I can't say enough good things about James Conroy at Burbank Piano Lessons. I have studied with him now for 2 years, and he has been an incredible teacher. I was a singer for a good part of my life, so I was familiar with sheet music but had never played an instrument (ok maybe a handful of piano lessons when I was 5). He started with some short, simple musical phrases to begin reading and understanding the various markings on the page and to practice fingering. He does it in such a way that I was able quickly move up to start playing full pages of fairly complicated pieces extremely quickly. I had always wanted to be able to just sit down and really play (beyond just heart and soul), and I was doing that within weeks of meeting James. As a guy who is 40 and starting so late, I didn't think that was actually possible. I had my piano tuned a few months into playing, and the tuner, who was himself a wonderful piano player, remarked that the sheet music I had out was really complicated. He was impressed to hear I had only been playing a short time.
Of course, ultimately, I am the one who has to put in the work and really practice. But I have been so motivated and excited to do so. He makes it fun, and when you see results you just want to keep going and get better and better. After 2 years, I am now playing full, intricate pieces from Mozart to Danny Elfman. James wants his students to learn the fundamentals in order to then play whatever kind of music they like. He is also tremendously knowledgeable about the history of the various genres of classical music and is always able to put things in a historical context. He provides such a well-rounded education on this beautiful instrument. And he is extremely flexible on his schedule and has accommodated me every single time. He is easy to reach, and above all he is just a kind, grounded, fun guy. If you've been thinking about learning to play piano and are daunted by the thought, don't be. Call James. You will be very happy you did. read more