Piano Lessons with Sophia
Sophia specializes in teaching both classical and jazz piano and has professional experience in performing and composing. Sophia offers lessons live online from her studio with a dual camera set up that comes with aerial views of the piano keys to make learning accessible and seamless.
How It Works
Schedule a one-time intro lesson to meet an instructor, share your goals, and experience how lessons work.
1. Book an Intro Lesson
If your intro lesson feels like the right match, we’ll help you enroll. If not, we’ll set up another intro lesson to connect you with the right guide.
2. Find your Instructor
Once you’ve found your guide, start your weekly lessons—your dedicated time each week to create, learn, and grow. Enrollment renews monthly.
3. Enroll in Weekly Lessons
Meet the Instructor
What do you teach?
I specialize in teaching all things piano, and I have extensive playing experience in classical, jazz, and popular genres of piano playing. Piano lessons include in depth instruction in your favorite styles of playing, and personalized practice notes sent at the end of every session! We can explore: how to fluently read sheet music, to understand the anatomy of chords, to apply music theory knowledge to dissect our favorite melodies and harmonies, technical and warm-up exercises to increase your dexterity, to play your favorite songs, to sing and play at the same time, learning how to improvise and jam, and a lot more!
What makes you want to share your skills and knowledge?
I love teaching because it genuinely fills me with excitement when I can see someone dedicate themselves to learning and improving at something as awesome as music. Being able to share my skill set to impact peoples’ lives through my biggest passion is one of the most rewarding experiences I embrace every day when I work with musicians of any level and any age. I love being able to be a vehicle for music and share my knowledge, just as others have with me, and I hope to be remembered as someone who has helped enhanced peoples' lives with music, passion, and happiness
What is your experience in your craft and how are you evolving?
I have been an active professional teacher and pianist for about 10 years and I hold a Bachelor’s of Music in Composition for Media from Cal State Northridge. I was accepted into the Jazz Piano Master's program at the California Institute of the Arts University, and decided to pursue my passions as an artist and music educator instead. Since finishing school, I have performed with many different ensembles, from full orchestras to jazz bands to pop groups across all of Los Angeles.
I began playing piano at 3 years old and studied classical music into my high school years, where I passed the internationally acclaimed Level 8 ABRSM piano examination when I was 16. From there, I was accepted to Cal State Northridge as a Classical Performance Major, but transitioned to Media Composition so I could study Jazz Piano. I studied jazz piano with two of the best Jazz Pianists in Los Angeles, Gary Fukishima and Matt Harris, who was the Department chair of the Jazz Studies program at CSUN at the time.
I constantly seek new ways to share music by teaching as well as by challenging my personal musical limits and sharing my music with the world. I practice every single day and I play with different groups as a freelance pianist and recording artist. I currently run two YouTube channels, a Tiktok, an Instagram page to share my music and piano teaching knowledge. I have released a music assignment notebook available on Amazon, and have released my first song entitled “Just One More Time” under my stage name Sophia Nova ~ available on all streaming platforms :)
What is your style of teaching?
My teaching style is shaped by building a personal relationship with each student, while providing a comfortable and inspiring atmosphere where a student can develop to their full potential in an absolutely judgement free zone. Every student has a different culmination of experiences and music tastes, and I focus on embracing and nourishing each persons unique style preferences to make sure every student feels understood and inspired. I achieve this by having a present awareness of my students and the music they are drawn to, while also presenting sheet music or chord sheets, making music book recommendations, giving notated handouts I’ve created, developing the musical ear with different exercises, and working on technical exercises adapted to meet their individual skills and playing style.
I am always checking in with how a student feels about their journey and lessons so far, and finding new ways to either convey new information, and build up the skills we have been working on in exciting ways. I encourage all students to tell me everything they enjoy and dislike about lessons, so we can always find the best way to move forward to fulfill their goals. I ultimately seek to instill a love music with everyone I work so that they feel comfortable and confident expressing themselves creatively and artistically.
What keeps you creatively inspired?
I am genuinely so inspired by watching the people I work with grow into blossoming musicians, especially when they get excited about learning something new. I am constantly learning from my students how to be a better teacher, and I hope to translate that energy back into our lessons in a fun and meaningful way!
I also love learning in general, and I find inspiration from everywhere around me, including through reading literature, discovering new music to listen to, learning new piano songs and repertoire, taking singing lessons, writing songs, and watching live concerts! If I’m not writing music in my studio or performing, I’m most definitely watching a concert or singing along to something! There’s always something new to be learned, explored, and discovered, and something to keep working towards. I think that’s probably my favorite thing about music - the fact that I will also be a student forever :)