I would highly recommend Ms Allison Chu for younger, older, newer or experienced pianists. I met Allison while she was earning both her Bachelor's and Master's in Piano Performance at USC and also teaching beginner piano classes at the university. As an older person learning a new instrument can be incredibly challenging even with prior experience with other instruments, I personally have played several instruments for over a decade. I had tried to pick up the piano myself several times but wasn't able to make much progress. I found her to be terrifically accommodating, patient, professional and personable. She tailored each lesson to meet my specific goals while also weaving in knowledge to improve my understanding of music. Allison is an absolutely terrific instructor and I believe you will feel the same way regardless of age or skill level. read more

Allison is awesome! I took lessons from her as a adult beginner before moving away from Pasadena. She is very patient and flexible. I liked that she focused on the fundamentals, and that she was willing to go at the pace that my schedule allowed. read more

Allison is a wonderful and sweet piano teacher who is great with kids. She has a soft and gentle approach to music that draws the interest of others. She has a good understanding of musicality and specializes in performance. Her interest in music, instruments, and performance shows her passion for the arts and education for kids She has very valuable experience from studies at Vera Hoalim's piano studio requiring high skilled performance and competition. Her students play beautifully and her guest workshops are very engaging and entertaining. I would recommend her as a teacher for students ranging from beginners who have never learned the piano to advanced level students interested in working in more detail regarding performance and shaping of the music. read more

Wonderful teacher! Shows great patience and direction when mentoring students and provides creative outlets for students to enjoy piano (ie. flashcards, music origami etc.)! If I had her as teacher, I would have probably continued playing music. She's one of the few instructors who will stay after the allotted time slot and spend that couple of extra minutes with your child to make sure the concept or technique is understood. Deeply passionate about music, and you can see it in the way she teaches. She not one of those run-of-the mill teachers who assigns pieces and upgrades you after a certain number of months. She here to provide a musical education and to develop your child's appreciation for the arts. read more

She is a very patient and encouraging teacher. Her lessons always well planned and constructive. My two boys are learning from Ms Allison and I am impressed at how her teaching methods are tailored to their individual strengths and weaknesses. I would highly recommend her to any parents looking to teach their kids. As a side bonus, she is also fluent in Chinese. read more

Allison is an incredible pianist and instructor. After playing piano for 6 years, I decided that I wanted to take it to the next level. I sought out an instructor at USC, and Allison turned out to be exactly what I needed. She was encouraging, incredibly kind, and very instrumental (pun intended) in shaping my posture, dynamics, and performance overall. Her passion for music is contagious and her ability to perform is inspiring. read more

Allison is a very creative and patient piano teacher. Both my daughters take piano lessons with Allison, and I can see how she is able to tailor each lesson to their individual needs. She takes her time and never rushes through a lesson. I highly recommend Allison to anyone looking for a piano teacher. read more

Allison is a great piano teacher. She is extremely patient and sweet to young kids. Her teaching style promotes appreciation of music along with music theory. She always try to have her student relate each piece of music to a story that is personal to them, and thus makes it interesting. Besides regular teaching, she also organize periodic music appreciation and activities to introduce various music instruments, recitals, and studio class. I feel extremely lucky to find such a wonderful teacher for my daughter. read more

Allison is a great teacher. She is incredibly kind, encouraging, and has the patience of a saint. Allison teaches in a way that is clear and easy to understand. The lessons are fun and very productive. Allison takes note when I struggle with a particular song or concept and adjusts the lesson to focus on that issue. She also challenges me to improve by being detail oriented and providing a lot of feedback about technique. I look forward to going to the lessons each week and then incorporating what I have learned from Allison into my practice at home. Allison is the type of person who is genuinely enthusiastic about teaching, cares about the success of her students, and takes an interest in them personally. As a beginning piano student without any prior music experience, I could not be happier with the progress that I have made with Allison's help after two months of weekly lessons. read more