“Susan MacLean is an accomplished Cape Breton Piano player who has played with the ‘Who’s Who’ of Cape Breton fiddling. There isn’t a player she hasn’t played with nor a hall she has not played in. Susan understands the ‘Cape Breton’ style and is well versed in all aspects of our traditional music. As a piano instructor, Susan has taught piano accompaniment at Colaisde na Gàidhlig | The Gaelic College for over 30 years. She is respected by her peers and loved by her students. Further, the Gaelic College has been pleased to feature over 30 lessons of Susan’s piano style and teaching techniques in our online instruction which has been in demand for the last decade. Susan MacLean represents the richness of our music and is the real thing when it comes to Cape Breton piano accompaniment!

“I would like to congratulate Susan for her achievements in Cape Breton piano. Susan is an accomplished accompanist, solo player and a renown teacher of traditional Cape Breton piano. Her sound is original and her dedication to piano is one I always admired. It’s obvious to see she enjoys accompanying fiddlers by her pleasant personality on stage and at social gatherings. Well done Susan. Wishing you all the best.”

“Susan MacLean played a significant role in my musical journey, particularly in helping me to understand the Cape Breton style of piano accompaniment in the early 2000’s. I was classically trained on the piano and have a very poor ear for the aural style of learning. Susan was very diligent in her teaching methods. She generated a series of resource materials and exercises which helped me “see the light”. Her dedication to teaching and supporting the Cape Breton music scene is admirable. Her passion for music and teaching has positively influenced many students, including myself. Susan is an excellent instructor and tradition bearer. As a friend and former student, I am happy to support her endeavours in creating her own instructional book

“I’ve had the pleasure of learning from Susan, a truly gifted piano teacher in the Celtic style, and my experience has been incredibly rewarding. Susan’s methods and teachings have helped me come very far as a Celtic accompanist. When I started learning Celtic piano, my progress was slow, but I was able to take a huge leap when I discovered Susan. Taking her online video lessons, I was able to advance at a very impressive pace thanks to her unique, yet clear and structured teaching style. I progressed even further after attending her workshops, learning directly from her during a week at the Gaelic College in Cape Breton. Susan recognizes the importance of every detail, which helps her effectively share the amazing style of Celtic piano accompaniment.”

“Learning from Susan was an incredible experience. She has a way of breaking down difficult ideas and making them easier to understand. Her lessons shaped the approach I take to piano accompaniment, and I still use what I learned from her all the time. Her passion for our music and the way she teaches made all the difference for me. I’m grateful for everything I picked up from her!”

“My first encounter with Susan was at Gaelic College Summer Adult Session in 2012. My first memory of her class was her how she taught Cape Breton piano rhythm patterns using easy-to-remember word phrases to represent the feel of the patterns. My second memory was, during the same class, the introduction of simple alternate chording, the changing of one note in the chord creating a unique sound that still complimented the tune. It’s a technique I still use to this day. In subsequent years of classes with Susan, both online and in person, she introduced, what I call is, the latest trends in piano accompaniment methods. Our class discussions included the type of tunes in which to use these new techniques, and how often. What was always so important to her was that the uniqueness of the Cape Breton style be maintained while including these new techniques. Whenever she is teaching at Gaelic College, I look forward in participating in her classes.”

“Susan MacLean was born with music in her blood. Her early years spent growing up on the Washabuck Peninsula where she was immersed in the finest of “Scotch” music, dance and song have greatly influenced her as a traditional Cape Breton musician in the Gaelic style. As a result, Susan has a well-developed ear which she adeptly uses to accompany fiddlers. Susan understands the role of a Cape Breton piano player - which is, to provide steady, rhythmic accompaniment while adding fullness and colour to the tunes being played. She is very simply “easy to play with” and this is a high compliment from any lead player. Never taking away from the music – always supporting it and seeking to embellish it in just the right way. Susan knows tunes and can bring out the best in a tune and a fiddler. As a teacher, she has used this approach to break down tunes and develop aural skills in a meaningful way for those who are lucky enough to have her as a teacher. Susan has given to Gaelic music and cultural scene in Cape Breton and beyond for many years. She works hard to ensure these rich traditions are passed on to future generations. And she is a life-long learner herself – always seeking to learn that new tune, think about a tune in a new way, taking up various instruments, etc. It is this humble passion for the music that makes Susan a beloved part of the musical community in Cape Breton.”

“I had the incredible opportunity to take Celtic-style piano lessons from Susan for several years. I had always been fascinated by Celtic music, but I was apprehensive about taking lessons because I’m not particularly good at reading music. Susan made learning to play the piano incredibly accessible by teaching in a manner that didn’t require extensive musical experience for success. She created an environment where I could experiment with new skills and combine them with my existing skills to enhance my abilities. Through her lessons, I acquired necessary skills to succeed in Cape Breton-style piano playing, with additional practice and ear training required for further improvement.”

"I have studied with many piano teachers over the years. Susan MacLean numbers among the most encouraging, as her system of teaching Cape Breton piano meets the student at whatever level they are at, whether new to piano or simply new to Cape Breton music. The first time I studied with Susan, she gave me the basics of a clear system and the resources needed to keep advancing. In addition to providing the encouragement any student needs when learning a new skill, she was the first trad piano accompanist I studied with that provided a clear, logical system that helps explain both the what and the why. Using the resources she provided, I became confident with the basic patterns and rhythms of Cape Breton music. The second time I studied with her, she pushed me to go beyond the basics I had mastered. With her encouragement, using her resources and building on the basic patterns she had given me, I began to explore and experiment in my playing, trying out more complicated chord progressions and rhythm patterns. Her clear system, with the resources she shared, allowed me to learn faster and gone farther in my playing than in the past. I just wish that I had met Susan and had access to her system decades earlier.”

"I have wanted to learn Cape Breton piano accompaniment for a long time and finally it came true courtesy of Susan Maclean! I was impressed with how organized her lessons were as they were easy to follow and execute on the keyboard even for a person like me who doesn’t have a musical background and can’t read score. She breaks down all the elements you have to know with lots of examples so you can learn effectively and practice by yourself. I just love her lessons. Please give it a go if you are interested in learning Cape Breton piano!”