Thistledown Studio

Welcome to

Thistledown Studio  

Thistledown Studio loves being a part of the Irondequoit community.  We currently have over 55 students in our studio family, coming from Irondequoit and surrounding communities.  Our studio offers a warm, inviting and encouraging environment that promotes a positive learning experience for all students.  Our goal is to instill in each child, a life-long love of music and playing their instrument.

During the school year, we hold weekly, 30-minute private lessons for each individual student.  We hold a Virtual Christmas Concert each year and conclude each school year with a Spring Recital (both in-person and virtual options are offered).  Optional summer programs are also available most years.

Mother ~ Daughter Teaching Team

Mrs. Mary Kipp

Mary Kipp, the founder of Thistledown Studio, has been teaching piano lessons for longer than she cares to admit.  She began piano lessons from age 5 through high school and graduated from State University of Potsdam with a degree in Elementary Education and a music minor.  Mary taught high school english to G.I.'s in Vicenza, Italy while her husband was stationed there.  After her four daughters were born, she co-founded North Baptist Christian Preschool and taught there for twenty years.  During those same years, Mrs. Kipp opened Thistledown Piano Studio.  Johanna, was her first student and the studio grew from there.  Mary is now the grandmother of 14 grandchildren (nine have taken piano lessons from "Grammy").  Over the years, the studio grew to include her two daughters.  Kristen Peden (piano) joined in 2000 and Leah (piano/violin/viola) joined the teaching staff in 2003.  She continues to enjoy her students each week and plans to continue till she forgets how to play the piano or falls asleep at student lessons =).

Mrs. Leah (Kipp) Bertram

Leah Bertram has been playing piano/violin since the age of 8.  She studied piano with Mrs. Blind, a local piano teacher right here in Irondequoit.  For violin, she studied with Mrs. Deborah Pelto through the Community Education Division at the Eastman School of Music.  In high school, she was a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.  From 6th-12th grade, she was selected to participate in the All-County Orchestra each year and had the honor of serving as Concert Mistress her senior year.  After high school, Leah attended Houghton University and received her degree in Music Education.  At Houghton University, she studied violin with former RPO member, Mrs. Ellen Rathjen, and studied piano with Mrs. Ginny Halberg.  After completing her degree, she took a one year substitute job as the Dake Jr. High and Irondequoit High School Orchestra Teacher.  The following year, she took a job as the Elementary Orchestra/Strings teacher in the Canandaigua City School District.  While living in Canandaigua, she was also a member of the Finger Lakes Symphony Orchestra.  In 2003, she moved back to West Irondequoit and joined the Thistledown Studio where she now teaches both violin/viola and piano.  Leah is a member of the Lake Quartet, a string quartet that plays for weddings and special events.  

Please note:

Mrs. Kristen Peden

As of June 2013, Mrs. Peden has opened up Peden Piano Studio in her own home in West Irondequoit. For more information on her studio, please visit:  Peden Piano Studio