their “aha!” moment. “Even when I was still learning myself, I loved watching people have things click and make sense to them,” she says. “It’s really fun to get to experience that.”

Sam spends most of her free time cooking, hiking, and reading. In particular, she loves fantasy and adventure novels. Sam also adores her two nephews, ages 1 and 3. She spends time with them and the rest of her family every chance she gets. And whenever possible, she makes time to write and play music at home for her own enjoyment.

Sam loves her students and knows she’s lucky to have found her way to MnSOM. The school allows her to do what she loves while being near the people she cares about most, and there are other benefits. “It’s a very professional environment,” she says, “and we have a system that works.” We consider ourselves equally lucky to have Sam as a part of our MnSOM family.