Take Classical Piano Lessons in Canada as Private Piano Lessons, page 1

My name is Inna.

I live in Toronto (Scarborough), Canada.

My first Piano Teacher was my mom who was always bringing students to our house. How she taught them to love music, and play the piano was beyond just "good". She truly inspired me to become a Piano Teacher myself!
Being a gifted girl, my mom decided that her knowledge wasn't enough any longer, so, she enrolled me to Music School for gifted children.

At the age of 15, I got into a Music College, and was allowed to work there as well as a Piano Accompanist.
From when I was 16 y.o., while being in college for 4 years, I started playing piano on a big stage, and entering the national competitions. It was a fabulous time! Lots of prizes were won, lots of fun playing music, and listening to other amazing performers. Time passed, I graduated with Honours and got my Bachelor's in Arts, Piano Performance and Piano Accompanying Degree.

After graduating the Music College, I felt that being only a concert Pianist and a Piano Accompanist wasn't satisfying anymore as I felt I could share my skills and knowledge with someone else. That's why I decided to enroll to a Pedagogical University which after studying there for 5 years, I graduated with Masters Cum Laude (the highest distinction) Degrees in Music Education and Music. This education gave me a broader knowledge and skills to teach not only Piano and Theory, but Voice as well.

I'm a Registered Teacher with the Royal Conservatory of Music, RCM Teacher #104903 , and I'm also a Certified Teacher with Ontario College of Teachers in Good standing, Registration Number: 636014.

Since that time, many years have passed... I raised thousands professional performers, and those who wanted to learn playing piano for themselves. Overall, my teaching experience is more than 30 years.
I started in Ukraine, my motherland, and continued here, in Canada. And let me tell you - all of my students were really as those bright SPARKS - they had sparks starting learning how to play the piano, they had the sparks doing recitals, exams, and competitions, and they still have those sparks towards me, their Teacher. That's why I named my school as SPARKS MUSIC ACADEMY!

Believe me, you won't ever regret having me as your Teacher :)
And in addition to being the TEACHER, I continue my work as a PIANO ACCOMPANIST and CONCERT PIANIST all around the city as I cannot live without your majesty, MUSIC!

As somebody who always wanted to run an actual music school instead of being stuck in basement purgatory, I am proud to say I have reached that dream – Flamingo Music was officially incorporated in April 2015, and September 8 we opened our doors. It was a long a very stressful few months to get us here, not too mention expensive and a steep learning curve. While there is still much to learn and everyday brings its own new challenges, there is still intense satisfaction in having come this far.

Our new location, at 811 Manning Rd NE, Calgary, AB, Canada is bright, clean, and still smells a bit of new paint. We share a commercial office building with Engineering, Construction, Outreach, & Consulting companies. Our building is in the middle of a diverse office park – a far cry from the commercial district of 17th Ave SE that Martin (the manager) and I had envisioned. We trade higher visibility and some freedom for 24 hour security and businesses with a professional image – the commercial district also unfortunately might just as well be the red light district. They tell me if you want to be successful, surround yourself with successful people – both as staff and as neighbours.

Going into this new venture there are many things I am grateful for, and many things I am glad were in place before I started. First, I am glad I spent 9 years doing the job before making a large leap. Why? Because it allowed me to be able to learn the job, learn strategies, build connections and a reputation with which to build upon. It let me learn some of the many lessons – some painful, some difficult, some entertaining, but all important, that I needed to learn, and still am. It also meant that I was able to put together a strong team that had a previous track record of working and performing together – I was able to elevate my senior students to instructors so they would have a work environment that would be challenging, supportive, fun, and teach more life skills than the typical after school job. I am grateful for the people who contributed to the school as an entity – donating old furniture and items, volunteering time and assistance to setup and unpack, those who have spread the word and referred new students, and the many parents who offer an encouraging word on the days when the school seems overwhelming.

On the flipside, there are many things that terrify me. The amount of money and finances my husband and I dumped into making the school a reality, the amount of time I put in without a paycheck (3 months so far), the uncertainty of sharing a building with others who may object to the kids or the sound levels, and most of all the fear that I may fail my own staff. Having watched Team Flamingo become a solid team of responsible teachers, it is hard not wonder if I push them too hard, if I don’t support them enough, or if I don’t do a good job “being the boss”. As well, I do not want the education and achievements of students to be diminished because I didn’t give adequate time or preparation due to the daily demands of running the show.

Many changes have happened too – bad economy, loss of some of our major supporters, some clients that did not want to migrate to a new place. None of these are factors within control, and the difficulty in remaining positive can be draining. Is it worth it?

Seeing the smiles of kids running through our door, seeing the spring in the steps of the team as they come and go, watching new friendships, partnerships, and collaborations come forth from the creative personalities. Seeing the parents all enjoying the waiting area where the topics range from classes they take, to jobs, to news in Canada or back in the home countries, to politics and world events, drives home a simple fact – Flamingo Music is not simply a school, not just a team of musicians, and not just a means to an end. Flamingo Music is a community, it is place, and it is our community and our place. People are welcomed from all walks of life, all ability levels, and together the community grows stronger. As such, Team Flamingo will be continue to be dedicated to creating a bigger community that always remains ready to accept another into the flock.

Looking back, when I started this post I was planning just a brief intro the fact that the studio had hatched a school and the change in location and operation. This post was not intended to be an unedited rambling, but quite possibly it needed to be. If you have read this far, thank you for taking time to stop by.

I am a piano teacher in Vancouver with over 15 years of teaching experience to students of all ages and levels. In addition, I am a registered piano teacher with the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), with an ARCT Piano Performance Diploma.
My lessons are tailored to each student’s specific goals, such as completing the RCM Practical Piano program and learning classical or pop music for fun. I am professional and patient, with a genuine passion for teaching and music.
I offer a free 30-minute trial lesson to anyone who is interested, so that prospective students can make an informed decision before hiring me.

Below, you will find a piano performance video by one of my students, Alberto.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xZYkHFqA30

Started learning piano when I was 5, finished ARCT performer diploma at age 16. During the years of piano studies, I have learned to love music with a passionate heart. I hope to share my experience in music with students, and not just focus on fingering and static practices, but really foster a loving heart towards music. Learn to appreciate music,
By appreciating great works from famous composers. My favorite composer is Chopin, as his music is really delicate that touches my heart. I hope my students can find out what composers' music that touches their heart, through interactive lessons with me.

Professional Pianist with 10 years+ of experience and an orchestra background. Doctorate (D.M.A) from Rutgers University, USA. Methods taught, such as RCM and Yamaha. I am classically trained and started my music journey with the piano and flute at the age of 5. I started playing bassoon when I was 11 years old. Between grades 3 and 12, I studied in a music-gifted program. I have attended the following schools earning the following degrees:

• Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts, New Jersey (Doctor of Musical Arts)
• Mannes School of Music, The New School, New York (Master of Music)
• University of Taipei, Taiwan (Bachelor of Music).

In class, I follow RCM and Yamaha methods and textbooks. I teach piano and music theory in a couple of music schools in Toronto. I encourage students' musical, social, personal, and emotional development by creating dynamic, well-thought-out lesson plans that empower and engage them. I will assist you with preparing for any future music theory test or simply learning music for enjoyment.

I am a self-motivated, creative individual who champions diversity, equality, and inclusion in music education, as well as developing and promoting novel teaching ways to overcome learning hurdles. I am a multilingual communicator (Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese) who develops great bonds with kids and their parents/guardians from a variety of ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.