Puget Sounds Piano School offers comprehensive piano lessons in historic downtown Issaquah.
We are dedicated to coaching pianists of all ages and levels to enjoy playing as much as we do.
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Welcome to the Team!
Puget Sounds Piano School is a community music school focused on piano education. We strive to provide a positive musical experience while equipping students of all ages and levels with the skills they need to play the music they love—now and for a lifetime of music-making.
Puget Sounds Piano School began in August of 1999, when Shannon Keeler—armed with a Master’s degree in Piano Pedagogy and a passion for teaching—opened a small piano studio in a track office on Maple Street in Issaquah, Washington. Her unique and inclusive teaching style, open to all genres from jazz to showtunes to classical, quickly won the hearts of the community. Within weeks, she was working with more than 80 students.
Three years later, PSPS merged with MusicWorks Northwest to accommodate its growth and join forces with like-minded educators. However, due to financial instability at MusicWorks, PSPS returned to Issaquah in 2004 and settled in its current home in the historic Mercantile Building on Front Street.
As other teachers expressed interest in joining PSPS, the studio evolved from a one-room school to a thriving community hub with seven teaching rooms, two waiting areas, and—at its peak in 2022—17 instructors serving 430 students.
In recent years, PSPS has intentionally scaled down to focus more on quality and community. We now have 11 instructors teaching 230 students, an in-house recital space, and a dedicated General Manager to help manage operations.
As we celebrated our 25th anniversary last year, we are both proud of our roots and excited for the future. Thank you for being a part of our journey!
Employment at Puget Sounds Piano School is at-will. PSPS may revise or rescind any policy at its discretion. This handbook is not a contract.
If a conflict exists, the signed Employment Agreement governs.
Instructors are paid:
On the 5th of each month for hours worked from the 16th to the end of the previous month, and
On the 20th for hours worked from the 1st to the 15th.
To ensure timely and accurate pay, please submit your hours by the 1st and 15th of each month. Any discrepancies will be corrected in the next pay cycle.
When you join PSPS, you and Shannon will agree upon your regular teaching days and hours.
Teaching hours fall between 8:00 AM and 10:00 PM, except Fridays mornings (closed from 8am to 10:00 AM) due to cleaning.
If you plan to come in outside your regular schedule or during a studio break, please email info@pugetsoundspianoschool.com to confirm availability and access.
PSPS tuition is structured so that no student make-up lessons are required during scheduled holidays.
If you would like to teach during a studio holiday, please check with the admin team in advance to ensure space is available.
Halloween is another story however. While PSPS is not officially closed on Halloween, we don’t like to make children miss out on the fun with their regularly scheduled lessons. *If you are teaching on Halloween, please reschedule your lessons scheduled past 5pm so everyone can enjoy their Halloween Fun!
If you must miss a scheduled teaching day:
Consider teaching virtually if possible.
You may also reschedule during a non-teaching week or another day of the week where there’s a studio open. Please check with Hyun Su (info@pugetsoundspianoschool) to confirm a specific date.
Arrange for a substitute instructor. Please consult Shannon (pugetsoundspiano@gmail.com) before asking a non-PSPS teacher to sub, ideally several weeks in advance, so she can review fit and run a background check.
Want to sub on a day you don’t normally teach? Contact Hyun Su at info@pugetsoundspianoschool.com to inquire about room availability.
Stay up to date with the current Student Handbook to keep track of holiday schedules. Our Student Handbook is updated every summer and pinned to the homepage of the Student Portal (My Music Staff).
PSPS offers an 8-week summer session during July and August.
Students are pre-enrolled but may drop up to three lessons in advance during May’s open period.
Teachers are responsible for their regular teaching days.
If you need time off:
Offer makeup options to affected students, or
Arrange a substitute through your fellow instructors.
We value your time and input. PSPS holds:
Two all-staff meetings per year
Two individual check-ins per year
You will be reimbursed at your administrative rate for your attendance to these meetings and check-ins.
In addition, we also host:
A summer potluck instructor social
An Instructor Enrichment Workshop, bringing in outside experts to help grow our collective teaching skills
Keep an eye on your weekly emails for details and updates!
Regarding Communication: Please try and reply to studio emails from administrators or students requiring an answer within 24 hours.
Regarding Student Attendence: Please mark a student “present” or leave blank for absences in the student portal. Should you have a new student miss their first lesson, please email info@pugetsoundspianoschool as soon as possible. Also, if you have an established student who misses 2 lessons in a row with no notification, please email info@pugetsoundspianoschool.com as soon as possible.
To avoid conflicts of interest:
While employed at PSPS, instructors must not actively solicit current PSPS students for private lessons outside the school. Questions about outside work should be directed to the General Manager.
We also ask that instructors not teach simultaneously at other music schools located in historic downtown Issaquah without written approval.
Extraneous circumstances will pop up. Do communicate that with PSPS Administration when they do, and together we can figure out what is the best solution to a situation for PSPS, the student, and you.
Use the My Music Staff portal to message students.
When messaging minor students, always copy a parent or guardian.
Please take attendance in My Music Staff by either marking a student “Present” or “inform info@pugetsoundspianoschool if you have a student who’s missed more than consecutive lessons in a row.
Puget Sounds Piano School is committed to providing a safe, calm, and welcoming environment for our students, families, and staff. As such, the studio is designated as a weapons-free workplace. The possession, carrying, storage, or use of firearms or other weapons is prohibited on all studio premises, including teaching spaces, offices, and common areas, regardless of permit or license status. This policy applies to all employees, instructors, contractors, and visitors and is intended to support a secure learning environment, particularly given that we work primarily with children. Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
We want our teachers to stay inspired and polished!
You’re welcome to practice in the studios before or after lessons.
Be mindful of lesson volume around you—our walls are sound suppressive, not soundproof.
Lock the downstairs door if you’re alone practicing.
No practicing after 10:00 PM, please.
If you are the last person in the studio:
Lock all internal studio doors (except Studio A & B).
Lock the main downstairs door, especially during mid-day gaps on weekends.
Unsure if someone’s still teaching? It’s okay to politely check in person.
At PSPS, we want to make your teaching experience fulfilling and focused. As an employee, you receive:
Administrative support – so you can focus on teaching
Recital opportunities – for both student and personal performances
Website exposure – your bio and credentials will be listed on our well-trafficked site
Competitive wages – among the highest in the Seattle area
Employment tax contributions – PSPS covers a portion of your federal taxes as a W-2 employee
Puget Sounds Piano School is committed to maintaining a professional, respectful, and supportive work environment. When concerns arise, our goal is always to address them with clarity, fairness, and an opportunity for growth.
In most cases, the following progressive disciplinary process will be used:
1. Verbal or Written Reminder
For a first concern, a gentle reminder will be communicated via email or in conversation. This step is intended to bring awareness to the issue and clarify expectations moving forward.
2. Formal Written Warning
If the concern continues or a more serious issue arises, a formal written warning will be issued. The employee will be asked to meet with Shannon to review the concern, discuss expectations for improvement, and sign the document acknowledging the conversation.
3. Termination of Employment
If the issue is not resolved following a written warning, or in cases of serious misconduct, employment may be terminated.
While this process is intended to provide structure and support, PSPS reserves the right to skip steps or proceed directly to termination depending on the severity of the situation.
Puget Sounds Piano School is built on community, quality, and the joy of music. We are proud of our 25+ year legacy and excited for what’s to come. Your presence here adds to that legacy, and we are thrilled to have you on our team.
Let’s keep the music going!
Warmly,
Shannon Keeler & the PSPS Admin Team
Shannon Keeler, Owner and Artistic Director
Email- pugetsoundspiano@gmail.com
Hyun Su Seo, General Manager
Email- info@pugetsoundspianoschool.com
