Dr. Melissa Coppola (she/they) is a queer, biracial Asian-American pianist, multi-instrumentalist, educator, and arts leader

…dedicated to cultivating strong artistic communities through creative collaboration. Coppola has led a versatile performing career as a classically-trained pianist and self-taught multi-instrumentalist in classical, contemporary, and rock/pop music settings. She has served as faculty at University of Michigan Piano Pedagogy Preparatory Lab (PPLP), Webster University (St. Louis, MO), Detroit Institute of Music Education, Metropolitan State University, Ann Arbor School for the Performing Arts, School of Rock, and the Piano School of New York. Melissa is also a Co-founder and former Executive Director of Girls Rock Detroit, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering creative expression, positive self-esteem, and community awareness for girls, women, gender expansive, and transgender people through music education and performance. A self-taught drummer and singer herself, Melissa is half of the rock band, JUNGLEFOWL, whose songs have been licensed for sync placements in various commercials and campaigns. Most notably, in March 2021, the band’s song, Frontline, was placed by Hulu in their Take a Stand Against Hate campaign, a call to action against anti-AAPI racism.

Melissa is experienced in project management, and currently serves as a Design Manager at the University of Michigan Center for Academic Innovation, collaborating with faculty and teams of media and LXD specialists to create transformative, engaging online experiences to reach a global audience of lifelong learners. Melissa also currently leads as a Production Manager for New Music Detroit, a collective of musicians dedicated to performing new and contemporary works. Previously, she served as Program Manager for the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance EXCEL Lab, coaching students in professional development and career preparation, as well as managing external partnerships to provide experiential learning opportunities to students such as internships and immersion trips.

Education

BM Piano Performance, Manhattan School of Music
MM Piano Performance, University of Michigan
DMA Piano Performance & Pedagogy, University of Michigan