Justine Sasanfar

Justine Sasanfar is a pianist, teacher, and writer based in Tallahassee, Florida. Passionate about growing each student’s relationship with music in a setting that honors whole-person development, she is recognized for her creative approach to piano teaching. She has taught students of all ages and abilities in private and group settings and serves as a clinician at local and regional festivals. Dr. Sasanfar has presented at local and national conferences, including the MTNA National Conference and GP3, and has contributed to such music journals as the Journal of Research in Music Education and American Music Teacher. In collaboration with her husband, Michael Hanawalt, she arranges and publishes music for choral ensembles. As a performer, Dr. Sasanfar is a frequent collaborator with vocalists, instrumentalists, and choirs and enjoys improvising in solo settings. Previous professional engagements include serving on the faculty of Wichita State University, where she coordinated the piano pedagogy and class piano programs, and co-founded and served as Director for the Mount Calvary Academy of Music in Excelsior, MN. She completed a Ph.D. in Music Education-Piano Pedagogy from Florida State University, M.M. degrees in Piano Pedagogy and Collaborative Piano at Michigan State University, and a B.M. in Piano Performance from St. Olaf College.