About Joy

Musical Background

Hi!  I’m Joy Tjoelker and I have been teaching private piano lessons to students of all ages since 1980.  Teaching students to play piano is one of my greatest passions. Watching them learn increasingly sophisticated music and then using that knowledge to create their own music is the source of some of my greatest joys.

There has always been music in my life.  I was raised in a musical home and was encouraged by my parents to pursue my musical passions with twice weekly piano lessons and weekly organ and viola lessons.  I studied piano under Martha Helder and organ with Claire vg Thomas and attended Calvin College.  

professional experience

In addition to teaching private piano lessons for 40 years,  I was an Adjunct Instructor of Piano at Northwest University for 15 years and taught general music in grades K-6 for 2 private schools in the Seattle area for 13 years.  

In addition to working in schools, I have had extensive work experience in churches, starting as an accompanist at age 12 for a children’s choir and at age 14 as a regular church organist for services. I am celebrating over 40 years of work in different Protestant churches as choir director/organist/ pianist/music director.  

I am the current accompanist for the choir at Trinity Lutheran Church on Whidbey Island and also am the pianist for 2 orchestras: Whidbey Island Orchestra and Skylark Orchestra.