As a music teacher for 22 years, Sharla Bender has had the privilege of mentoring students of all ages and skill levels from child prodigies to retirees. Her areas of expertise include piano, violin, and voice. Her formal training began with violin lessons in 5th grade. She continued to study through several professional degrees, culminating in a Doctor of Musical Arts (Piano) from the University of Alabama. During graduate school, she studied with the late Amanda Penick who was the 2008 National Music Teacher of the Year as well as the host of a 28-year-long series called The Pianist at Work on Alabama Public Television. Sharla became a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM) in 2019.

Sharla has a variety of teaching experiences and has students who study art music, traditional hymns, and contemporary worship music. As a graduate student, she was an instructor at the Academy of Performing Arts in AL while also an adjunct professor of music at Faulkner University. These days, she is the owner of a successful private studio in St. Charles and continues her role as a music professor at Urshan University in Wentzville. She also has a YouTube channel that started as an extension of her Class Piano courses but is now growing to reach people around the world.

A long-time member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), Sharla enjoys giving back to the community. In previous years, she has served as the Chair for the MO Young Artists Competition and as the Program Chair for SLAMTA. As an experienced judge, she is often asked to adjudicate for district and state auditions and federation groups. Currently, she serves as SLAMTA’s President.