I've been learning piano with Lara for about four years now, and it's been an awesome journey. Lara has not only taught me all the technical stuff but also helped me really become passionate about learning piano and making the songs we learn my own. Her patience and enthusiasm make every lesson fun and motivating. She is always finding new and improved teaching modalities/platforms that keeps classes fun and evolving. I can't thank Lara enough for all the support and encouragement she has given me. read more

TL;DR - Passionate instructor + Revolutionary method = Best lifetime value Lara's specialty sets her apart among piano instructors. Her teaching method focuses on getting students to learn rhythm and sight-reading. While it sounds basic, it is really the foundation of music. By focusing on these skills first, it enables the student to do so much more over time. Mastering the ability to sightread alone empowers me to learn any new sheet music, and not quit in the process because I got overwhelmed or frustrated... I am 30 years old and took 3.5 years of various music courses during my schooling, including violin, guitar, percussion, and piano. None of my previous instruction ever set me free in the sense that I could go pick up some random, unfamiliar sheet music, and learn how to play it in minutes on my own. That's where Lara's lessons have been different. Despite only going to Lara's lessons for 3 months, I feel like I could learn any popular music song on the piano in a single day--eat your heart out Maroon 5! It's been a great experience so far and I look forward to continue my progress. Another benefit of her method is I will be able to learn how to sing and play simultaneously--something I never believed would be possible for me! read more

Lara's Piano Coaching Academy - Winter Recital December 2016 - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Long Beach, California

I've always wanted to play the piano and never got the chance to do it, so one day I decided to just go for it and somehow found Lara. She was the best, very patient with me because I've never played any instrument ever! I learned so much time in so little time. Unfortunately, I found her 2 months before the pandemic started and my life took a different direction--dedicating time to the piano became very challenging. So as I said to her, my piano journey was short but I'll never forget how joyful it was! read more

Lara's music lessons helped me get away from hustle of life and calm myself. She introduced music and tender nuances it brings along with a perspective. She's more of friend than a teacher. Her classes were something to look forward to always on the weekends. Highly recommended for anyone stepping into music for the first time. read more

Lara is a great teacher and a good life coach as well. I learned so much from her, she is very kind, respectful, mature, and a excellent coach overall. I always come to her for life advice & she leads me to the right path. She guided me to read more books about self improvement that helped me be a better person. She encouraged me to eat healthier and stay on a good diet (Lost 20lbs). Also she motivated me to go out more to events, concerts, and to travel. I was dealing with stress and depression before I met her but now I'm doing much better because she changed my whole life around with her knowledge and great life advice. She is like a big sister to me, she checks up on me and is always there for me. read more

I've studied music most of my life, and I have a bachelors degree in music as well, so believe me when I say I've had a lot of music teachers, even a few piano teachers, and Lara is one of the best. See, there's a fundamental difference between learning to play a song on the piano, and learning to actually play the piano, and Lara understands this. None of my previous teachers have approached it the way that she does; constantly challenging me with new music, we work through piece after piece until after just a couple months practice I'm reading music almost perfectly the first time through. It's hard to explain why her method is different and how it's definitely more effective, so if this is something you've been interested in, just bite the bullet and you'll see for yourself. read more

Lara is a phenomenal teacher! I have been taking lessons from Lara for two years now and it has been everything I could have hoped for in learning an instrument! Along with her knowledge and expertise, Lara brings excitement to each lesson. I always make sure I'm ready to go for the next lesson because it's one of the highlights of my week! From showing up a few minutes early, I get to see Lara interact with her other students and she is excellent at connecting with all of them. Her students span the spectrum from younger to older. It's never too early or too late to start! It has been a pleasure taking lessons from Lara and I look forward to many more! read more

Ive taken a few piano lessons with Lara and I loved it. I had been playing piano for some time however I never realized what I was missing until I came to her. She taught me the music, the posture, the patience, how to read and so much more. Lara is so patient and so kind. She understands the backbone of learning piano, and focuses on that backbone. She maintains a strict yet fun and enjoyable plan that makes it easy for anyone to learn. Not to mention Lara plays absolutely beautifully. So mesmerizing. You can hope to one day play as wonderfully as she does. read more

Lara is the ultimate in pressure free piano lessons. Rather than shoehorn her students into a ridged predetermined lesson plan, she finds out what their piano goals are and adapts the instruction to better suit them and their learning speed. I never dread going into a lesson, was amazed how quickly the time would pass, and always left feeling like I had learned something. Thank you, Lara. You are amazing. read more

I never thought that I'd be able to play a keyboard, let alone read music. Having a specialized time where you dedicate an hour of your week can make a huge difference between learning how to play in a year (by yourself) versus doing it in just a few weeks with an amazing instructor. I had a music class when I was 12 yrs old. At that time I was a newcomer and since my English was not great, I missed out on so much. Today, thanks to Lara's patience and unique approach to teaching music, I am able to look at a sheet of music and actually know how to play it. I play the guitar and have been self teaching for about two years. Having an instructor to guide through the basics in a formal and organized manner would have diminished the learning curve. I sometimes wish she was a guitar teacher as well; I'm sure she would have me playing classics in no time. I think that Lara's emphasis in sight reading and enforcing the 3 rules she teaches in class is crucial to learning to play music. I can definitely see myself tackling tougher sheet music in the future. Her passion for teaching music is her very own. She is amazing at teaching the basics and incredibly patient with students. I truly believe that anyone can learn with her method. My goal was to learn how to read music and I didn't expect anything else, but thanks to Lara, I learned a more critical part of playing music along the way. Sign up. You won't regret it! read more

I needed an instructor who would be able to answer questions in between lessons. When working on an assignment I just needed confirmation or guidance to go in the correct direction rather than learning bad habits. Unfortunately she does not offer the service anymore. The only time you're allowed to ask questions as when you are on the clock and in person. read more

If your thinking of taking a Piano Class Miss Lara is really amazing. She is very patient and will meet you at whatever level you may be. Her skills are the real deal. If you are looking for a true Master of the instrument. I'd end my search right here. You will enjoy your class, because she loves teaching. read more

11/27/19 Over the last year, Lara has quickly developed my piano skills in a number of areas. Doing theory books improved my understanding of what everything means on the written sheet music. Working with the metronome and doing sight reading have gotten me more connected with the rhythm of the music. Our major and minor scale work allows me to play different key signatures more easily. We've been working on finger independence (strength) so I can create both a variety of soft and loud notes too change volume and expression. Also included in that is extensive practice on playing finger exercises in Hanon and Schmitt books. This has incredibly improved my ability to do long runs more smoothly and stretch my fingers to reach separated notes better. Her showing me the correct fingering technique to use when playing music has resulted in more even timing with less effort. She challenged me with difficult pieces like Sonatina in C Major Opus 36 No. 3 Movement 1 by Clementi (a lot of staccato work) and Moonlight Sonata Opus 27 No. 2 1st Movement by Beethoven (finger stretches, evenness, and volume control) which I just finished playing at our annual recital to resounding applause. Learning Classical music makes playing popular and other genres of music seem easy. I can't thank Lara enough for how much she has improved my understanding and playing abilities in just the last year. She is an amazing teacher/coach and even a nicer person to learn from. read more

Lara is a true master of her craft, not only is she a remarkable piano player but an absolute professional in the way of music education. Her clear communication, adaptation to learning styles and passion for the piano, and music in general allows for her teaching style to come across very organically. I had never touched a piano until I became intrigued as an adult. Lara made me feel extremely comfortable in exploring this new found hobby all while pushing me in a way that felt very natural. I have also been witness to Lara teaching some of her younger students and was equally as taken with her ability to adapt her teaching style accordingly...all while maintaining the patience of a horse whisperer. I would recommenced Lara to anyone that is serious about learning to or enhancing their current ability to play the piano. She delivers a premium service with passion and professionalism. read more

Lara is a sweet motivated and skilled human. I can see how dedicated she is to what does, and is evidence that she is super-skilled at her craft. She's very even keeled, and patient, which of course aids her in coaching/teaching. I recommend her strongly. read more

Lara is an extremely devoted teacher to her students. She strives to bring out the best in them and her teaching method is so simple and fun! My daughter enjoys and looks forward to her lessons! read more

Lara's Piano Coaching Academy - What a great recital organized by Lara. She's an amazing piano teacher. So proud of my daughter. All her hard work paid off. Thank you Lara. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Lara's method of teaching and care is amazing! Her patient help and thoughtful encouragement helped me learn at a pace that surprised me. I'm so glad she is my teacher! read more

After having a difficult learning experience with my previous piano teacher, I had given up on ever learning to play the piano again. I figured piano was an instrument I was not meant to play. I had this concrete mindset, until I started taking piano lessons with Lara. As each lesson passed, through her patience and making learning piano fun, she began to chip away my negative mentality. She understands that every student is different and helps find your strengths and strengthens your weaknesses as a musician. She makes sure you understand the basics of piano before you can build upon it and will work with you diligently until you have achieved success. As you progress with Lara as a student, you will witness yourself playing sheet music that you never possibly imagined you could read before. One saying of hers that will always stick with me is "the difference between good and amazing musicians, is practice." Lara will not only help you achieve your piano goals but she will also teach you things about music that you can apply to your every day life. read more