"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." - Plato

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Piano Teacher Testimonials

“Thank you Tanya for bringing the beauty and soul of the piano to our daughter Dagny.  It was so very difficult to find the “best” piano instructor in Santa Barbara.  We tried  several piano  instructors and they just did not have the “special” chemistry we were looking for between teacher and student.  Then, however, we were very fortunate to have discovered you!!   

Ken Boxer

“Ms. Tanya, you are the best! Thank you for your time and efforts and being my fabulous piano teacher.”
Jessica Zhang

“Thank you, Tanya, for opening the world of piano to Fallyn in such a professional manner. Fallyn loves playing and enthusiastically looks forward to her lessons with you. She loves you as a teacher, and I love that you are teaching her to play classically and correctly. She enjoys practicing and will often sit down to play at home when she has a few free minutes, in addition to her regular practice times. She enjoys performing and playing and her family enjoys listening to the beautiful music that fills our home.”
Melodie Lee

“I would like to take the opportunity to let you know how much your teaching means to my daughter Lauren. She plays the piano every morning before going to school, and then plays the moment she returns on and off before and after dinner, and then before bedtime – not always the songs for that week however, but she is still playing. Lauren is so enthusiastic about the piano and we owe it all to your wonderful approach and truly caring about her expression through music.

She enjoys the discipline and is seeing the results of that already. Thank you. I feel so fortunate that we have you, that Lauren bonds so well with you, and that you approach each child individually. You obviously take great pride in what you do and it shows through the wonderful effect you have on your students. Thank you again, Tanya.”
Erik Wilk

“Five years ago our nine and ten-year old boys started taking piano lessons with Tanya. It was their father’s first and only request when we first started talking about having children that we have them play piano; and seeing his dream come true every day makes him so happy.

Rhyan loves performing in public and looks forward to each and every recital. He’s not just showing off his new pieces, but he feels so much pride when playing in front of an audience and it reflects in his performances.

Every time there is quiet at home, Zeyn runs to the piano and starts playing. It must be soothing for him and it sure is for us.

We are so thankful to have found such a wonderful teacher, friend and person in Tanya and are so blessed to have her in Zeyn and Rhyan’s lives.

Thank you, Tanya, for discovering their musical talent they have and for recognizing their potential… something we couldn’t have done without your talent, expertise and knowledge.”
Deena Shweyk

“About two years ago we were researching a piano teacher for our 9-year-old son, Trystan, and came across Tanya’s website. We were impressed with her complete vision and philosophy regarding teaching and music, and immediately contacted her to begin lessons. In that time we have seen our son develop into quite a fine player, and all of us have enjoyed the repertoire Tanya chooses for her students. From the beginning Ms. Irwin went far beyond “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, introducing songs by Russian composers that immediately resonated with our son Trystan – appealing to his emotional side as well as presenting a technical challenge. But also she has introduced many music theory concepts to him, all at an appropriate developmental level. She always demonstrates a thorough understanding of technique and the building blocks of learning for her students in a patient and kind manner.

I, myself, am a musician and hold a Bachelors of Music in flute performance and am currently teaching general music in the schools for K-6 grades, as well as have my own private studio of flute students. It’s a pleasure to encounter another musician and teacher who shares my fundamental beliefs in the importance and value of music from not only an aesthetic and pleasurable place but from an understanding of how it benefits children on all different levels of learning – intellectually, artistically, kinesthetically, and even spiritually.”
Sabra Weber

“It has been such a pleasure to hear Morgan practice piano, which he does daily with few exceptions, sometimes twice in one day, without being asked. I attribute his enthusiasm to the quality of your instruction and the lovely pieces of music that you choose. Thank you, Tanya.”
Rebecca Zendejas

“Like all new moms, I wanted to eat healthy, exercise, and do everything I could for a fabulous pregnancy. I discovered all sorts of websites for a healthy pregnancy, but one caught my attention about the “Mozart Effect”. So I started to surround myself with classical music during my prenatal phase. I would fall asleep listening to it, so I decided to purchase a headphone set and would place the earpiece on my stomach so my unborn baby can listen to the music also. Every evening I would do this on a regular basis prior to falling asleep. When the day arrived for delivery, I took my CD player to the hospital and played classical music. Other than my voice, my children listened to classical music during their first hours of life. I would go for long walks and carry a small CD player with portable speakers. I would place them by the stroller and both my children would fall asleep. I decided to do this during their bed time routine, always playing the same piece of classical music; that way it becomes imbedded in their sense of memory. Some infants sooth or calm themselves with pacifiers, blanket or their fingers before falling asleep. My children learned that classical music would sooth them to fall asleep.

In the childcare facility where Benjamin attended at the age of 4, there was an incident that upset him. His teacher asked him what she could do to help him feel better. My son asked the teacher to turn classical music on, so she looked for a radio and played his request. She was surprised, but Benjamin sat on a chair and listened to the music to calm down. When his teacher mentioned this, I was not surprised by my son’s request.

I am so grateful that we have found Ms. Tanya, as my children call her. Our experience with her has been very rewarding. As our piano teacher, she has given my children the message that classical music can be fun, and not boring to listen to.”
Barbara Gonzalez

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