Shad Ryan Wenzlaff is an independent piano teacher, musician, and artist living in Madison, WI. 

He currently serves as the president for Madison Area Music Educators (MAME) www.madisonmusiceducators.org - the Madison, WI local chapter of WTMA (Wisconsin Music Teacher Assoc.). Shad has been teaching private lessons in piano, voice, composition, and creativity at his north Sherman avenue studio for over 16 years. There, and elsewhere, he has taught well over 20,000 private lessons to students of all ages and abilities. Shad's passion for teaching music is evident in his commitment to continuing education. 

Shad co-coordinates community outreach and collaborative projects - including

MAME - Performers PlayTogether

MAME - Honors Festival (Piano)

MAME - Master Classes (Piano)

Performances featuring Fresco Opera Theatre performers of arias depicted on the Opera Textile. 

Contact Shad to learn more about his interest in collaboration and facilitation of youth arts, professional music-related arts curatorship and programming, as well as his skills in arts management and education.

wenzlaffsh (at) yahoo.com

​(608) 695-4005

Shad also collaborated with the Stream Gallery in the exhibition and programming for the Helen Louise Allen Textile "Opera Textile". 

​His presentation for the April 2019 Faculty Colloquium contextualized the textile in terms of the subject matter, performances, characters and culture of six Italian operas  / 18 scenes depicted on the textile's surface. Shad discussed it's provenance and history, the materials and techniques of elaboration; as well as its meaning as an object of artistic merit and significance as an object of material culture. The textile served as a touchstone for the Edgewood College Student Research Program, for which he served as director from its inception in 2011 through 2019.

During the Summers of 2014 and 2016, Shad was a participant in the Interharmony International Music Festival in Arcidoss, Tuscany - Italy. There, he studied privately with Cathy Kautsky (Lawrence University) and Dr. Martha Thomas (University of Georgia). Shad is a 1994 graduate of Lawrence University, Appleton WI. 

A well-rounded, interdisciplinary approach that employs creativity - one that is above all TAILORED to the unique needs and interests of each student - is the hallmark of Shad's studio.  No two students' journey is the same - and that is the difference. Each lesson is planned with keen awareness of each students' gifts and abilities in mind. 

Shad also earned a Master of Arts degree in Art History from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (2000) and completed additional graduate studies in Art History, Social History, and Musicology / Music History at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Shad continues to attend workshops, seminars, and constantly hones his skills and awareness of new ideas. 

Shad formerly served as faculty in the Art Department (Art History) at Edgewood College (2002-2019), Madison (Area Technical College), Beloit College, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, Mount Mary College, and Concordia University. In 2012, Shad staged a performance art piece where his assemblage of hand-dyed grayscale quilts "wrapped" the interior of the Stream (Art and Theatre) at Edgewood College, Madison. In this environment, Shad performed a Chopin Ballade. The video installation was featured in the inaugural faculty exhibition in the Edgewood College Stream Gallery. 

Shad is an active area performer. He regularly attends the MAME "PSP" teacher performers group; shares music through Madison's illustrious "Bach Around the Clock" festival, and has volunteered as a performer at area retirement communities and other performance venues.