He was born and raised on a farm in North Dakota. Even as a young child, he had a deep passion for classical piano music and it was a dream come true when he began his piano studies with Belle Mehus at her music school in Bismarck, North Dakota. Eventually Belle Mehus encouraged him to become one of her ‘junior’ teachers and LaWayne discovered his love of, and affinity for, piano teaching. He later also studied with Belle’s sister, concert pianist Alma Mehus Studness.

As a young adult LaWayne moved to New York City and became a student of Oxana Yablonskaya, a recently arrived Russian emigre who had been on the faculty of the Moscow Conservatory. Those lessons, for which he is forever indebted, proved to be a fascinating opportunity, revealing previously unimagined pianistic sounds and colors, technical prowess, and interpretive finesse.

He is currently teaching private piano lessons—which he continues to do from his studio in downtown White Bear Lake, Minnesota.


 https://www.lawaynelenoauthor.com/

http://www.yourlotandparcel.org