Founder/Instructor Linda Wehrli
Adventure of a Lifetime …
Hello! My name is Linda Wehrli.
I’m an art and piano teacher based in Valley Glen, California.
I named my school “Pastimes for a Lifetime” to stay true to my mission:
Creating and nurturing pastimes that will last a lifetime.
Sharing my joy and passion for art and music with my students and sparking theirs is a privilege.
My students are my inspiration. Helping them achieve their goals and delight their souls is my calling.
So, I gather you’re interested in drawing, painting, or playing the piano. Maybe a combo? I’m glad to help get you started or resume where you left off.
Full disclosure – learning to draw, paint, or play the piano can be challenging. I’m guessing you are looking for a more robust no-nonsense curriculum to develop skills, either for yourself or your child.
I’ve developed a robust no-nonsense curriculum for each course with unique, actionable information. (I wish I had these programs back in my day.)
I’ll let you in on a little secret: My unpleasant experiences in various art and piano programs and with certain blasé or harsh instructors turned out to be my best teachers. They not only informed me what not to do but emphasized the importance of teaching with humor and humility!
The studio environment, both online and live, allows me to listen to each student’s questions and concerns and answer them in real-time. Providing a more intimate learning environment stems from my personal mantra borrowed from American novelist and science fiction writer, Robert Anson Heinlein: “When one teaches, two learn.”
When one teaches, two learn. - Robert Heinlein Click To Tweet
Send Linda an email or call 818-766-0614
I’ve been committed to continuing lifelong learning and inspiring creative thinking through art and music since 1989.
I’d love to meet you! You’re welcome to chat with me on Zoom or stop by the studio. Just shoot me an email at Linda@pastimesinc.com and I’ll be glad to set up a mutually convenient time.
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If you have the time, please continue reading about my foray into the world of fine art and piano.
As a kid, the drawing bug bit me at age 5 and the painting bug at age 12.
Formal training from art professors at California State University, Northridge and a variety of private art studios gave me roots. Masterclasses over the years give me wings. I continue to experiment and search out new ways to use and combine techniques and mediums and enjoy sharing my discoveries with my students.
I blend my art curriculum with precision and creativity keeping it educational, informative and entertaining. You gotta combine respect for structure with curiosity for innovation to keep it real and engaging.
When I’m not drawing or painting, you can find me tickling the ivories on our 1903 Mason & Hamlin Parlour Grand. (We joke that it was my dowry.) I’m currently obsessed with composers Remo Pignoni, Federico Mompou, and Joaquin Turino. Argentine and Spanish piano music gets my pulse racing.
My other passion is accompanying my friends in duets and trios. There might be a CD recorded, yet!
My first piano!
At age 6, my first piano teacher, Mrs. Lindstrom guided me through the basics until we moved to the San Fernando Valley during my middle school years. We were lucky to find Esther Lee Caplan of Juliard who later introduced me to her mentor, Mario Feninger of European conservatory fame. It was a bad blind date that introduced me to my mentor and teacher, John Novello of Berklee School of Music. He was performing with a trio at a local supper club. We had primo seats by the pianist. What I saw and heard made my jaw drop. Before I could stop myself, I went up to John and told him he that he was “the first pianist I ever heard perform root canal on the piano”. He cracked up and gave me his card when I asked if he taught. My success as a piano teacher is in large part due to his coaching.
My parents insisted on a college education for me. As luck would have it, all the UCLA Business Department professors were teaching at CSUN to earn their PhDs while I was enrolled. Smartly, I switched from the English department to the new business department and earned my degree in business administration and marketing. It was the toughest 5 years of my life, but worth it. I can also share my business admin and marketing savvy with my more serious students who aspire to start their own art or piano careers.
While helping my sweet hubby, Barry Wehrli write our series of piano books, I learned on the job how to arrange music. The reason my hubby and I toiled for what seemed endlessly, to develop and publish our own piano books was because we wanted to make learning piano more comprehensive and engaging for our students and provide a vital teaching tool for fellow piano teachers. There just weren’t any fun and thorough books available, so we wrote our own. Click here for more information about our incredible piano books and materials.
Sharing knowledge is my gardening. I love planting seeds and seeing them grow in the community. Sharing my time with community organizations is like gardening on steroids. I have the privilege of providing free art and piano lessons to CoachArt kids who are undergoing treatment for life threatening illnesses. As the former Arts & Education Committee Chair of the Greater Valley Glen Council, my committee vetted and spent taxpayer dollars on arts and education programs for local schools, bringing live theater and other creative experiences to children who would otherwise never have had the exposure.
Crackers, my first pet
I hope you enjoy perusing my website.
When you’re ready to check out art classes or piano lessons at my studio, schedule a free consultation.
It’s easy – Just email my office manager, Jessica Lee Sanders and she’ll book it.
Thanks for visiting!