REVIEWS FROM STUDENTS AND PARENTS

"Mr. Benson is a top-notch piano teacher, and outstanding with our children!  When we made it into his teaching rotation, our boys' plodding progress was suddenly fast-forwarded.  It was exciting to hear how good they sounded in a short time, and that they were actually creating music, and not  just plunking piano keys. Whenever we have guests over and they overhear the boys practicing, they're astounded.  Live music from our home is one of my favorite sounds as a mother, and because of our lessons with Mr. Benson, we're hearing that every day.  A few of our friends have heard our boys play and started taking lessons from him too.  He teaches excellence and discipline and expects it in return, and that's a good combination for our boys.

When the pandemic hit and we switched to online piano lessons with Mr. Benson, I had my doubts of their efficacy.  But he is as good virtually as he is in person.  The only downsides are that he can't do duets or model techniques as easily when it's through a screen.  But it has been a great option for us, to continue our music learning when so much of the world was cancelled or shut down.  

We 100% recommend Mr. Benson as a piano teacher, with no reservations."

- Karisa & John M.

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It is my great honor and pleasure to recommend Mr. Steve Benson as a piano teacher for your kids. My 7-year-old daughter has been learning piano from Steve for the past nine months. During this period, I can clearly feel her passion with piano has increased dramatically, her amazing progress in the skills from playing single notes to be able to finish one of the first pieces for children by J. S. Bach.

Steve is an inspiring piano instructor. He is so dedicated, serious and enthusiastic with teaching, with good sense of humor mingled in. He emphasizes the basics of reading music as a necessity. He is also extremely focused on developing solid technical skills and offers practical advice to deal with technically challenging issues. He always encourages my daughter to reach the levels as high as she is capable of. I believe these abilities will benefit my daughter in her whole life.

Steve charges a reasonable price. I strongly believe in Steve as a piano teacher based on his enthusiasm, music knowledge, teaching methods, as well as his own great piano skills.

I greatly appreciate Steve for his teaching efforts with my daughter, and our whole family has been enjoying my daughter’s piano time. I will be happy to address any questions if needed. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me through Steve's contact information on his website.

- Mei S.

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Steve is an awesome teacher! I am an older student, and have a number of bad habits that Steve is working to break. He is very patient, tries many different approaches to make things work. We were very fortunate to find Steve!!

- Melanie C.

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As a student of piano, both as a child and an adult, and having worked closely with professional musicians over the years as an independent filmmaker, I  can think of no instructor I would recommend more than Steve Benson. He is truly an exemplary teacher. During my childhood, I studied piano under Steve and vividly remember the intensity of his instruction. At the same time, however, I fondly recall the fun he was able to infuse with the piano, especially as pieces took shape in my mind and the resulting confidence that grew out of them. This balance, of course, was not fully realized until I looked back years later and realized not only Steve's innate musical talent, but his ability to communicate it with enthusiasm.

- Chris W

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Steve is an excellent pianist and teacher. I came to Steve as an adult with little formal training, but had long played by ear with no regard for technique and minimal ability to read music. Steve was very thorough in assessing and correcting my technique, while also being very patient and encouraging, as I was fighting several years of bad habits and muscle memory. A fine musician himself, Steve encourages a keen attention to musicality -- he wants the student to be a true musician, not just memorize the notes. Steve has a wealth of musical knowledge, being a long-time professional and a life-long student of music, and often gives the historical context and significance of various pieces, composers, and schools of technique, which really gives the student a deeper reverence and appreciation for not just the piano but music in general. Steve's teaching style is very professional -- he is low-key but direct, patient, encouraging, and really seems passionate about each lesson, all the while maintaining a sharp sense of humor. I would highly recommend Steve to anyone who wants to learn piano

- Sean Y.

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My 3 daughters have been students of Mr. Steve Benson for nearly three years now and during that time, I have had ocasion to observe his teaching method, manner and results.

Mr. Benson is very deliberate and knowledgeable in his method, which at first may seem too slow in producing results, i.e. the student playing recognizable songs. In fact, I myself was skeptical at first since my girls seemed to be learning at a slower rate than their peers studying at different studios. However, in under 2 years, the brilliance of Mr. Benson's way was abundantly apparent. With proper fingering, proper posture, and the proper reading of music notes, time signature and dynamics, my girls can now out-perform all of their contemporaries; and further, they can sit down to a new piece of music with confidence and work it out in no time, even if they have never heard it!

I myself had taken piano lessons for 5 years beginning in middle school, and I can say Mr. Benson has inspired me, through his influence on my girls, to play again. And, more importantly, I have learned more from his method of teaching than I did in all 5 years of my own lessons put together! ... I have found that Mr. Benson takes the time to get to know each child's personality, so that he can effectively teach each one in the way that that student needs.

I highly recommend Mr. Steve Benson as a piano teacher and truly appreciate his dedication and professionalism in his method and instruction. I love hearing my girls making music in our home, thanks to Mr. Benson!

- Mary L.

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I have worked with Steve Benson in various professional music capacities through the years and while not his student, I can attest to his keen musicianship, attention to detail, professional integrity, responsibility, and ability to communicate with effectiveness and efficiency. As a music educator myself and in many a conversation with Steve, I discern the hard work and creative effort he devotes to his students. He clearly enjoys teaching students young and old and instills in them a lifetime of joyful music making.

- Lisa K.

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