We have a large and varied faculty of piano teachers. While most of our requests are from beginners who want to get started learning the piano, we also have teachers for re-entry students, people who want to learn a new style or type of music, performers preparing for a concert, and more.

The Music School office, located inside the front door of Piedmont Piano Company, is open Monday through Friday 12:30-5 and Saturday 12-3.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Our teachers who teach one-on-one private lessons are private contractors. We refer students to them, and they rent teaching space from us. They all manage their own rates and schedules. When you call or visit the music school office for a teacher referral, we will give you one or two names and phone numbers. If the first teacher(s) don't work out for scheduling or any other reasons, please ask us again, as we have a number of instructors.

Most lessons are given in our studios at the Piedmont Piano Company, at the corner of Piedmont Avenue and Pleasant Valley Road. Some of our teachers also teach at another location certain days.

If you would like to be referred to one of the teachers you see here, or you have questions, please call 510-652-1222 or email oaklandharmonyroad@yahoo.com.

PIANO TEACHERS
(alphabetical order)

Julay Brooks
http://www.julaybrookspianostudio.com

Bruce Fischer
Bruce has an M.M. degree with a major in piano and organ from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has performed as a soloist and in chamber ensembles. He taught piano and solfege at the St. Louis Conservatory of Music (preparatory division) for seven years. As a teacher, he encourages the abilities and inclinations of individual students and emphasizes a well-rounded musical education. Bruce offers instruction for Certificate of Merit.

Lisa Goulder
A published songwriter, keyboardist, and vocalist, Lisa began her musical training in classical piano. She majored in arranging and composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston and later taught for many years at The Blue Bear School of American Music. She has performed as a keyboardist and vocalist all over the Bay Area in jazz and rock bands including Dreamland and The Lisa Goulder Trio. Lisa teaches private lessons in piano in classical & popular styles, voice, theory, and songwriting. She also teaches rock workshops and pop harmony vocal classes.

Kaye Griffin
Kaye began piano lessons at age 4 and studied classical piano throughout her school years, competing at the state level while still in high school. After earning her MA degree from University of Wisconsin,
she taught French, working with children of all ages and integrating music into her curriculum at every opportunity. In recent years, she also taught Montessori preschool and kindergarten classes, again integrating music into the curriculum as often as possible. She expended her own music studies to include violin, organ, classical guitar and voice. She
also performed for many years with the Harmony Bay Sweet Adelines Chorus. Since completing the basic and advanced Harmony Road teacher training courses, she has taught Harmony Road music classes in addition to offering private piano lessons for beginning students of all ages. Kaye provides a well-rounded program of study that at the same time encourages artistry and creativity in every student.

Mary Jean Kelsey
A graduate of Butler University, Mary Jean received degrees in piano performance and music education. She earned her Masters of Music from Northwestern University with a double emphasis on piano performance and group teaching. An active recitalist, she was a member of Northwestern’s Contemporary Touring Ensemble. She has taught on the piano faculties of University of Michigan and UC Santa Cruz. She chaired the piano pedegogy department at East Carolina University. Mary Jean teaches beginning and intermediate classes as well as advanced private lessons and concert preparation. Having studied the Dorothy Taubman pianistic approach for the past 13 years, she specializes in avoidance and corrective instruction of repetitive motion injury.

Jack Krouscup

Jack has been playing professionally and teaching jazz and popular piano styles for over 25 years. Jack graduated from and later taught at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and currently teaches music theory at Patten College in Oakland. Jack’s teaching style allows the student with an understanding of basic musical concepts (scales, chords, rhythms) to improvise immediately. His curriculum is individually tailored.

Annie Lewandowski

Annie Lewandowski is a teacher/performer/composer with backgrounds in classical, improvised and popular music. She recently moved to Oakland from Seattle, where she created an after school music program for elementary age youths that included ensemble playing, improvisation, technique, solfege, rhythm training, music listening, solo reading, composition, and performance practice. As a teacher, Annie encourages exploration in all of these areas, all the while keeping lessons fun and friendly. Lessons are designed to appeal to each student’s creativity and desire to learn. Annie holds a BA degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the College of St. Catherine, and has been the recipient of grants for performance and recording, including the Artist Trust GAP grant and the Jack Straw Artist Support Program grant.

Jan Nichols-Franz
Jan Nichols is a pianist and vocalist with 35 years performing and teaching experience. She studied piano at the Chicago Conservatory and De Paul University and has performed throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, and Asia. Jan has worked in a variety of musical styles including jazz, swing and big band, and pop. She toured with Brazilian performer Walten Wanderly and was in the Executives, the backup band for the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars in the late ‘60’s. Her philosophy is to encourage individual creativity within a framework of theory, technique, and musicianship while always encouraging artistry and fun. She specializes in beginners and intermediates.

Annie Sajdera

Originally from southern California, pianist and keyboardist Annie Sajdera has been a Bay Area musician for over 20 years. She received her bachelor's degree in composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and continues to expand her palette of musical colors by studying Brazilian and North Indian Music. Her teaching approach centers around cultivating accurate listening skills, tools for improvisation and total musical literacy through a steady exploration of classical repertoire and jazz standards. Annie's lessons are joyful, dynamic and tailored around the student's individual learning style.

Laura Sherman
Laura Sherman has been teaching piano for over 20 years. In the past 5 years she has been teaching music that includes percussion, singing, movement, and chorus in preschools and elementary schools around the Bay Area. Laura plays many styles of piano including jazz, clasical and popular styles. Her specialty is teaching beginning and intermediate students of all ages both how to read music and play by ear.

Erika Lee Uribe
Erika has been involved in music since the age of four. She is equallycomfortable in the classical or popular music world. A former vocalist and keyboardist for a local rock band, she received her Bachelor’s of Music degree from San Francisco State University in classical piano performance. Erika teaches private and group classes to students of all ages. She fosters creative musicianship through an organized curriculum that includes technique, ear-training, theory, and history.