Amy taught my daughter and, now that she's left for college, Amy is teaching me! (By zoom, per my preference -- Amy will see you in person but this is so easy.) Amy is great with never-ever beginners of any age but also with adult returnees like me. There is so much I've forgotten since my childhood lessons, and so much I never learned in the first place. Amy has such breadth and depth as a musician combined with terrific flexibility as a teacher. Whatever kind of music interests you she can help you develop - classic-classical, jazz/blues, pop, improv/composition, you name it. Meanwhile Amy will help you build your musicality and, importantly, also a sturdy foundation -- Amy's music theory chops are as strong as her playing (she gigs professionally) and pedagogical skills. I now have a repertoire I really enjoy and am proud of, while I continue to advance my skills and understanding of music. I recommend Amy without reservation, for all ages and skill levels! read more

Amy is an accomplished music instructor and built a good foundation for my child with the piano. We started lessons with Amy over two years ago when our child was in second grade. She always loved her lessons with Amy and came home with new skills and songs to practice. read more

Amy is pretty poor with communication especially when it comes to arranging class times. She also didn't give much feedback on my child's progress or her plan for instruction. read more

I started learning piano from scratch as an adult and while I had lots of theoretical knowledge from taking a few jazz courses at a local adult jazz school, I didn't have any practical ability when it came to applying those concepts and actually creating music. In fact, when I started learning piano with Amy exactly 1 year ago, I couldn't even play my scales. Amy worked with me over many months to establish those basics and then develop my practical knowledge and technique to the point where I could actually arrange jazz standards. Thanks to her, I was just able to perform at my first ever piano recital. Not only did I play confidently in front of an audience for the first time, I was also playing my own arrangement of a jazz standard that I had worked on with Amy for several months. It was a huge accomplishment and I feel like my ability as a musician has skyrocketed in the last year. Learning music is like learning any new skill--it's a ton of hard work, but if you're willing to put that in you can come out with a lifetime of enjoyment. Amy is a tough teacher sometimes, but I really appreciate her wealth of experience and well trained ear. She is still an active gigging musician and I sometimes get to my lesson early just to listen to her practice. It's inspiring to know that I'm learning from someone who is still actively engaged in the craft of being a musician. I would highly recommend taking lessons with her. read more

Amy is the BEST. She's helped me go from 0 to 60 in just a few months. Amy combines music theory and exercises for learning the basics of reading music with more intuitive techniques and songs you'll really feel motivated to master. I'm in my 30s and decided to take up piano lessons this year. Within a couple of months Amy coached me to play several increasingly complex pieces while also learning how to read music, and learn chords/fingering. Amy is really invested in her students progress and I find myself that much more motivated to practice because I know our sessions are coming up. I strongly recommend her! If you're even slightly considering it I would say to give her a call and try her out- I bet you won't regret it! read more

Amy is a great teacher! I'm an adult student who started taking lessons ~3.5 years ago, with the past 1.5 years being with Amy. She is very accomplished at many genres and every lesson features a large amount of music theory. We even analyze the chords in Mozart! Under Amy, I've played pieces ranging from jazz to classical to ragtime to modern. Every piece is an opportunity to build on my weaknesses -- I grew up playing brass instruments so I already knew how to read music, but my music theory was weak and my ability to play by ear non-existent. I'm really excited by how much I've improved since I started taking lessons with her. read more

During piano lessons in the 1960's, I never showed a lick of promise or talent. When I retired, I wanted to make use of my brain and the piano sitting in my living room, so I thought I'd give jazz and blues lessons a try. After a year, I was frustrated and lessons were a stressful chore. Then, I found Amy Levine... Amy is an amazing teacher, whose personalized teaching method has proved to be exactly what I need. We went back to the very beginning of basic music theory and piano exercises (which I had never mastered). I was also given arranged pieces that have been really fun to learn. It has been the perfect approach for me. Amy is a very talented pianist/teacher, with a great deal of patience. It's been 9 months and I couldn't be happier with how things are progressing. Now I love to practice and look forward to my lessons. When I travel, I miss practicing and my lessons. For me, that's the highest recommendation possible. read more

Amy is such a great teacher. I've been working with her for over a year and my piano playing went from ok to good. I can now jam with my buddies and feel comfortable with what I'm doing. I've also hired her for session work and she's super easy to work with and really understood what I was looking for. One word: AWESOME! read more

Amy is a great teacher even for those folks without any natural musical talents, such as myself. She will take you from the fundamentals to as advanced as you want to go. It's all up to the student in how diligent you are in doing your homework that Amy assigns you. Having a supportive teacher likes Amy breaks down the mystery of piano playing and helps me see a successful lifelong journey in the world of music. read more

The breadth of Amy's knowledge is truly impressive, it's rare to see a generalist that carries such depth across such a vast array of musicianship. We never simply learn a piece and then move onto the next one, there is theory/mechanics/technique marbled throughout the process and she is always encouraging the student to take an active role in guiding their own pedagogy. Definitely one of those uncommon talents which make the interpersonal substrate of the Bay Area the unique environment that it is. read more

Amy has been teaching piano to my daughter for over just over four years. Previously, my daughter worked with two piano instructors for a total of three years and just wasn't making progress nor did the lesson structures hold her attention and interest. Amy has changed all that. She challenges my daughter to push herself. As a result, my daughter has transformed from someone who lacked confidence in her playing abilities to someone who now plays enthusiastically, is comfortable accompanying herself while singing at public venues, and uses her piano throughout the week to write songs and also as a form of relaxation. Thank you Amy! read more

Amy has been a great teacher for my daughter, who is 11. She's highly professional and knowledgeable about all aspects of piano instruction and my daughter looks forward to her lessons. She feels that her understanding of theory and technique has really improved since she began lessons with Amy. I recommend her highly. read more

Amy is a wonderful piano teacher. I've been taking lessons with her for two years now. As an adult, it can be hard to make time to practice and keep up. She has been great about keeping me motivated, engaged, and still progressing at a pace that makes sense for me. I also appreciate how flexible she is in terms of her teaching philosophy--she changes it up between skills, new pieces, and theory so I'm never bored. read more

Amy is a phenomenal piano instructor, who has the ability to explain techniques thoroughly and build skills so that students can work toward their musical goals. She has been working with our daughter for about 6 months. Amy tailors each lesson to strengthen areas which need work. Our daughter has made significant improvements with Amy's tutelage and guidance. Amy encourages her to compose pieces as well as improvise. Lessons are well organized with the right amount of information and comprehensive. Each lesson consists of technical competencies (scales and dexterity exercises), sight-reading, short songs, and both a classical and jazz piece. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! read more

We've been going to Amy for maybe 8 years now. She teaches all three of my kids and they each started when they were 5 or 6 years old. She somehow has managed to keep them interested this whole time. They practice almost daily and clearly enjoy playing. She teaches classical songs as well as more modern "fun" ones. My kids are learning all of the scales and they know WAY more about music theory than I do. Amy is also very accommodating with scheduling. It isn't easy to get their lessons back to back, but she has made it work. I'd recommend her to anyone, any age, who wants piano lessons. read more

Amy has been teaching my son for two years. She is the perfect mix of encouragement and expectations. My son has responded very well to her style which emphasizes musical theory but allows the children to experiment as well. She hold concerts for her student 1-2 times a year which are incredible as you can see the broad range of talent she has coached for many years. Bottom line -- we feel so lucky to have found her. read more

I found Amy in a Google search, and I've been taking weekly piano lessons from her for a few years now. I am over 50 and a slow learner when it comes to music, and Amy has been a great teacher for me. She is patient and understanding, but at the same time she pushes me to do my best and she provides plenty of encouragement and motivation. She puts together a good mix of musical theory, drills chosen specifically for my situation, and working on the songs that I want to learn. Her communication style, interpersonal skills, and business policies all round out a great experience. I'd highly recommend Amy for piano lessons. read more

Amy has been teaching piano to my daughter for nearly 3 years now, and I am extremely pleased. Amy is giving my child a solid foundation in music theory; strong technical skills in reading, fingering, etc.; and most importantly musicality and a love of playing. Amy is also developing my daughter's ear, helping her understand not just major vs. minor keys and the like, but also helping her really understand the structures of the key signatures and chords. I studied for a decade and still play (for myself) as much as I can, but already my daughter is teaching me things I never knew -- Amy's approach is that up-to-date and effective. My daughter bounces out of the house when it's time to leave for her piano lessons, and on her own sits down at the piano to practice. My goal is at least to instill a lifelong love of music in my child; better if she also loves to play and gets good at it. Amy has got us well on our way to all of this. read more

My daughter is 9 and she's been taking lessons with Amy for over a year now. Amy is so great with kids, especially with our daughter who is shy. Amy really connects with kids and makes it fun and has helped our daughter come out of her shell with the piano. Kids and parents are rewarded several times a year when Amy organizes (on her own dime) a piano recital. Not only do we get to see our daughter play but we also see many of her students play as well. The plus is we get to see Amy in action when she jumps in on backup vocals or plays piano alongside another student. We're so happy we found her and recommend her without hesitation! read more

Amy is an absolutely stellar piano teacher for all ages. She combines discipline and focus on both theory and technique, with inspiring true passion and love for music. I can't recommend her more highly. read more

Amy knows from piano! Not only is she is extremely well-versed in a wide range of styles--including blues, jazz and classical--but she is an amazing teacher as well. Even if you have a good ear and are adept at memorization, you will still learn a ton from Amy about music theory, technique, etc. She will hep you find your strengths, improve upon your weaknesses, and make you into a real musician! Last but definitely not least, she is extremely patient and supportive in helping you get over your personal hurdles. read more

As an older adult learning piano for the first time, I have been taking lessons from Amy for about a year. I have found her to be extremely helpful both in guiding me to learn the basics, and in pushing me to aspire to play pieces I would have never dreamed of trying on my own. And the surprise for me is that I am actually playing those pieces! Amy is quick to notice and point out problems and errors, but is also very patient and accepting and willing to take whatever time I have needed to learn the material. She is also very versatile and able to teach a variety of techniques and types of music. Overall, I have been very pleased with my lessons with Amy and would recommend her enthusiastically to others. read more