Founder & Lead Educator
A life shaped by music and teaching.
Elizabeth Sullivan is the founder of Heart of the Matter School of Music in Tucson, Arizona, where she brings 20 years of experience as a music educator to students of every age and ability.
Elizabeth grew up in Upstate New York and spent most of her life in New York City, where she played in bands, performed, and built a career teaching music across schools, studios, and community programs. She holds a Master of Arts in Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she graduated summa cum laude, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from CUNY Hunter College, where she graduated magna cum laude. Her teaching experience includes roles at Teachers College Columbia University, the New York City Department of Education, and School of Rock, where she served as Program Director & Musical Instructor.
Three years ago, Elizabeth relocated to Tucson, bringing her love of teaching and performing to the desert. She teaches voice, piano, guitar, bass, violin, and drums across a range of styles including jazz, blues, soul, pop/rock, and classical, and works with students on theory, composition, and improvisation alongside their instrument of choice.
At the heart of Elizabeth's teaching is a belief in music as connection: she creates individualized, encouraging lesson plans that meet each student where they are and helps them find their own voice as musicians. Whether she's coaching a first-time singer or mentoring an advanced performer, her goal is the same — to nurture real musical growth in a space that feels like home.
Elizabeth believes music is transformational — it's why the butterfly is the central image of Heart of the Matter School of Music. Learning to play an instrument is more than picking up a creative tool; it's a process that shapes and develops who we are. For Elizabeth, every lesson is part of that larger journey — a transformational one, note by note.