Welcome to
Anastasia Elliott Littlefield
Music Director, Teacher, Performer, Conductor
Collaborative, creative, efficient, patient professional with expertise in teaching and arranging vocal and instrumental music, conducting, music theory, technology, composition, piano performance, musicals and music direction, and musical reenacting.
About Anastasia
Behind The Music...
Beginning piano at age three, Anastasia has been playing piano for over 25 years. A fluent sight reader, Anastasia is an award winning music director and professional pianist. In college, she studied piano, harpsichord and organ. Her senior recital included performances on all three instruments; the first time it had ever been attempted. She performed works by Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Bach and many others. She has taught in both Connecticut and Massachusetts as music teacher and director, high school choral director, private piano and voice teacher, pit pianist and accompanist. In MA, she was music director for Belmont High School’s last two musical productions, 9 to 5 and Little Shop of Horrors. She loves performing as pit pianist for community theatres and school musicals. Some of her recent favorites include Shrek, The Musical, Light in the Piazza, and Last Five Years. Currently, she lives in Chester CT with her husband, and teaches private lessons through the Community Music School in Essex, CT. In her spare time, she loves singing Broadway show tunes and dappling in the folk music world with her husband on accordion, fiddle and learning new songs to share.
Musicals
Beginning as pit pianist for Anything Goes, Anastasia has worked her way up from pianist to director and music director. In college she assistant music directed, accompanied and performed in pit for three out of the four musical productions, including Threepenny Opera, Bat Boy and On the Town. She also music directed 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and three cabarets. She has been involved as music director, conductor, director, accompanist, pit pianist, choreographer, or some combination of several for 29 musicals, through high schools, middle schools, independent theatre programs and community theatres across Connecticut and Massachusetts. Some favorites she has played or music directed include Light in the Piazza, The Last Five Years, and Cabaret.
All in all, she is a real musical theatre nerd, and loves working with kids to find their inner talent on and off the stage! If you're interested in singing musical theatre, Anastasia offers private voice lessons and vocal coaching, and would love to help you sing your new favorite shows!
Her current favorites include Hadestown, Mean Girls, Six and Beetlejuice.
Private Piano Lessons, Voice Lessons & Tutoring
My Teaching Philosophy
My teaching method is through careful explanation, demonstration, repetition and patience. I believe that everyone has music to share, and that music is a great way to relax, express yourself and heal. It is important to me that your lessons are fun, and that you feel comfortable and relaxed while we learn to perform, sing, play. My students and I tend to laugh a lot during our lessons or study sessions, and I strive to help you reach your goals. I also believe in forming a close relationship and connection with each of my students (and their parents) to help them to be the best they can be. Communication is essential to success.
Private Voice Lessons
Vocal coaching, musical theatre songs and audition prep, vocal technique, classical
If you are interested in expanding your technique, ability to read and understand music, advance as an actor or actress, then you would enjoy voice lessons with Anastasia. She loves helping people find their inner voice. Lessons include warm up exercises that help expand range, build confidence, and give the student the chance to try new things. Anastasia also can help you prepare for an audition, study music for an ensemble for school, or just learn to sing for the pure joy of it.
Private Piano Lessons
Classical, Romantic, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Sight Reading, Pop
Anastasia has studied piano for over 20 years, specializing in Romantic Piano. Favorites include Chopin, Debussy and MacDowell. She has extensive experience as a jazz pianist, and is willing to teach jazz to beginners. She has had great success teaching jazz to middle school students. She also specializes in sight reading, and incorporates it into her teaching. She has been playing piano in musical productions since high school.
Music Theory, Sight Reading, Academic Tutoring
Elementary, middle or high school tutoring
Anastasia has served as a tutor in MA, and has experience tutoring in various subjects, including:
Music theory (beginner-advanced), music composition/recording (Logic Pro X, Finale), biological sciences, Latin, college applications/essays, SAT prep, resume writing, math (Algebra, Geometry, Arithmetic, etc), english/literature, outlines, personalized study plans, organizational skills, using a planner,
Fife Lessons
Do you love colonial reenacting or have you always wanted to try it?
Ask Anastasia about fife lessons on 6-hole or 10-hole fife
A fifer of over 10 years, Anastasia has performed internationally and throughout New England. In August 2018, she performed in Edinburgh, Scotland, for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, representing the United States with the Middlesex County Volunteers, out of Bedford, MA. Other corps she has played with include Moodus Drum and Fife Corps and The Essex Sailing Masters of 1812.
While not actively in a corps, Anastasia is offering fife lessons for intermediate and advanced fifers, and those completely new to fife and drum. She plays and teaches 10-hole and 6-hole fife, and can teach advanced or beginner on either instrument. She can help you learn music for your corps, learn exercises, improve breath support, practicing playing and marching simultaneously (yes, it's tricky but you can do it!), and much more.
Marching practice, repertoire mastery, speed, and more
Breath support,
technique
Lessons for complete beginners including basic fingering, scales, embouchure (how you use your facial muscles to maximize air flow), tone production and other tips to help you get started!
Awards
Music Director for Little Shop of Horrors, Belmont High School, MA
MET (Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild) Award for Best Choral Ensemble, June 9, 2019
MET (Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild) Award for Best Lead Actor, June 9, 2019
Connecticut College
Sarah Nichols ’46 Award to a music major or minor who makes the greatest contribution to the musical life of the campus
Louise M. Dieckmann Prize for Excellence in Organ Playing at Connecticut College
The Williams School
Eleanor S. Cranz Memorial Prize for Distinction in Music at the Williams School
Contact
Want to ask Anastasia about lessons or tutoring? Don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Chester, CT
