Carol Noona composer

Carol Noona's career has been centered around her three favorite things: words, music, and children. She was born Carol Ann Menke and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. Her earliest piano training was with Ethel Davis Marley. At fourteen she began studying at the American Conservatory of Music under Howard Hanks. She feels fortunate to have received theory under Leo Sowerby and Edwin Fissinger during this time.

Along with the art of performing, Hands, a disciple/collaborator of Louise Robyn, stressed teaching his students how to teach. So it was at the age of fourteen that Carol Noona began accepting piano students of her own. After six years at the Conservatory she transferred to the University of Illinois where she studied under Joseph Battista, an Olga Samoroff protege. It was here that Walter and Carol met in an ensemble class where they were coupled as a duo piano team.

The Noona's home is Virginia Beach, VA, where Carol maintains her studio. Besides writing, testing pedagogical materials and working with her piano students, she is active as a music editor, reviewer, lecturer, and performer. Carol is also the Managing Director of the Virginia Beach Pops Orchestra, a challenging area of musical interest which utilizes her organizational expertise and people skills.