When I was searching online for a piano teacher in La Mesa to start my piano lessons, I came across a piano instructor, Paul Burd, who was offering a free trial piano lesson that I attended. I loved his personality and his approach to piano lessons, and I decided to start my piano lessons with Paul. Before that I had tried a couple of piano instructors for over a year, but they didn't really teach me the techniques that I've learned during the first couple of months of piano lessons with Paul. Now I've been taking piano lessons from Paul for about two years. I've learned a lot from him and feel that I've made a lot of progress. As a piano instructor, Paul has a way to help me recognize and enhance my strengths, while remaining flexible and patient in adopting his lesson plans to my busy work schedule. Paul is an excellent teacher who has a true gift for teaching. He is very encouraging and positive, and really makes learning fun. Paul not only teaches how to play the piano, but he also teaches how to love and appreciate music, something that few teachers can do. What also differs Paul from many other piano teachers is that besides classical music, he teaches different music styles, like jazz, blues, boogie, rock, pop, and he introduced me to the world of improvisation and making my own music. A couple of months ago, I started playing in a band, which is so cool, but I enjoy practicing the classical pieces. I'm so grateful to Paul for lots of things that I never thought I'd be able to do. Whether you're a beginner, or you already know how to play the piano, but want to bring it to a higher level, or want to learn how to play new styles, I would highly recommend Paul to anyone looking for piano instruction. read more

I've been learning the piano under the guidance of the incredibly talented Paul Burd for nearly two years, starting at 19. I have made remarkable progress in this relatively short time, transitioning from a complete beginner to confidently playing grade 5 pieces. Paul's teaching approach is patient and inspiring, creating an environment that nurtures growth and creativity. His passion for music is contagious, motivating me to improve continuously. He customizes the lessons to suit my needs and interests, ensuring a personalized learning experience that keeps me engaged and motivated. With Paul's expertise, I've delved into music theory, technique, and interpretation, building a strong foundation and expanding my repertoire. His guidance has transformed my playing from basic scales to tackling complex compositions. His emphasis on musical expression has allowed me to infuse my playing with emotion and personality, creating captivating performances. Paul's warmth and approachability foster a welcoming and encouraging atmosphere. He genuinely cares about his students' success and takes the time to understand their goals. Each lesson is an enjoyable experience that I eagerly anticipate. In summary, I wholeheartedly recommend Paul Burd as a stellar piano teacher. His expertise, dedication, and ability to unlock musical potential are truly remarkable. read more

If you are looking for piano lessons and are serious about getting a first class musical education, I would highly recommend Paul Burd for piano lessons. What qualifies me to make this statement you may wonder? Here is my background: I was a performing violinist and on stage since the age of 10. I played as a soloist and concert master internationally for many years. I stopped my career to raise my children. But my desire and hunger for music kept nudging me and so I decided to return to music after the kids had "left the nest" , but this time with a different instrument - the piano. Paul incorporates all the qualities I am looking for in a piano teacher. He guides me to improve playing techniques, has a keen eye and ear for details and constantly encourages me to do better. He teaches with a lot of constructive critique and at the same time he makes sure that my passion for playing the piano is never lost. Paul is flexible and he carefully sketches out assignments according to my own pace and ability. He is professional, patient and gives constant encouragement. read more

If you are serious about getting a first class musical education, then I would highly recommend Paul Burd for music lessons. What qualifies me to make this statement you may wonder? Here is my background: I was a performing violinist and on stage since the age of 10 and I played as a soloist and concert master internationally. I stopped my career to raise my children. But my desire and hunger for music kept nudging me and so I decided to return to music after the kids "left the nest" , but this time with a different instrument - the piano. Paul incorporates all the qualities I am looking for in a teacher. He guides me to improve playing techniques, has a keen eye and ear for details and constantly encourages me to do better. He teaches with a lot of constructive critique and at the same time he makes sure that the passion for music and playing is never lost. Paul is flexible and he carefully sketches out assignments, not just following a certain method or book. He is professional, patient, and gives constant encouragement. read more

My 2 kids (ages 7 and 9) are taking piano lessons from Paul Burd. We switched from another piano teacher about 6 months ago and the difference in both of my childrens' ability is substantial. I am simply amazed at what my kids can do on the piano with Paul as our piano teacher. Paul Burd is an excellent piano teacher. He is very patient with my kids and dedicated to developing them into "whole" musicians. He teaches them piano technique and theory so that my children will be able to create music with other musicians as well as have a repertoire of songs to play for others. The songs are varied and very interesting. He even has my son working on 'the blues'! He sends recordings over email to help my children hear what the music should sound like and encourages them to listen over and over to gain 'a feel' for how a piece should be played. With Paul Burd, it feels like my children are his only students! I recommend Paul Burd to anyone who wants to learn or improve their skill on the piano. read more

Paul Burd is a talented teacher who really cares for his students. I'm an adult student and have been taking lessons from Mr. Burd for the past 3 years. During that time, I have progressed substantially on the piano. Specifically in my ability to read music, and technique when playing. More importantly, Mr. Burd instilled a love of playing the piano to where I find joy and happiness when I play. I was even able to continue taking lessons during the pandemic. I even opted to continue with remote lessons post-pandemic. I set my laptop up on a small side table and have a ZOOM call for my lesson. Paul has a professional set up with a microphone and several camera angles so he can demonstrate techniques. I prefer the remote lessons because I am able to learn to play on my own piano and the ease of not having a commute. Paul is the teacher I recommend to anyone interested in learning to play the piano. read more

I started taken piano lessons with Paul Bud (The music lessons studio) back in 2011. I found their ad online and quickly learned that he was in East County which is where I live. I was impressed with his skills and professionalism so I decided to start my piano lessons immediately. Paul is a very capable and well versed Piano instructor with plenty of experience and knowledge. His teaching combines techniques and theory, classic and modern. He is friendly, flexible and understands my busy schedule and had always tried to find ways to work around that. I am very happy to be a part of his school. My ability to play piano is constantly growing which feels great and rather motivating. In less than two years, I am able to play complicated pieces I always loved listening to. Something I am proud to have accomplished in a short period of time and couldn't have done it without proper guidance and mentoring. read more

I have been playing music and performing for a long time on both keyboards and Accordion and I feel very lucky to have performed with many top professional musicians over the years. However, as I've never had a formal musical education I was looking for a teacher to help me bring my playing and technique to the next level. Since I play both piano and accordion, I was very happy when I found Paul, who teaches both piano and accordion. In a short time after starting piano lessons with Paul my piano technique and playing overall has improved significantly, and since piano and accordion have the same right hand keyboard, my accordion level went up as well. With each lesson I learn something new, and the way how Paul introduces complicated new materials is simple and easy to understand. It keeps me inspired to practice more and more, and maybe one day I'll be able to play like my teacher Paul!) read more

I have always had a wish to become a good piano player and be able to improvise in different styles. After I started music lessons with Paul, each lesson has brought me closer to fulfilling my dream. Paul is not only a wonderful l piano teacher with a lot of experience under his belt, but also, and it is very important, he has the wide variety of various musical styles, such as classical, jazz, pop. I enjoy listening to his improvisations. They inspire me to spend hours at the piano and practice different piano techniques he shares with me. With Paul's knowledge and patience I have made great progress within two years. My friends cannot believe my skills have improved that much. So, when they decided to teach their kids to play the piano, I was happy to recommended Paul. I was really lucky to have had Paul as a teacher. Giving him big thumbs up! Robert R. read more

I have been taking piano lessons from Paul Burd for two years now. I am an adult student that returned to the piano after an extended hiatus. I studied the piano and saxophone from elementary school through middle school, but Paul is the best teacher I have ever studied with. In the past two year, I have learned more about music and technique than I ever had when I was a child. Mr. Burd is very encouraging while trying to bring out the best in his students. He focuses on technique and provides excellent constructive criticism. I really appreciate his ability to focus on my personal growth by tailoring his lessons to strengthen my weaknesses. His passion for music is inspirational, and his knowledge of music is expansive. TL;DR, Mr. Paul Burd is an excellent and knowledgeable teacher. I highly recommend him to anyone with a desire to study music. read more

I have been taking piano lessons with Paul for two years now. I cannot recommend him enough. He can play and teach any style and works with me to select pieces that I love and that help me grow as a pianist. I look back and see that I have progressed so far in just two years. I appreciate that Paul teaches not just what to practice, but how to practice, which helps me to develop good technique and to make the most of my practice time. I also appreciate that he customizes my practice plan according to my personal goals for learning and to my challenges with limited practice time during the week with three young kids at home. He is patient with me even when I feel impatient with myself, and is good at reminding me why I love piano. I leave each lesson feeling encouraged and grateful to be his student. read more

My daughter (age9) has been Paul Burd's student for three years. She has made tremendous progress under his instruction, often impressing friends and family with her playing. Mr.Burd is a fantastic musician who demands and expects his students to excel. He never talks down to her and always presses her to improve. He has a keen eye for details and playing techniques, which I believe makes all the difference in her ability and playing. As a piano students as a child, I've been surprised to find out just how much my teacher did not know! Mr. Burd is also a consummate professional; always on time and always willing to accommodate busy schedules. His dedication to music and developing musicians is impressive and is to be commended. I would highly recommend Mr. Burd for piano lessons. read more

As a child I was taking piano lessons for about two years and then I quit. After many years I got a strong desire to be able to play piano and to be able to express myself through the music. I started looking for a piano teacher. My friends recommended their piano teacher Paul Burd. I was impressed by the progress their children have made, and decided to start piano lessons with Paul. In the beginning it was hard for me and only patience and understanding of Paul stopped me from quitting again. I love his simple approach which makes difficult concepts easy to understand and I wish I had Paul as my teacher when I was young. I think that Paul is a great teacher and I really enjoy each of my lessons. read more

A year ago my daughter Jessica started lessons with Paul and she has made terrific progress. Paul uses his own methods of teaching that he created through years of experience as a musician, band performer and composer to introduce his students not only to proper techniques, reading sheet music, ear training exercises and rhythm, different styles of music, but above all, he teaches his students to love and enjoy music, and express themselves through the music they play. This is what makes him unique as a teacher. Jessica really enjoys her lessons with Paul! I am happy to recommend Paul because I know that he is a successful teacher who is committed to sharing his love of music with his students. read more

My eight year old daughter has been taking piano lessons from Mr. Burd for a little over a year. She was a beginning music student at the start. However, she quickly learned to read music, recognize notes, and understand the importance of hand position under his guidance. She learned strategies to breakdown new pieces of music to learn them most efficiently. As for her playing, his emphasis on dynamics really prevails and her playing sounds so much more developed than that of a novice. In her words, "Mr. Burd is a nice piano teacher and whenever I don't understand something, he explains it to me." I highly recommend The Music Lessons Studio for piano lessons for kids and adults. read more

My two children have been taking piano lessons with Paul Burd for the past two years. He's a wonderful teacher with a great personality. His method of teaching is simple and fun which makes learning music interesting and enjoyable. My children made noticeable progress and Paul teaches them not only to play the piano, but to love and appreciate music. Paul found the way to inspire them to practice and they really love their lessons with Paul. Besides the classical repertoire, they've learned chords and now they're learning how to improvise. They're so excited about it. We're so pleased with Paul's lessons and highly recommend him to all who want to learn to play piano. Gail O. read more

Paul Burd is one of the most professional piano instructors we have ever met. My daughter graduated to his level a little over a year ago(end of 2023) and we couldn't be happier with his detailed teaching and dedication. The piano lessons are 1 full hour on Zoom and my daughter is very pleased with his attention to her strong and weak points and helps her to adjust accordingly with his tips and techniques. He has quite an ear for the piano, is always on time, gives extra time and always motivates my daughter to do more. If you are looking for a piano teacher that knows his subject matter, we can highly recommend Paul Burd. read more

My son has been taking piano lessons from Mr. Burd for over a year and a half. As a piano teacher, he is very accommodating, choosing pieces that fit my son's interest. I have seen growth in my son's abilty to play while demonstrating proper technique. Mr. Burd encourages parents to be present during piano lessons, giving them the opportunity to observe his teaching strategies. I am pleased with the progress my son has made. I would recommend The Music Lessons Studio to anyone looking for a piano teacher who is passionate about his art and has the desire to share his skills and experience with others. read more

My son has been studying piano for more than five years, and among all the piano teachers we have encountered, Mr. Paul is the most strict, responsible, and professionally skilled teacher. After studying with him for just a few months, I could clearly see significant progress in my son--not only in his piano technique, but also in his posture and overall musical understanding. His improvement has been remarkable. We are truly grateful for Mr. Paul's dedicated teaching, and we feel very fortunate to have met such an outstanding piano teacher. read more