Santa Paula Music Lessons

Jan is a fun and dynamic instructor whose patience and attention to the needs of her students has been instrumental in helping my daughter enjoy and thrive in her voice and piano lessons. While some instructors, in our experience, have been excellent musicians but poor teachers, Jan's style and flexibility make her an ideal person for passing on her knowledge to students, so that they in turn develop their own musical talents and shine. Many thanks, Jan, for your gifts!

What I love about Jan is she tells it how it is and is always looking out for her students. I just started with her and she has already reached out to help my dream become a reality. Looking forward to continue working with her and excited to see what's in store for the future.

Jan is very patient and knows what I need, not to mention funny and very pleasant. I am looking forward to the next session.

As a teacher of music (violin, voice, and choral) and a Classical singer, and colleague of Brent, I think the most important aspect of teaching is to take a personal approach with each student to see what "fits." Every student learns differently, and Brent recognizes that. He puts a tremendous amount of thought and creativity into the development of his students. Too many teachers today have a "cookie cutter" approach to teaching, and in my own experience, this turns students away from working on music later in their lives. Brent has the opposite approach, he is committed to developing the skills and love for Classical music simultaneously in the student, which has a more long-lasting affect on their schoolwork, concentration, character, and social life.

He is a very dedicated classic artist that is very knowledgeable in his profession. I strongly recommend that everyone work with him.

Without reservation, recommend Brent as an enthusiastic and thoughtful instructor-mentor to those seeking to actually enjoy the experience of mastering music and piano in particular.
As an observer, I'm impressed with Brent's teaching method, and ability to rekindle in young adults the interest and enthusiasm they may have experienced in former times for playing music at the piano.
As a sensitive and proficient accompanist, Brent works patiently and conscientiously with the singer; putting one at ease, even performing the most challenging works of classical composers.

Mauricio is patient and works at your pace. Makes learning easier and enjoyable. Great at what he does

He is excellent!!

He is a great teacher! I will keep on taking more lessons with him. I highly recommend him.

Scott is very knowledgeable and experienced in classic rock. I was impressed by his willingness to let me lead and explain what I wanted to learn, without much technical music theory. I highly recommend Scott to anyone.

Scott is a great guitar teacher. Willing to work with my work schedule. Very patient and flexible in teaching methods and focuses on what I want to learn and not his own agenda. Just about the best guitar instructor I've ever had!

Scott is a great guitar instructor. Patient, relaxed and very encouraging. He makes learning guitar a wonderful experience for my 10 year old.

Great first lesson!

Bethany is a wonderful instructor! She is consistently caring and insightful, and has appropriately high expectations--which push her students to improve. She was able to help me wisely choose music that would be both challenging and rewarding. I highly recommend her, and I had a great experience taking lessons from her.

I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Bethany over the years and can't recommend her enough for lessons. She is professional, efficient, and a wonderful musician. She has a unique musical insight and intuition that shows in her performances. Bethany has always been incredible at explaining ideas in both a constructive and clear manner. She is a wonderful, patient, kind teacher, and has inspired many, including myself with her playing and discipline in honing her craft.

I wanted to improve my piano skills (I'm an actor- it comes in handy). So far, I've had about ten lessons with Marshall at his studio in Topanga, and I'm already so much more confident. We started out reviewing what I knew- scales, arpeggios, etc, and now we are on to full pieces (Chopin, Mozart) and sight-reading skills. Marshall is AWESOME and has a great sense of humor. Super happy to have found him.

Marshall is such a delight! My ten-year-old son has been studying cello with Marshall for the last year and has no plans of stopping. I couldn't be happier with this find. Marshall is very nurturing but also sets clear strong goals, and my son now has a much more effective at-home practice strategy. Marshall's studio is also wonderful for me- it has an outdoor garden where I can sit and read or do work during my son's lesson.

David is so wonderful. I took lessons with him when I was a teen, and he was so kind and helpful (he still is of course lol). I learned so much that I still use today! The songs we learned were my audition pieces in college. He picked songs that really spoke to me in many different ways, giving me a range to work with. I miss our time working together, but I hope others will get the opportunity to learn with such a fantastic teacher!

Extremely helpful. David showed me some exercises in preparation for my vocal performance in the studio. As a result, my singing has become more and more effortless and I can now continue to sing for much longer periods of time without doing damage to my voice. Awesome experience.

Deanna is a wonderful, passionate instructor who radiates positivity. I have only been working with her for 2 months but I can tell my confidence with singing (and life, too) has increased, more so than with 3 years of classical training with a different teacher. I am finally able to get the help I need with the genre I want to sing in. She is an inspiration, and she definitely pushes you to go a little farther. I am so grateful to have found her.

*Gasp*

Where do I begin?...

I am a musician of 15 years – with a background in composition, vocal performance, piano technic, percussion, production, etc. I have worked with several different vocal instructors throughout my lifetime. I have been a solo artist for 2 years at Pledge Empire Records while studying at McNally Smith College of Music for 2+ years before moving to Los Angeles, CA.

To say the least,
the day I started working with Deanna is the day I became a REAL musician.

Looking back at my previous experiences as a musician, pianist and especially a vocalist; I am disappointed that I didn't know Deanna sooner!

I've taken lessons from so many teachers over the years but Deanna was the only one that worked for me. She will tell you the truth, she will motivate you and guide you through it all. Being a performer for years, I have always struggled understanding my voice. Deanna explained the technicalities to me so I could understand what I was doing wrong.
She is simply wonderful! I can’t emphasize enough on how much she has helped me develop my skills in singing and as a musician. She’s not only a great teacher, but she is incredibly knowledgeable, talented and humble given the incredible accomplishments she has achieved in the past! Given her experiences, she does so much more than teach you vocal lessons; she shows interest in the type of musician YOU want to become so she can help you reach your own personal goals as an artist. I have never had a teacher (vocal, piano, percussion, etc.) that has ever executed that type of behavior. That alone makes her different from the rest.

What I love (and I mean LOVE) the most about Deanna is that she really listens. She can hear problems so well that her corrections help you get better quickly but also make it very clear for you. She is the most gifted vocal coach I have every had the pleasure working with. I have never met anyone who blends expertise, sensitivity, instinct, and compassion into her students as well as Deanna. It is safe to say, without a teacher like Deanna – I would’ve probably given up my singer career and headed back to my hometown in Minnesota.

Deanna is much more than a vocal teacher… She has been a motivation to me as a musician, such an amazing mentor and I am incredibly proud to say that I have a fantastic relationship with her.

She is flat out, the best vocal coach I’ve ever worked with!

Thank you for everything, Deanna!!

- Matthew

Very knowledgeable and inspiring

Anousha is awesome! She is very supporting and fun.

ENERGETIC, HAPPY, COMPETENT, POSITIVE

I absolutely recommend her for anyone who seeks musical education.
Anousha is a great musician. More importantly, she is a great teacher and communicates very well with my children. As a family, we are so lucky to have her at our home every week. Every time, She brings so much joy and fun to our home.

Thank you so much Anousha