My daughter is learning piano and we think it's working great for us. Larysa is deeply passionate about music and cares that the student learns the piano the "right" way, paying attention to little things such as the right fingers, right pressure, right tempo, etc. She teaches so that her students can one day play the piano like a pro, not just for a hobby. Our daughter learnt more within 2 months with Larysa than 2 years with a previous teacher. She also had to unlearn some bad habits picked up from other teachers. Larysa is firm with students, and even more so with parents. Both need to follow rules. When in a lesson, eyes should be on the sheet music, fingers on the keyboard, and ears listening to her. Whereas it can take time to adjust to her communication style for both student and parents, know that underneath she is deeply caring for music and her student, and for those two alone. I highly recommend Larysa to anyone who is willing to focus on the learning aspect (and leave their ego behind). Ultimately, it is not about choosing a great teacher, it is about choosing the right teacher for a student's individual needs. read more

Ms. Larysa is an awesome teacher. My son has been with her for two years and has learned a lot - from basic notes to complicated pieces. Early on, Ms. Larysa also taught me which enabled me to teach my son. That was very nice of her. She is also very accommodating and flexible, but also demands discipline and practice which is good for my son. She made the transition from physical school to online school seamless and it was one of the main activities for my son during lockdown. When my daughter turns 3 next year, I will start her music lessons with Ms. Larysa. I highly recommend Ms. Larysa. read more

I have been an adult Russian Language student of Larysa's for the past 3 months and I am thrilled with the progress I am making. Russian speakers are highly complimentary of my pronunciation which is a direct reflection of Larysa's teaching style. While many of her music and language students are children, Larysa adapts her techniques to work very well with adults. She keeps our learning sessions engaging and relevant while laying the foundations of basics from which I can expand. She sets high expectations, praises when deserved, corrects without criticism, provides good encouragement. With Larysa's approach and teaching, I feel I have made more progress in 3 months on Russian than I did with German for 3 years in high school. I would recommend Larysa to anyone wanting to learn or improve their Russian read more

My 7 YO has been learning Piano online with Larysa for almost 8 months and has become pretty fluent already. Larysa is passionate about teaching and makes sure that the student pays attention, learns and progresses. Larysa is strict when needed and also appreciates and encourages regularly. read more

Ms. Larysa is the greatest piano teacher I have ever seen. My son started when he was 3-and-half-year-old. And just after four months, he was able to play pretty well (both hands) and read notes. Amazingly two months later, he was able to play in an ensemble with other students who have studied for about 2.5 years in Ms. Larysa's school, and my son has absolutely no problem with it. Honestly, I don't this my son is some type of genius. This is all because of Ms. Larysa's great teaching on every single technique and skill on the keyboard. Ms. Larysa is not only very patient, focused on the improvement of my son during each class, but also has very high expectations on my son's achievements after each class he took. Right now my son is working on the pieces from level 3 and playing Malaguana (The Matador) and The Entertainer. All of these were totally beyond my expectations. In the beginning, My son hesitated to go to his first class, but when he came, Ms. Larysa knew how to bring up interests and passions from such young child's and from the 2nd class he really couldn't wait to go Ms. Larysa's class each time, not only because my son can get a little reward from Ms. Larysa due to his good performance but also because he has the curiosity to explore and learn the piano world. I also have a great opportunity to learn the piano skills from Ms. Larysa during her class so that I can go back home to teach my son. She mentioned all the key points to me for coaching my son, so that I can monitor my son during his play at home. And this is really helpful to continuously develop my son's skill and keep his interests. I also want to mention Ms. Larysa's studio is bright and clean, has enough grand pianos for teaching and learning assemble rehearsal. For the new students like my son, Ms. Larysa also provides a keyboard to them for free before they purchase the right one at home. Of course, Ms. Larysa's suggestion on keyboard purchasing is also professional. Ms. Larysa's school also regularly organize the recitals for the students, and my son has already participated once 3 months after he joined the school. Very motivating because he knows his play is being appreciated by a lot of other people. We are very lucky to have Ms. Larysa as my son's first piano teacher, really appreciate Ms. Larysa's professionalism, kindness, and patience. read more

Great teacher and school who is extremely committed and can inculcate interest in young children mind and have long lasting impact. My son has been Larysa Yost's student since summer 2019. As parents we observed our son to have an interest in music and we did extensive research to figure out teaches which could be a good fit for him and landed with Larysa. Larysa is very dedicated and sincere and has a emphasizes on developing long term interest in Piano in her students. She is a hands on teachers and works through all the details. My son has made remarkable progress starting from zero in the last few months. What is more impressive is his interest in going to Piano classes and practicing that by himself at home. A lot of credit goes to Larysa partnership and her guidance. I am also impressed by Larysa commitment to my son and being flexible and patient while he is ramping up. She is able to see and work with him on developing basics so that he can grow at the right pace. She also encourages him to participate in events even if he has a small part to play or reminds us to give him opportunities to play at school or family events. She has my son's best interest at all times so that he can truly love and embrace piano. She was also generous in loaning her portable piano when we went for a vacation so that my son could continue to practice. This just shows her desire to have a long term impact on her students and give more than 100%. Overall we are very happy to have my son be taught by her, We recommend any parents looking for a good and committed Piano teacher to strongly consider her. read more

Ms. Larysa is a good teacher with passion for music and teaching. She is very strict and builds a strong foundation of music but adjusts it based on the student's age and interests. Our son has been with her for a few months and he enjoys playing the piano and even practices it by himself at home. The best part of Ms.Larysas teaching is that parents are also taught for a short while, so that they can teach their little ones back home. She also encourages to record the lessons, which makes it easier to review at home. I highly recommend Ms.Larysa to kids/adults who are looking to learn to play the piano. read more

Great Music School!, my children have done so well with Larysa the teacher. She was so flexible with me registering for just a short time. While she taught my daughter, she also welcomed my son to observe for free and she has made my children look foward to piano lessons something that has not happened before with the previous teachers. Thank you Larysa! when the children come back from study abroad I will bring them back to Trio-School if you are still there. read more

Ms Larysa is a very good teacher. My son is beginning to enjoy his music lessons. She is very patient & understanding with children which makes me feel she knows exactly how to deal with each child according to his/her needs. Her knowledge and practical approach to music is what appeals to me the most. She has a unique style of teaching which truly benefits my son. Classes are normally a mix of theory and hands on (10% theory and 90% hands on) which I feel helps. Also her assertion on getting the fundamentals right before moving on to the more important stuff shows her commitment to my child's success. She also shows a lot of care and love to kids in general. Thank you Ms Larysa. read more

I am a software engineer by profession and I have a passion for music since my childhood. I have learned Indian classical vocal music (Hindustani classical and Carnatic music) for 3 years, 6 months of Guitar in India, 6 months of western vocal music at Guitar center, and finally completed about two and half months with Larysa in her Trio School Of Music today. I always wanted to learn piano, but somehow I did not get a chance to learn. Since I am currently on a long break, I, therefore, decided to pursue my passion, and luckily I found Larysa's Trio School Of Music on Google and after reading reviews, I decided to give it a try. The first lesson is a kind of test lesson (NOT Free) to test our music skills and to give an opportunity to see if we would like to move forward with her lessons. After my 1st lesson, I decided to enroll in her lessons. She was very much dedicated throughout my lessons with her. She tries to challenge her student with challenging pieces aimed to improve our music skills and always helps on the way so that we can master the pieces. She has a unique teaching style wherein she does not follow any particular book; instead, based on the student's caliber, picks up music from different sources and helps us to master it. She puts a lot of emphasis on not just playing music, but also to play it stylistically, with spirit and feelings, and not like a mechanical robot. She encourages her students to sing along with playing music using the music syllables - do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti which I can relate with Indian classical singing - sa-re-ga-ma-pa-dha-ni. It becomes much easier to remember music using these syllables instead of using raw music alphabets ABCDEG. She teaches on real grand piano and not on digital ones. Also, she offers her new students digital piano to practice at home for about 3 weeks, while they are in the process of buying their own one. Another good thing about her school that I greatly admire is that of music recitals every 3 months; It gives us an opportunity to not only perform in front of other students but also to learn from other students. Overall, I am very lucky and grateful to learn piano from her and I strongly recommend everyone irrespective of your prior experience with music to take music lessons from her. read more

I did not have a good experience with Larysa when I was trying to enroll my 3 year old son. She firstly confirmed a time slot with us, after which I processed to make necessary arrangements, then 16 hours later she sent me an email saying that she confirmed with another person who apparently was waiting for a week. She, then, sent another email stating that the first month would be just a trial because my son is hyperactive. She made that decision based on 15 mins trial lesson with him. Obviously he was distracted by all the stuff there was in that small room and he was curious to touch other things. Has anybody seen a 3 year old boy who is not active or curious? But okay fine. When I sent her email asking about how did that happen regarding the schedule because i thought I had already confirmed with her and besides new time (that she did not propose, but enforced) would not have worked for us because of his preschool hours, which I have mentioned to her before. She apparently didn't like my tone and refused to enroll my son at all! I think I had all the rights to raise a question regarding the schedule arraignments! Although I still sent her an email apologizing about miscommunication I wanted to let other parents know about her unpleasant attitude. read more

Larysa is a great teacher and my son loves learning piano with her. She is very passionate about music (you will realize it as soon as you enter her class where you will see 6 large pianos!) and ensures that her passion permeates to your child as well. My son has been going to her for last 3 months and has picked up complicated pieces like Dark Eyes. He loves music so much that he practices it at least 30 minutes every morning. I dont think it would have been possible with any other class or teacher. read more

My daughter has been learning piano from Larysa for the past few months and it's going well. Larysa is a great teacher and cares about teaching the right way. She pays attention to every detail like using the right fingers, counting the notes etc. She is strict and demands discipline and practice from the student. My daughter started learning piano during the pandemic and all her classes are online so far. I was skeptical about starting piano classes online, but Larysa gave us regular feedback to improve and I are very happy with the progress. read more

I took lessons with Larysa over a period of three months from January to April 2020. She takes students of all ages, from young children to adults as well. I would definitely recommend her as a teacher if you're looking to begin learning piano. Even as someone who has studied music for many years, I appreciated and grew from many exercises including singing melodies in solfege while playing as well as learning to accompany melodies based on the relevant chords. Having practiced music for a long time myself, I agree with her insistence on practicing slowly and with a metronome at all times. I also learned about how to play more expressively on the piano through the use of tempo changes, dynamics, and phrasing. Over the time I studied with Larysa, I was most struck by her dedication to her teaching. In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, she continued lessons with all of her students via Skype and even offered longer timeslots to make up for the virtual nature of the lessons. I was really impressed by her flexibility in moving online and by the effectiveness of the online lessons as well. She's really invested in her students and in cultivating a love of music in them. Larysa heavily encourages her students to play in a recital every three months to provide additional motivation and to get more experience performing. This also requires several weekly rehearsals leading up to the performance. Overall, I wasn't able to make the time and monetary commitment to continue studying piano, but if you're looking to learn to play, Larysa is a great place to start. read more

I have been taking piano and language lessons at Trio from Larysa Yost for the past couple of months. I originally started off just doing language lessons but Larysa's love for teaching piano eventually won me over and I started taking piano. I played for many years when I was a kid but I hadn't taken piano lessons in over 10 years. I was surprised to find that Larysa corrected many fundamental mistakes I was making in my playing and I am surely better off for it! Currently I am tackling Rachmaninoff which I never had the courage to try before. Classes are structured to allow for maximum learning. She encourages us to video record our classes which is good because she gives lots of feedback and corrections which need to be reviewed and digested later. I'm glad to be learning this Russian style of piano playing which I think would have served me better when I originally started playing. read more

Its always great and special , when the entire family sings in Unison , Play the keys, catches thre rythm. Teaches each other and practices together. At Trio school of Music under Larysa's individual guidance makes a unique Piano learning experience at the Bay area Her strong teaching experience makes the kid as well the Father and Mother to learn the fundamentals Parents learing along with the kids not only makes the parents to understand the limitations and possibilities of a kid ,but the limitations of themselves aswell If you want to learn Piano , or understand your kid , never miss it. read more

My daughter started learning piano with Ms. Larysa when she was 3 and a half year. We didn't listen to any friends of us who have kids playing piano that it will be too early to send Apple (our little one) to study Piano. Ms. Larysa has technique and keep motive the kid to study. So far it's almost a year that Apple been practicing with her. She can read notes, remember musics and create her own baby songs. Furthermore, with the practicing, it makes her study good in her class room with higher education level compare to other friends, reviewed by her head teacher. We join "mom and me" program that Ms.Larysa will teach both of us, this is very excellent program, as at home, we have fun together and it helps relieve stress from my work as well. Music is the art that support the science and enhance both motor skills and neuro systems. I have never think to stop taking Apple to the class, I even think that we will continue until Ms.Larysa won't teach us. read more

I consider it a fortunate discovery. I was looking for a place that would help me initiate my two year old daughter on Music. I have a profound respect for music and its effect on our emotions. And I wanted my daughter to start early in life and get exposed to the art of music to such a degree that it may trigger the genius in her. (I believe appreciation of music is quite necessary to bring forward one's natural strengths and build the ability to articulate oneself expressively.) Even the Neuroscientists have accepted to a certain degree that Music can stimulate human brain in such a way that it can trigger what is commonly known as the "Flow", which is found to be that essential component associated with Genius. So with this knowledge, I set out on the search of a school or more particularly an instructor who could inspire and invoke the passion in my daughter (and quite frankly in me too) to master the art of music. I found this website of trio-school and coincidentally met with Larysa the same day outside the Sunnyvale Public Library. I agreed to meet her (without letting her know that when I do meet her I would be fully equipped with my skepticism) and that there was no way I would let anyone influence my opinion by a glib talk. When I did meet Larysa at her school, along with my wife and daughter, she didn't ask me for my goals and ambitions and how I wanted my daughter to become a musician of the cadre of nothing less than Bach, Mozart or Tchaikovsky. What she did instead was sat on the bench, turned to her Piano and asked the three of us to repeat what she sang. And I must tell you, even though I pretended to be unimpressed by it, my skepticism had gone out the window (there are no windows, by the way, in her classroom, so please don't be surprised, it was a figure of speech). I must warn you that Larysa is no business person so she won't explain to you the terms of agreement with the patience of a Sales person trying to sell their product to you. She will ask you for the dues in a non-subtle and direct manner and she doesn't believe that since you are paying for the class so you can define the rules. She is very straightforward person and doesn't mince her words. And I respect that quality in her. I don't want to set a wrong expectations here Larysa has devoted more time on the classes (mind you, not merely the time proportional to her fee, but rather much more than that) to help me overcome some of my challenges. So, even though it may appear that she is very particular about certain things, you can take my word she will give you a lot more than you would have expected. She is one of those teachers that I searched for all my young life when I wanted to pick up a talent. I never found a teacher like her that could make you cross your boundaries without making you feel conscious of it. And not to mention she is an even better teacher for your kids because she has an ocean of patience with kids and their tantrums. I am still learning and I am confident that if a person like me who has a below average hand-eye coordination and less than 2 hours a week to practice can learn to play "Syncopated" pieces just because of the way Larysa teaches, then kids and adults that are dedicated can learn much more from her. In fact I would urge everyone to go take the introductory lesson (it's not free) but it is worth the dough you spend on it and definitely costs way less than your average family trip to P.F. Changs or Movie Theater. Good luck and hope this has helped you make up your mind. read more

My 5 year old has been going to Larysa for piano lessons for the last 5 months. I have seen him from knowing nothing to comfortably understanding music notes and playing music. Starting March, because of lockdown we have been taking lessons from Larysa on Skype, she has increased our class from 45 mins to 1 hr and it has been going on very smoothly. Larysa is very dedicated and really wants my son to learn and improve. I also have started understanding notes more as Larysa teaches me as well for some time so I can help my child with his practice. I would highly recommend Larysa for anyone taking piano lessons. read more

Larysa is a very good teacher. However, she does not know how to relate to other peoples' situations. When I told her that my daughter could not attend a rehearsal/recital because of a prior commitment, she proceeded to make ridiculous statements such as "I will have to cancel if she does not attend/participate". A few e-mails were sent back and forth with me trying to explain that we could not cancel the prior commitment, but she would not accept it. She even made comments directly to my daughter, trying to manipulate her into attending, knowing full well that she could not. This behavior is unacceptable. read more

Larysa has been a great music teacher for my 5-year-old. So happy to have found her and importantly very impressed by her unique approach towards teaching kids. Larysa insisted on teaching music to me along with my son, and this definitely made a difference as I could practice along with my kid at home and guide him. She also organizes regular recitals for students at local senior facilities, and that helps build confidence and also a sense to perfect what my son is learning. My son was very reluctant to learn music when we started. But, it seemed we had turned the corner last week when my son wanted to take his music book for share day at his school. I highly recommend Larysa!! read more

3 months ago, my daughter started learning piano from a different school where she stayed for whole summer but didn't learn much and barely can read notes. And the teacher quit in middle of session. So we have to looking for new teacher and we found Mrs Larysa. I felt so lucky we finally found a good teacher as apparently Mrs Larysa is professional, knowledgable and very experienced teaching beginner. With help of her, my daughter picked up about 8 music pieces in 3 months, and started reading the notes. Importantly she thinks piano is fun thing now. I wish we didn't waste time in previous school, had started right from Trio school few months ago. read more

Ms. Larysa is an awesome teacher. My 4 year old started taking classes from her few months ago and I am extremely happy to have her as his teacher. She is very patient with him and perfectly knows how to handle this aged kids. She is very strict when it comes to music and I feel it's important with young kids since they tend to loose focus easily. Also, she is very flexible in accommodating missed classes. She is very responsive for any help that we need like rescheduling class or even deciding which instrument to buy. I am absolutely grateful to Ma. Larysa and will definitely recommend joining her classes. read more

Trio School is a great music school. Ms Larysa is an excellent teacher who is patient with kids. My daughter (5 year) started learning piano from Ms Larysa 3 months back and she has learnt a great deal and developed a love for music. She already has performed in a recital. Ms Larysa is very knowledgeable and has years of experience in teaching piano. She is a very dedicated teacher and also expects a certain level of commitment from her students. My daughter looks forward to her piano classes. I would highly recommend this music school for kids/ adults who are interested in learning. read more

We are very happy with this school for our child who is 5 now. I am amazed at the rapid progress of my child under her tutelage in just a few months. Two thumbs up for Larysa! read more

I am not sure of why Yelp chose to hide my review but here it is again I chose Larysa Yost to teach my 6 yo daughter for several reason. I myself come from a Russian school of music where I finished formal violin education. I was very comfortable choosing Larisa after speaking with her about her style of teaching and expectations. She is a very dedicated teacher, who cares greatly about her student's success, at the same coin she expects that students dedicate time to learning at home. For that, she teaches parents in the last 15 minutes as well to understand how to be a good teachers to their children at home. Even having gone through a music school myself, I am still learning with every lesson new piano nuance. Within the past 6 month my daughter has not only been able to learn how to play basic songs using both hands and accords, but also started to learn music theory. Larysa is an excellent piano teacher. She is warm and caring. She teaches my daughter both in Russian(a preference of mine) as well as in English to assure that when there are performance concerts all children are on the same page. During the performance children as young as 3 years old were performing, which was amazing to see. Although some previous comment do mention her "hard personally", it is not hard, as much as it is a personality that desires excellence and striving for the best for the student. She is straight and direct and expresses her thoughts without "buttering" them. If for example, my daughter did not play the piece perfectly, she will mention and point an area that needs working on, and will not constantly praise, but only praise where praise is warranted. Which I personally appreciate as it teaches that hard work requires a level of understanding where mistakes were made and where corrections are needed, before a congratulations are offered. If you would like your child, or even as an adult, to learn from an amazing teacher who will make sure that you advance in classical piano, then Larisa will be a vital teacher. read more

I've been taking Piano lessons from Miss Larysa for a few months and am having a great time. I feel I've learnt a lot in a short time mainly because of her style of teaching. She pushes just enough to motivate you to practice hard and come back prepared for the next class. I've learnt different kind of pieces which challenge you in various ways. She is a perfectionist and trains you to become one. If you miss a class, Larysa insists on a make up turn, which is unheard of. The class is well equipped with 4 pianos of different kinds. Sometimes a couple of us play together on different pianos together. The location of the class is also very convenient. We had a recital recently and it was well organized. All of us had fun displaying our learnings. Larysa is my first piano teacher and I think I am lucky enough to have found the right one. read more

My youngest daughter has been taking piano lessons from Larysa for five months. Larysa's teaching has matched my daughter well and she has learned a lot, both in reading music, chords, technique and playing pieces. My daughter enjoys piano lessons and I am very pleased with her progress! I love that she does not just stick to a particular lesson book, but teaches chords and accompaniment from the very beginning with familiar songs. She also teaches notes in solfege (do re mi) and it has really helped my youngest learn to read music much faster than her siblings. At first I had a hard time adjusting to it, but it wasn't a problem for my little one! I highly recommend Larysa to anyone who wants to learn piano and loves music! read more

My son started learning classical music on the piano from Larysa Yost a couple of months back and it has been a wonderful experience. Larysa also teaches a parent alongside young kids (my son is 4.5) so that we can continue their progress at home. This is incredibly valuable and I do not know of any other place that is offering this. Larysa is an extremely accomplished pianist and is a delight to listen to. She has her own unique style and perfection. The pieces she chooses are very impressive/popular and she also includes method books and songs in her teaching. I found that some of the songs, notations and alterations she uses are not to be found anywhere and make learning easier and a lot more intuitive. Her emphasis on speed, skill and expression is spot on and within a few classes you begin to feel a passion for playing the piano. Larysa includes study of music theory in her classes, i.e sheet music, and she makes it absolutely easy for a beginner, even for very young kids (3-4 year olds) by using her uniquely compiled notes, use of flash-cards, magnetic boards and pantomimes. This again, is something that is going to stay with the student for a lifetime and is a must for anyone serious about learning classical music of any kind. Larysa is very energetic, and moves quickly while teaching new pieces and revising old ones. In no time, it is astonishing how much kids learn how to play. In my son's first recital, I was stunned to see how much kids had learned in just six months, spending just half hour with her per week. The students learn to master famous songs with ease and perfection and are also able to bring out expression, which is almost unbelievable. There are many music schools we visited in Bay area but none come close to Larysa's ability to teach. Larysa conducts four recitals every year and again this is something I have not seen in the Bay. Beneath the accomplished teacher that she is, there is a very warm and loving generous person who truly wants lasting happiness and success for the kids and their families that she teaches. Her lessons are full of stories, anecdotes and good values. My son loves her and we as parents love her traditional methods of teaching. We are very fortunate to be her students. read more

My son (5 yrs old) loves music and likes to play all musical instruments. But one of his earlier music teacher suggested for a formal training in Piano which will provide him with stronger base and understanding of rhythm and melody. So, we started with Larysa Yost in Trio School since last Sept. Larysa is a very good piano teacher. She has lots of patience to deal with younger kids and great ability to ensure that the kid stays focused and at the same time does not feel left out or over pressured. Her calmness, soft-spokenness and encouragements help kids to believe that they can play this instrument / piece of music. Actually, this has even helped me in being more patient with my son. The class is of 45 minutes duration of which half an hour is for the child and balance 15 minutes is for adult learning. Larysa allows recording video of the class which helps in better practice at home. My son has participated in 2 recitals and is very excited to be in the 3 rd one. He can play most of the nursery rhymes with accompaniment. read more

My daughter used to go to a Music school in Mountain View for her Piano classes but we could not see a lot of improvement after first few months at that school. We felt like the teacher was not challenging her enough. Although my daughter loved to play piano she did not feel challenged enough. We had to stop her classes for almost one year and then luckily we found Ms. Larysa. Ms. Larysa has been teaching our daughter for 2 months now and we have seen a lot of improvement in our daughter's piano skills. Ms. Larysa challenges her students to get the best out of them. Her techniques are very ingenious with lots of focus on making lessons alluring for kids based on their interest and skill level. As other reviewers have rightly mentioned there are regular recitals at various locations to help kids build up their confidence and help the community. read more

I came in as an advanced pianist looking for a place to practice over the summer. After a few weeks I decided to take lessons with Larysa and she has a lot to offer at the advanced level. Her love of Baroque, Classical and Russian music is infectious. After reading through the other reviews and seeing her encourage kids and beginners alike during an informal recital for her students to perform, I recommend her lessons for all music lovers at all levels. read more

Great piano teacher. Polite, knowledgeable and passionate about music and Piano and great to work with. Mrs Larysa knows exactly how to improve kid's skills and always get to the right point. I felt the way she was teaching will help the kids build up a solid foundations on music and piano. Definitely recommending. read more

How many times in life do you come across a teacher whose selfless pursuit for perfection and uninhibited passion for music influences an entire family to learn music? Don't be deceived by this unassuming soft spoken music teacher. Her furor for the instrument and art will inspire you to take on this art form Under Larysa's able tutorship my 3 year old son played for a group of elderly people in Sunnyvale. This was Pranav's first solo performance and the credit for making this happen goes to Larysa's unflinching pursuit for excellence and artistic mastery Her single minded resolve to ensure that her students learn music the right way clearly shines thru in her day to day communications. The attention to the nuanced details ( may it be musical notes, the posture or even the piano to buy) reinforces her devotion to this profession We are proud and honored to be a part of this community of upcoming young musicians. Ever since Pranav and Prabha( Yes my wife is now a student too) enrolled in Larysa's class, our quality of life has gone up several notches. We spend a lot of time sitting around the piano and enjoying the art form. They say that music has no barriers, may be I should enroll tooo........ Thank you Larysa for taking Pranav under your wings.. Sethu & Prabha http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NpnunHUSjI&feature=plcp read more

My daughter going to trigo school and she loves playing piano now. short time she is doing great thanks to ms Larysa

My daughter (6 yrs) started to learn Piano with Ms. Larysa about two months ago and so far we've enjoyed the experience. Ms. Larysa is a very good teacher. She is very patient with the kids and knows how to encourage them, by using a combination of praise/rewards and mild criticism. If you really want your kids to learn music and truly make progress (not just for fun), this is the place to go. read more

My daughter has just started taking lessons from Larysa. She is a very good teacher. She is strict and set clear expectations. I like her approach and attitude very much. She encourages and pushes my daughter to do her best, but does not over-praise nor being negative on her efforts and progress. Even Larysa pushes my daughter, she can still feel her love and caring and has gradually grown interests in playing piano. Her methods of using handbells, flashcards, sing-along, etc. are also very helpful to engage the students. And I also like her idea of engaging the whole family in learning music (e.g. she insisted me to pay attention and kinda learn along and take videos of my daughter, and one time when we brought the other daughter Larysa let her sing along). My daughter really enjoys learning piano from Larysa and is making progress. read more

Ms Larysa has been a wonderful teacher for my 3 and a 1/2 year old son and myself. She teaches music for all ages but is unique because we could not find a teacher who would teach small children. Her mom-and-me (or any parent) classes are a fantastic idea and it has helped me discover and enjoy piano music as an adult without any prior experience! Apart from the 45 min class, she communicates much more over e-mail. So, its value for money, through and through.. She emphasizes on overall quality of learning and not just in rote learning of the notes. read more

Larysa is an exceptional piano teacher with many years of teaching experience. Music always comes first and she tailors the lessons to match the style of music that the student enjoys playing. She is very good at understanding when to slow down but she is also persistent and pushes her students beyond their comfort levels to continue growing. Her school acts not only as a learning place but also a community that learns and attends recitals together. I would definitely recommend Larysa to anyone who's interested in piano lessons. read more

I've been Larysa Yost's student since 2006, when I was 29 years of age. In my childhood, I had learnt the violin for 10 years and had developed a very good ear for music. I was greatly interested in learning the piano and spent weeks researching for the best teacher on Craigslist and many other places. After having met many, some from Julliard and some of my friends' own teachers, I found Larysa to be the right choice. A sincere and dedicated teacher, she was professional, warm and friendly from our every first interaction and knew how to work with me at my own pace from the get-go. I saw immediately that she was not only excellent at teaching, but she was also the right GUIDE for someone like me. What I find most appealing, even to this day, is her powerful and effective teaching style. She believes in hand-on learning and gets students to play the piano right away with the pieces they'd enjoy the most - no wasting time on redundant theory and verbal lessons. In my case, she knew how to keep me going with the right choice of pieces. I got started on playing full songs within just 4-5 hours of working with her (NOTE: I had never played the piano before!). I made remarkable progress quickly and found a natural rhythm in learning. I applaud Larysa for her sense of quickly assessing a student's ability to learn and for guiding them to do exceptionally well. What I really like about Larysa is that she is committed 110% i.e. every interaction with her proved to me that she went above and beyond the call of duty to make the learning experience exhilarating. You know, sometimes, one just gets lost when trying to find one's individuality in music. If I wasn't ready or prepared or had not practiced a particular piece, she would still patiently work with me and would even teach me brand new pieces to help me get 'over the bump' in my learning path. Larysa is amazing in that way: she demonstrates that learning new things sometimes just unclutters the mind and releases creative energy. She offered to teach me Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata within a year of my study and made me believe, every step of the way, that I could make it. She always pushed me to do better, even with extremely difficult pieces by Rachmaninoff and Bach or with two-part (polyphonic) pieces by Handel. Those pieces, which were complicated in the beginning, have now become my favorite ones. During lessons, I never feel like I am being instructed or tutored. Instead, Larysa treats me like a family member and we share a great connection. I get the feeling of discovering great music together, given our mutual admiration for it. No matter how many times Larysa plays it herself or teaches it to her students, she distinguishes herself in the way she approaches each piece of music. Through her brilliance in teaching, she helped me realize that playing the piano is not about having quick fingers or knowing fancy pieces, but about expressing oneself creatively - through pictures, stories and art. I now cherish the aspect of 'living in the moment' while playing: this, in itself, has made every effort worthwhile and precious. I now play pieces that my pianist friends consider very difficult and do so pretty well. Larysa needed to travel outside the US for many months and, though she counseled me to find another teacher, I didn't find anyone who could work with me in the same manner and shared my deepest love for music. It was clear to me that such a bond between a teacher and student is unique and special and not easily replaceable. I was elated when she returned and welcomed me back to resume my music lessons. Though I had stopped learning music for a considerable amount of time when she was away, I could still easily play my favorite Russian songs and popular ancient waltzes by heart; she had given me the gift to enjoy the beauty of music in its truest form. Now that Larysa is back, I'm beginning to resume my lessons with her. Even the long drive from Marin County to the Peninsula seems a trifle to pay for the benefit of being her student. If you have ever thought about the beauty of playing the piano and are looking for somebody to help you find realize that passion, look no further! With more than 30 years of experience in teaching and with the most appealing way to make it worth your every while, Larysa is truly one of a kind and the best. read more