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August 2024 by tmkeane
I highly recommend Stephen if you are a beginner looking to start learning piano. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with him. He is patient and brings a wealth of knowledge and piano acumen to his teaching. The program is great for learning to play songs quickly as opposed to doing rote drills that you might associate with learning the piano. Within week or so you are playing songs! Don't wait! Sign up with Stephen and start learning!
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August 2024 by Barbara Dunham
I have been taking piano lessons from Stephen for over two years and it's the best decision I have made for it brings joy to my life! Stephen is an exellent teacher. He is patient and instructive and I look forward to every lesson I have with him. Simply Music is such a wonderful program. I have learned so much about music these past two years.
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August 2024 by Monica Krakow
I’ve been taking lessons with Stephen for about six months and thoroughly enjoy it. Learning how to play the piano has always been a goal of mine, and with Stephen and the Simply Music program, I am achieving that goal. As an older adult, learning a musical instrument can be daunting.
However , Stephen is patient and encouraging. He allows one to learn at their own pace, while still making sure there is progression.
I am not only learning different types of music, but I am composing my own. It’s fun and challenging at the same time.
In short, Stephen is an excellent instructor and would highly recommend him ?
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January 2024 by Regina Guerra
I've been taking piano lessons with Stephen for two years and it's amazing how much progress I've made. I like the playing-based approach to Simply Music, it's fun and accessible. Even though I could already read music the program presented music in a new way and I now have a deeper understanding of patterns, chords, note relationships, etc. And I can play many songs by memory! Stephen is a supportive and patient teacher. He does a good job balancing the Simply Music program with other pieces I'm interested in working on and offers suggestions for how to explore music through singing and fake books. On the logistics side, Stephen is organized, responsive, and easy to work with. Overall great experience.
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October 2023 by Ty C
I've been enjoying learning piano with Stephen for about a year and a half now. He always does a great job answering all my questions and helping me become a much better piano player.
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September 2023 by Larisa Ashley
My preteen daughter has been learning piano from Stephen since Spring, 2022. In those 18 months she has learned to play a variety of music as well as practiced the life skill of perseverance. Stephen is a skilled, patient, and encouraging teacher. The Simply Music Program that Stephen uses is engaging and progresses in a natural way. As someone with little musical background myself, it has been a joy to watch my daughter learn and grow while also learning quite a bit myself. I would highly recommend Stephen to anybody looking to learn piano in a fun way with a great teacher!
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September 2023 by Micah Reyes
Stephen is an incredible teacher. I have taken lessons with him for over 10 years and he has consistently been prepared, knowledgable, and has advice and expectations that are catered to my skill level and habits. I am very grateful for all of the years I had Stephen as a teacher!
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September 2023 by Kathy Westphal
I have been studying with Stephen for several years, and it has been a rewarding experience. I not only have improved my playing, but have learned quite a bit about music in general. I appreciate that he teaches in a way that exposes me to many different types of music, and that he is consistently supportive of my work.
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December 2021 by Tracey B
My teenage daughter has been taking piano lessons with Stephen for 2-3 years now. Not only is Stephen very patient and kind, but he is also a great communicator and very encouraging. I believe that my daughter continues with the lessons because between Stephen's teaching style and the Simply Music Program, she feels challenged (yet not overwhelmed), and she is always learning something new. Being able to play different styles of music right from the get go has kept her interested and wanting to learn more. I'm not sure the traditional approach to learning the piano would have kept her engaged. Stephen is always available for his students. He is a wonderful teacher.
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October 2021 by Ralph Wade
Stephen is great. I moved back to Santa Rosa last year and needed a piano teacher to resume lessons. I connected with Stephen and began taking lessons earlier this year, trying out the Simply Music program. I really enjoy it - easy to follow, detailed instruction materials, includes written, audio, and video elements. You can definitely track weekly progress. In addition to this Stephen allows and encourages me to continue working on previous projects. Overall it has been great working with Steven.
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October 2021 by Tracey Balderson
My teenage daughter has been taking piano lessons with Stephen for 2-3 years now. Not only is Stephen very patient and kind, but he is also a great communicator and very encouraging. I believe that my daughter continues with the lessons because between Stephen's teaching style and the Simply Music Program, she feels challenged (yet not overwhelmed), and she is always learning something new. Being able to play different styles of music right from the get go has kept her interested and wanting to learn more. I'm not sure the traditional approach to learning the piano would have kept her engaged. Stephen is always available for his students. He is a wonderful teacher.
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October 2021 by jonathan jung
Stephen has been my son's piano teacher for just about two years. I was not familiar with the Simply Music program prior to this, so I did not have any expectations. I have some previous musical experiences with various instruments, but all had been with a traditional reading and music theory approach.My son started at age 5, and in the two years has shown great progress on the piano. The most important aspect has been that he is not tired or bored of playing. I believe that with with the patience of Stephen and the variety of the styles in the program, this is a great way to get a child (or adult) a solid start into the world of music.I would highly recommend Stephen and the Simply Music program to anybody who wants to try a different approach to learning to play the piano.
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September 2021 by Jo Weber
Stephen is The BEST! Knows his stuff, is patient and offers a variety of styles to help me broaden my horizons. I recommend him highly!
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September 2021 by Kathy Westphal
Stephen has encouraged me to try different types of projects and has helped me add to my knowledge of music and piano
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September 2021 by Tracey B.
My teenage daughter has been taking piano lessons with Stephen for 2-3 years now. Not only is Stephen very patient and kind, but he is also a great communicator and very encouraging. I believe that my daughter continues with the lessons because between Stephen's teaching style and the Simply Music Program, she feels challenged (yet not overwhelmed), and she is always learning something new. Being able to play different styles of music right from the get go has kept her interested and wanting to learn more. I'm not sure the traditional approach to learning the piano would have kept her engaged. Stephen is always available for his students. He is a wonderful teacher.
