My 9-year-old son has been on and off with piano since he was six. He never disliked it, but he never felt excited about it--until we found Dhiren. Now, even though practice can still be a challenge, he looks forward to his lessons every single week. That alone is already a big win for any parent. What makes Dhiren stand out is that his teaching truly matches the name of his studio--Innovation Music Studio. Most children's piano lessons follow a traditional classical model: read notes, play what's on the page, master one piece at a time, stick strictly to curriculum. There's almost no ear training, no exposure to modern or global music styles, and little room for a child's natural creativity. Dhiren completely reimagines what music education can be. Yes, he builds all the classical foundations--reading music, learning scales, proper posture, technique. But he takes it far beyond that. He introduces kids to music they instantly connect with: The Beatles, African rhythms, jazz standards, melodies from around the world. And he invites them to experiment, improvise, and create, right from the start. One of the biggest differences is his focus on ear training. There's a running joke about classically trained pianists: ask them to play "Happy Birthday" and they'll say, "Sorry, I don't have the sheet music." With Dhiren's students, that never happens. My son learned most of his Christmas songs simply by listening and figuring them out on the keyboard--something he'd never been taught to do before. This taps into the way music is actually experienced and created in the real world today. There is a huge gap between the way traditional piano is taught and what many parents actually hope music will give their children. Most of us don't need our kids to become the next Yo-Yo Ma. We want them to strengthen their brains, develop a love for music, and--most importantly--gain an artistic language to express themselves. Dhiren's approach gives them that from day one. He nurtures the pure, unfiltered creativity kids naturally have, instead of waiting years for it to show up. As someone who grew up with strict classical training myself, I can see the difference clearly. I started piano at six, quit at twelve from lack of interest, and only discovered the joy of jazz at forty-two. Jazz felt like a whole new world--freeing and expressive in a way classical training never allowed. Watching my son experience that sense of freedom now, at nine years old, is incredibly meaningful. Dhiren is uniquely qualified to shape this kind of music education. He's classically trained, a skilled jazz pianist, and holds a PhD in Ethnomusicology, which means he deeply understands global musical traditions and cultures. This gives him a rare ability to connect kids with music from many worlds--not just what's printed in a method book. You can also feel his dedication. I often sit in the next room during lessons and end up not reading my book at all because I'm too absorbed in watching him teach. I learn so much just by listening in. If you want your child to receive first-class music education--the kind that nurtures creativity, builds strong musical foundations, and plants a seed that will grow for a lifetime--you HAVE to start with Dhiren. I recommend him wholeheartedly. read more

Dhiren is a true master of his craft. He's extremely well versed in not only piano and music theory but he also knows how to make sure his students practice with correct technique and develop good habits so they can enjoy playing piano without risk of injury. He explains concepts so that they are easily understood by students of all age ranges, which isn't something you usually find in a teacher who can play at such an advanced level. I would recommend Innovation Music Studio to anyone interested in taking fun, effective and impactful piano lessons. read more

My daughter has been a piano student of both Danielle and Dhiren for the past 9 years. With Dhiren and Danielle's guidance , my daughter has been given the ability to join multiple bands, including marching, concert, jazz, and drumline, enriching her elementary, middle school and now high school experiences. My daughter is currently a student of Dhiren. He has allowed her to grow and has adapted to her needs and wants in her musical journey while always guiding her to achieve the best of her abilities and challenging her to go beyond her abilities. I highly recommend Dhiren and Danielle of Innovation Music Studio for you and your child for an unparalleled music education. read more

I've taken piano lessons with Dhiren for almost 2 years and I highly recommend him. I came to him as a complete beginner wanting to learn jazz piano and he was able to get me playing very fast. I've gotten more out of the lessons that I ever expected and Dhiren has been great with teaching me about music theory, music history, practicing efficiently, performance tips, and making difficult concepts easy to understand. As a business, they've always been great with flexibility. I've had a mix of both in person lessons and Zoom lessons. They have an overhead camera setup for Zoom lessons, so there's no loss of quality in lessons if you decide to take lessons remotely. I've also never had problems with rescheduling lessons as long as they were notified ahead of time. Overall, the lessons are well worth it for piano players of all levels, the instructors are kind, and the instructors can be trusted with helping you to meet your goals. read more

I started voice lessons with Danielle in April 2023 and only 4 months later, have felt an incredible change and difference in my singing ability. Danielle is one of the best teachers I've met. She personalizes all our lessons to me, my learning style, my voice and what I most need help with. She never, ever makes me feel ashamed despite me feeling extremely self conscious when I first started. She's encouraging, nurturing and so optimistic! I've been with 4 other singing teachers before and none have made an impact in my singing the way that Danielle has. She takes a healthy and holistic approach to her methods. We start class with warm ups and troubleshooting/learning how to produce the best sound. Sometimes we get into theory and understanding what happens inside our mouths/throats to get a deeper understanding of what's happening. But doesn't stay there because too much theory can also be overwhelming! Sometimes we analyze other performers, which has helped me develop better listening and a sense for being able to point out certain techniques. And then we focus on a song which we work on for a few weeks. Danielle will teach on the vocal technique; the art, emotion and story behind the lyrics and music; and performance technique. We have done many music theater songs, Disney songs and pop songs. All have specific different techniques to them, which Danielle teaches. Someone left a comment many years ago with notes on price and chatting during the lesson. Frankly, I felt the same way at the beginning but I have experienced huge shifts in every single lesson that I now feel the price is well worth it and I wouldn't want to go with another teacher. It's not about how much we get done in our time together, but the quality of learning that occurs. And sometimes, cramming too much can make your stop receiving the knowledge- which Danielle is always very sensitive to. She can sense when I start to feel frustrated with myself and guide us back to having fun and enjoying singing again. As far as tangible outcomes, I feel I can sing with more confidence now (no more sweating in the pits!) I can understand vocal technique vocabulary. I sing with more charisma - whereas I used to be afraid of my own voice being heard. I can sing pieces I never thought I could or literally couldn't before. My head voice is getting stronger. My throat used to feel tired after singing a 3 minute song but after every 50 minute lesson with Danielle, my throat feels great. And I am loving my journey with music. I've recommended Danielle to several of my friends now. She is an amazing teacher. You'll be lucky to learn with her! read more

I have been taking piano lessons with Dhiren for one year, and it has been a wonderful experience. I had taken piano lessons years prior, but it never clicked, and I was hoping for a different approach this time. I can only speak to being an adult student, but from what I see from his younger students, they enjoy their lessons with Dhiren. How could they not? He is open, flexible, knowledgeable, super smart, and loves music. As an adult, I have had fascinating discussions with Dhiren about practicing, theory, and composers. His approach is so personal to my needs, and I am making progress and enjoying the process immensely. Plus he has two cats :) I am also a choral singer but had not sung in years (Covid restrictions), and my voice was rusty. I wanted to audition for a local choral group and took two singing lessons with Danielle. What a joy she is! She understood my nervousness and hesitation, and put me at ease. She is an excellent voice teacher and makes it stress free. After two lessons I auditioned and made the choral group! Now I'm singing again and feel a large part of my identity has returned. Thank you so much Danielle! read more

Danielle is an excellent voice coach who really cares about her students. 2023 marks my fourth year of lessons with her and the experience I've had has been nothing short of fabulous. She is incredibly skilled, knowledgeable, and makes sure to help students develop all areas of the voice with effective, health focused technique. Classes are challenging but also always fun, and she is always supportive of students' goals. What I appreciate about Danielle is her honesty. She always keeps it real and gives honest feedback, which might seem intimidating, but is absolutely necessary for growth and improvement. There's at least one performance opportunity a year and she really goes all out for the students. In 2020 due to the pandemic, I think she put on 4 or 5 virtual shows for the sake of the students and their families, which really goes to show her dedication as an instructor. When I started lessons back in 2020, I knew very little about the voice and how it really worked. Now I'm able to sing songs that I didn't think would be possible. I'm forever grateful for Danielle's guidance and look forward to continued lessons with her! read more

My son have been learning piano with Danielle and Dhiren for almost a year now and he loves these them. We switched to Danielle from a different music center because I wanted to find a teacher who is more enthusiastic and can make piano leaning a little more interesting. I'm very happy that I took my boy to Danielle and Dhiren!! They make the piano lessons fun and more involving. They are passionate and full of energy. My son is always excited about going to his piano lessons now! I highly recommend Danielle and Dhiren! read more

Danielle is the best! My two kids (7 & 14) have been going to her for both piano and voice for over four years and I can't recommend her enough! She's great and keeping them engaged and on task. We had started in person but then shifted to zoom during the pandemic and we've kept going on zoom classes because of how good their set up is. Here partner Dhiren has thought them a few intensive lessons and music theory too which have been great. read more

We've known Ms. Danielle for 2.5 years and she has been an absolute pleasure to work with. One of my daughters started taking piano lessons during Covid when she was 5 years old and included voice a few months ago. My youngest just started piano with Ms. Danielle earlier this year. Danielle is always professional, informative and fun. It has been an absolute joy watching my kids develop a love for music with her as their teacher. read more

Best investment ever! My daughter Liana has been coming to Danielle for voice lessons for 5 years and in those 5 years she has grown so much vocally. With Danielle's help, Liana auditioned and was accepted to the Los Angeles County High School of Arts (LACHSA). Thank you for all your guidance read more

Danielle is a wonderful voice teacher! Danielle is very patient and knowledgable, and not only uses vocal exercises and analogies to teach, but she also discusses the science of singing. After taking lessons for only a few months, I have noticed a HUGE improvement in my ability to stay on tune and hit high notes all while singing in a way that is healthy for my voice. I am very excited to see how working with Danielle will continue to shape and strengthen my abilities as a singer! read more

My review is long overdue! My daughter has been taking piano lessons from Danielle for over a year now. I am incredibly impressed with Danielle's professionalism as well as her approach to teaching piano. I myself took piano lessons for many years growing up and never did I have a teacher as wonderful or as engaging. My daughter looks forward to her lessons, the sticker chart, and the fun prize box after completing her assignments. In fact, my daughter is so motivated that often she will advance to the next song without it being assigned. I wish this could be the same for all of her schoolwork! Ha! Danielle is a professional opera singer with a masters in music. When she sees one approach is not working, she modifies it so that my daughter can grasp the methodology and theory. In fact, she even helped my daughter prepare for her singing role in last year's school's play. I don't know that I could have found a better teacher for my child. I am thrilled. read more

Danielle is such a wonderful teacher. I had wanted to take vocal lessons for a long time but was always too shy. When I found out about her through yelp/her website, I decided to take a chance and I'm very happy that I did. She is kind, knowledgeable and patient. If I dont understand certain techniques or theories she always finds a way to explain it so that I do understand. She has taught me so much, from how I should practice daily, to how I should take care of my voice. At first I thought I'd never get better, but after taking lessons for more than a year I can hear the huge improvement in my singing abilities. My voice is stronger and I have better control. With every lesson, she helps me gain more confindence and I have a better knowledge of what kind of genre suits my voice the best. I definitely recommend you take lessons with her! read more

My daughter (4 years old) has been taking piano lessons w Ms Danielle for 6 months. Ms Danielle is experienced, patient, encouraging and makes learning piano a fun experience for little kids. She is no pushover. She will teach kids manner and respect in her studio, which I do appreciate! She has studio policies and expects kids and parents to follow; I think it's fair, reasonable and necessary for any business. Her pricing is definitely fair in the greater Pasadena area. The one-on-one attention you get is no comparison to a group lesson. She is a great communicator! There has been a couple of times where my daughter would struggle a bit to understand certain concepts, and Ms Danielle would patiently try a couple of different ways to explain or demonstrate till my daughter gets it. Explaining music in layman terms to a toddler is no easy task, and Ms Danielle masters it! My daughter's lesson is 30 mins each week. She definitely tries to get the best and most out of it. Sometimes my daughter would chat with her about random topics, and Ms Danielle will politely reply and skillfully redirects the subject back to music/piano. Ms Danielle teaches at her house. There's a room designated as a studio, and the setup is cozy and lovely. I usually sit in the room w them during lessons, just so I know the progress and can help w the practice at home. I've seen parents wait in the living room area as well. We are really happy to have found Ms Danielle as the piano teacher for my daughter! We hope to continue the musical journey w her for many years to come! read more

I cannot recommend Danielle enough! My oldest daughter took her very first piano lessons with Danielle at age 6 and she is now a phenomenal piano player at the age of 8.5. We ended up having to move and Danielle is not able to be our teacher anymore, and I can honestly say that I almost didn't want to move because we would be leaving her!! :-) She is so kind and patient and really instilled the love of piano and music into my daughter, which has trickled down to my younger daughter! She is now playing as well, and I could not be prouder as a mom. Danielle just has such a wonderful personality and she truly cares about her students; it's clearly not just a 'job.' She is very organized, punctual, and professional which is super important to me. I loved that she held recitals because that helped build confidence in my daughter, who is a bit shy when it comes to 'performing.' While we have a different teacher now because we moved away, I can say without a doubt that I would have Danielle back as a teacher in a heartbeat if I could. read more

What an incredible vocal coach and overall person! Danielle's technical and realistic teaching methods give me the tools to take my voice to the next level. I've taken lessons on and off with various instructors, but have stuck with Danielle because she's given me a solid foundation in proper vocal warm-up, debunking potentially harmful myths about how to sing and the confidence to keep pushing through new frontiers. I never leave a session feeling that I haven't learned something new to inspire/motivate myself when I'm practicing in between lessons. There's also something to be said for the high standards of professionalism and passion she has for the industry. Expect a high energy, intense lesson from a vocal coach who is very active in the field and knows what it takes to become a professional artist in this competitive market. Would recommend to anyone looking for a vocal coach. read more

My 5 year old son has been taking lessons with Danielle for 8 months. He had no experience prior. He has learned so much and truly enjoys playing piano. Danielle is super patient and really cares about her students. We love that she incorporates Music history by featuring well known artists in many genres of music. We would highly recommend Danielle! read more

Danielle is an incredible teacher and singer! She draws on her own experience and beautifully powerful and versatile voice to empower her students. She is very knowledgable about vocal technique and the voice as an instrument, and is excellent in explaining proper breath technique, vowel articulation, and tone. Danielle is also a very caring and understanding person: she works hard to understand her students' strengths, and goals, as well as help them grow as singers. Danielle helped me to be 'in my body' as a singer, and had me do breathing exercises lying on the floor and against the piano in order to understand what it feels like to breathe properly. She also demonstrated her own technique, which produces an astonishingly beautiful sound. I have had teachers in the past that have attempted to explain concepts of breath with abstract metaphors, but Danielle described things to me in ways that helped me understand what was going on inside my body and connect to my breath and voice. Danielle is also great at choosing repertoire and assigning her students specific goals. She has helped me apply techniques of operatic and Bel Canto singing to other genres of music that I sing. I highly recommend Danielle as a teacher! read more

Although my daughter enjoyed voice /piano lessons with Danielle, I've had concerns about professionalism. Within months of starting lessons, we were informed of lesson prices increasing. This might be just coincidental timing. New policies also came out limiting when /how students can make up missed lessons but the policies seem to often the studio but not the student/family. Most recently, we were informed that Danielle needed to change my daughter's established lesson time...the day before her scheduled lesson! Not much warning. I told her we couldn't accommodate that change and instead of continuing her already established lesson time, we were told she would "hold" our next month's tuition until we could find a time that works for both of us. I asked for a refund instead since she was the one who suddenly needed a change in time. Haven't heard back yet but hope we can come to a reasonable agreement. Another concern is the amount of chatting done during lesson times. I am guessing she's trying to make the lessons fun but my daughter is in middle school and I'd like to get the most out of these lesson as they are PRICEY for us! Sometimes the lessons will start late because Danielle is running behind but she will still end the lessons on time. Doesn't seem quite fair. Anyhow, will update when available. read more

Danielle was amazing in helping my 11 yr. old daughter prepare for her musical audition. She set realistic goals for the outcome, but far exceeded our expectations. She is very nurturing in her teaching process and also has a sense of humor that made my daughter feel comfortable right away. We will continue lessons after the summer for sure, I can't recommend her enough! read more

I am the mother of two boys. My husband and I decided we wanted to enroll our boys in music lessons last year. Danielle was extremely accommodating and agreed to teach one of our boys guitar even though that is not something she is advertising and we are extremely appreciative. Being that both our boys are involved in sports she is beyond flexible and always works with our crazy hectic schedules. She is professional, patient (which she needs with one of my boys lol), and an absolute joy to be around. I feel very blessed that my boys are able to learn from such a pristine teacher and I hold her at a very high regard and would recommend her to anyone. read more

What a difference 4 months could make! Danielle worked very well with my 11 year old daughter. My daughter already had a passion for singing and music, but Danielle taught her how to bring it out. I love how she explains everything like tongue placement, vocal chords, breathe and much more. At first my daughter was reluctant because of some of silly exercises she had to do, but realized what a great improvement they were making in her singing abilities. We had to stop lessons temporarily due to time constraints on a busy girl's life, but we'll be back for more. "Thank you Danielle"! read more

As someone who has taken vocal lessons before from multiple people, I must say, Danielle is by far one of the best teachers I have studied under. With real classical/professional exercises and creative approaches to getting around learning blocks, my peers and myself noticed a drastic improvement in my voice after about a month of study. The rates are also a steal considering the teaching you are getting. Danielle has a very warm, positive personality that really helps in the learning environment, especially for something as sensitive as voice. If I didn't live so far away I would still be taking lessons. If you are a male singer wanting to start singing/improve your technique, look no further :) read more

My daughter has been taking combo voice/piano lessons with Danielle for a little over a year now, and it has been an absolute pleasure for both my daughter and myself. Danielle is very passionate about her work and it shows in her techniques, dedication, and patience with her students. She definitely creates a fun environment for her students but always maintains a professional demeanor as well as a structured agenda. The seasonal recitals that Danielle organizes are amazing! A lot of thought and preparation go into these events, and it is of great benefit to her students as it exposes them to art of performance as well. Over all I would highly recommend Danielle's services! read more

I love Danielle. She's always upbeat, patient, kind and makes piano lessons fun for my son. Kyle was 6 yo when he started with her in September 2014 and now he practice on his own without me nagging. I love the fact that she motivates the kids with stickers and prizes. I wish my piano teacher did that when I was a kid!!! :) I am forever grateful for Danielle in teaching Kyle how to play and read music!!! read more

Danielle is such a caring and amazing teacher. You can really see how much passion she has for teaching and singing. Learning from someone who has such talent and patience is such an incredible opportunity. She tries to understand what goals and expectations you have and from there she plans her lessons with you accordingly. Her ability to explain one concept in a few different ways really helps; she does her best to adapt her teaching style to the student. She also creates a comfortable and safe environment to allow students to build their confidence and encourages students to step out of their comfort zones to grow. I have been taking vocal lessons from Danielle for a few months now and she has definitely helped me bring my voice out. If you're looking for a vocal coach, I would recommend going to Danielle. read more

I can't thank Danielle enough for instilling in my kids a love of music. It is truly something that will be in their lives for a lifetime. I think if you have one lesson, you will fall in love with her. I have already referred two friends to her and they said the same thing. She is just a very special teacher and I really appreciate her. I appreciated her personality, talent, education, and organization. I really felt like she tailored the lessons to my children's personality. She was there for us whenever we had questions about technique, performing at talent shows, Certificate of Music, buying a new piano, etc. Ultimately, I feel like sh e really cared about me and my kids and I truly appreciate that. Her vocal talents really add to the piano lessons and I think both my kids have perfect pitch because when she taught them scales she would sing them as well as play them. She would sing with them all the time. Her voice is amazing. I really wish we could have done vocal lessons with her as well, but we didn't have the money to do both. Danielle really stressed with them the fact that piano will help them with whatever instruments they want to try in the future. They want to try violin and guitar as well. Thinking back to the beginning when practicing was not my daughter's favorite thing and note reading was a challenge for her, I am so glad that Danielle was there to guide her and help motivate her. Danielle really motivated my daughter to keep going and now, she has played for four years and wants to continue forever. Both kids want to start bands and my daughter wants to teach piano as well someday. She teaches her friend and her younger brother right now just for fun. My kids and I have learned so much from Danielle! My daughter and son gained so much confidence from performing in her recitals! Now they are bugging me, because they want to perform at the local farmers market. Thanks Danielle! read more

My 11 year-old daughter has been taking voice lessons with Miss Danielle for close to a year and recently added piano lessons. Miss Danielle's style is both highly professional and nurturing. My daughter feels very comfortable in her home (where the lessons are held), and I enjoy sitting in the living room where I can hear the instruction and relax a bit. My daughter participated in her first recital this winter and had a wonderful experience. Miss Danielle works very hard with her students and makes sure that they all shine during the recital. She has a nice balance of high expectations for her students while still keeping lessons enjoyable. I am so happy that we found Miss Danielle who is able to share her gifts and talents with her students. I recommend her highly. read more

Danielle is very nice and patient. I have no knowledge about how to sing before I took her class. And now I feel much better and more confident about singing. Then she taught me not only in theory but also in practice. I like her way of teaching and enjoy the class all the time. As a guy being able to sing as tenor or trying to approach that range, Danielle has helped me to enlarge my vocal range. And we are also working on different songs besides vocal techniques. So the class won't be merely about singing vowels and also practicing some interesting songs. read more

I really enjoyed taking a voice lesson from her. She is very encouraging, patient, intelligent and sweet. I am a M.M student in choral conducting and I needed to prepare two songs for the video screening for my music workshop. I haven't sung for a while and I needed urgent help! Danielle helped me with this short-term project and the result came out great! She is very easy to work with and flexible too. read more

I have had a lot of different piano teachers throughout my childhood, and without a doubt Danielle has been the most advantageous for my musical abilities. Danielle presents music theory in a way that makes sense to the average beginner. She not only focuses on theory, she also is intentional about incorporating other aspects of music. Danielle incorporates music that the student enjoys and is sincere about wanting her students to learn in a way that works for them individually. Danielle is also just an all around great educator, she is a very credible source and is intentional about her style of teaching. She is encouraging, and her passion for music is contagious. Danielle doesn't teach in such a way that one feels it is her "job", rather it is very evident in her teaching that she genuinely aspires for her students to succeed. Danielle is also attentive to her students strengths and weaknesses and adjusts accordingly. I would highly recommend Danielle for any type of musical lesson :) read more