Pop Piano Lessons in Other, page 2

For nearly 3 decades, Lora Wentworth has taught piano lessons (ages 4 and up) and saxophone lessons in Kelowna (and beyond). Students return every year for lessons because she cares and encourages her students of all ages and abilities. Lora has been told many times that she is so much more than a Music Teacher. She is a friend and mentor, helping students feel safe and nurtured.
The Upbeat Music Academy is located in Glenmore seconds away from Watson Rd Elementary School and a quick drive from Glenmore’s Save On foods, IGA, Tim Hortons, McDonalds, Dairy Queen and Subway. The Upbeat Music Academy is also close to amenities like Petro Canada Gas station, Shoppers Drug Mart and other shopping before and after your lessons or while you wait for the student.
Proudly Serving: Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country, Rutland, Wilden, Kettle Valley. We’re also very excited to teach many students from around the World online!
Upbeat Music Academy Kelowna
455 Glen Pine Ct
Kelowna, BC
V1V 1R3
250-317-3685

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.

I believe that music has the power to move people in fundamental, inexplicable ways. I believe that we are all musical souls with our original ideas. I believe in the creativity and musical honesty of our children, and that a good teacher can energize and give voice to that creativity.

The love of music is innate, but fostering that love through lessons leads to the development of the student's own voice, confidence, and commitment. I find that frequent performance opportunities and recitals encourage children's performance abilities and self-esteem, building a sense of community among the students. I encourage young musicians to choose and play pieces of music that speak to their souls, with my task being to help them get ahead in any type of music they choose. Experience has shown me that theory, composition, and musical arrangement are vital to becoming a well-rounded musician, and a strong technical foundation is necessary in order to express one's artistry.

I serve on the faculty of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and hold Masters and Doctorate degrees from the USC Thornton School of Music, where I studied piano performance, collaboration, and pedagogy on scholarship. My undergraduate degree is from the San Francisco Conservatory and I attended the highly competitive Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and the Colburn School.

I have been teaching piano for 25 years, having served on the faculties of the Munich International School, the San Domenico School, the Lark Musical Society, the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, and the Artetonal Schule für Musik. I see that students do well in a supportive, encouraging, motivating environment. This environment has helped my students win competitions including the PTA Reflections Music Composition Competition and the Armenian Allied Arts Songwriting/Composition Competition. As a pianist I have won prestigious competitions, including the US Open Music Competition, the Leni FéBland Foundation Competition, the Armenian Allied Arts Competition, and the MTAC VOCE Competition. I have played with or for artists including Midori, Felicia Weathers, Eleanor Schönfeld, Alice Schönfeld, Ron Leonard, and Martin Chalifour. My teachers include Kevin Fitz-Gerald, Stewart Gordon, Antoinette Perry, James Bonn, Laurette Goldberg and Lucinda Carver (harpischord), Mack McCray, Polli Chambers-Salazar, Caroline Oltmanns, Timothy Ehlen, and Natalie Dalschaert.

In teaching, I put great emphasis upon public performances, organizing several large recitals per year, and I keep my prices comparably low because I am trying to recruit students who are dedicated and hard workers, though not necessarily born into great privilege. In protecting my students' privacy, you will not see pictures of them on my website or on my social media pages. But I am extremely proud of my current and former students, whose years of study have helped prepare them for institutions including Yale, Brown, Berkeley, Juilliard, Duke, Northwestern, USC, UCLA, UCSD, Polytechnic Academy, CAMS, and Eton.

My publications include My First Armenian Songbook and Asdghig Wants to Grow Up Quickly, which won the most prestigious prize for Western Armenian literature, the Tölölyan Prize (2021). I work as a collaborator with instrumentalists and singers. I teach languages to opera singers and also offer piano lessons in multiple languages: German, Italian, Armenian, Spanish, and English (native speaker).

Lessons vary between 45 and 90 minutes in length, depending on level. I help prepare students for the Royal Conservatory of Music and am recommended by RCM as a teacher whose students have consistently perform at high levels.

I believe that music is a source of light in the world. Teaching children to understand the language of music will enrich their lives with a deeper understanding of culture, art, and aesthetics, and will illuminate the future for all of us. I teach in person and virtually and may be contacted below for piano lessons below. My current waitlist for lesson during school hours is three years' long, but I have room for adults and homeschooled children available during school hours.

This is the place for you if you are serious about learning how to play piano or sing, or do both simultaneously. Mrs. Cathy Laizure has 28 years experience teaching/performing classical, jazz, sacred and pop piano/vocal music. Learn how to read music, chord charts, lead sheets and improvise. Want to write your own music? Learn how to create, structure and print your own originals. Interested in playing and singing? I can show you how! Interested in entering the worship scene? I have 20+ years experience as a choir/worship leader in churches all over the country. If you are willing to practice consistently on a quality instrument, I want to talk to you. Are you an aspiring vocalist preparing to compete or audition? I can help you prepare and accompany through advanced levels.
This isn’t quite what you had in mind? Want to learn for fun? Just trying it out? Want to learn guitar or ukulele? We have a network of teachers who can help you.
Mrs. Cathy Laizure’s philosophy: “I want to provide quality music education with proper technique. But, more importantly, I desire to build relationships with my students and help them succeed in music and life. At the same time, I want to have fun and offer a casual, relaxed environment where students can ask questions, make mistakes and learn from them all... And, lastly, make music an integral part of a lifetime.”
Online Lessons Also Available