Teaching Her Way Through the American West: Estelle Philleo’s Journey as a Piano Teacher

The history of female piano teachers, especially those working with children, remains largely unstudied. Estelle Philleo (1880–1936) is one example from the early 20th century who specialized in group lessons for beginners. A New Woman who never married, she began as a junior piano teacher at the Michigan Female Seminary before graduating in 1902. After moving to Denver around 1906, she continued teaching and began composing. Philleo traveled widely in the West conducting Melody Way campaigns during the 1920s. The year after she died, Willis Music published her teaching pieces, Two Pastimes on the Black Keys. She is remembered today primarily for her 1917 hit song, “Out Where the West Begins.” Philleo’s work as a composer and performer garnered the press coverage that makes documenting her career possible. Newspaper articles are the primary sources used to explore her three-pronged career as an educator, composer, and performer. She used her traditional career as a music educator to support work unexpected for a woman—writing and performing music about the American West. This article explores Philleo’s teaching career, which spanned more than three decades. By doing so, it contributes to the history of female class piano teachers in the United States.