Testimonials

“My daughter, Carissa, started lessons a little late at the age of 10. I searched for a piano teacher and found Marina who intrigued me with her credentials. Marina cracked through Carissa’s shyness and started her first lessons with reading music and one month later she performed “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” in a recital. After just two years studying under Marina, Carissa is able to play level 4 music in preparation for Certificate of Merit testing. After observing the lessons and seeing the results, I understand now how important it is to start out with a good foundation and good technique - this is what Carissa has learned from Marina. Marina teaches with much passion which is inspiring for her students. She is constantly challenging Carissa not to just play the piano, but to feel the music. She is a wonderful teacher.”

– Estella Chung

"I'm an adult student, and I feel extremely fortunate to have been studying with Marina for about nine years now. Under Marina's instruction, I've learned to play more challenging pieces than I ever imagined I could, and to play with much more musicality, expression and confidence than I could have before. Marina is an expert at teaching piano technique -- she knows and teaches how to play the instrument properly, without pain or discomfort, and to use all the tonal qualities of the piano to fully bring out the music which the composer intended in any given case. She has a thorough knowledge of the history behind the music she teaches, and relates that historical context to how the music should be performed. Perhaps even more important, Marina teaches her students how to tell a story with the music they play, how to best convey the emotion appropriate to each piece. I think the thing that sets Marina apart from many other teachers is that she is an accomplished performer herself at the professional level, and she teaches with the goal of preparing her students to perform at the highest level as well. She understands the mind-set a performer needs to have, and instills that mind-set in her students so that they can perform music for others with passion and confidence. In sum, I would not hesitate to recommend Marina to any serious student of the piano who wants to become the best he or she can be."

- Paul Ketrick, adult student

"Two years ago, at age 61, I came to Marina Grozdanovic as a novice piano student. I had never studied piano before, but had a desire to learn to play the classical music I had always loved. I was more than fortunate to meet Marina. I have found her to be the consummate piano teacher – knowledgeable, warm but also demanding. Within the past two years, Marina has given me the techniques and skills to the play wonderful music I love. Now, I can perform Chopin, Schumann, Mozart and others. But, even more, Marina has guided me to a deeper understanding of the music, the composers, their lives and motivations, leading me to a place where I can now begin express my own interpretation of these masterful works. Marina has given me the notes, technique and theory. But, more profoundly, she has given me the heart of the music. I thank her endlessly for the way she has enriched my life. I cannot imagine a more satisfying relationship with a piano instructor."

- Judy Hirsch, 63

"I have been a student of Marina’s for very nearly 11 years and I feel that she is the driving factor behind why I have progressed to the point that I am at now. I started with her when I was four years old and am now fifteen, and from that time up until now, she has never failed to motivate me. Marina manages to make people feel comfortable with her while also being authoritative enough to get her students to do the work that they need to do. Personally, she makes piano enjoyable by focusing on the meaning behind the music rather than solely on the technique which definitely makes playing piano less of a chore and more something to look forward to. She really encourages each student, regardless of their level, to achieve the fullest of their abilities."
- Ashley Daguanno, High School Student (Advanced Level)

"To truly learn something, you need dedication, perseverance, and a thirst for knowledge. You need someone who can motivate you harder every time, who knows your strengths and weaknesses, and who understands you better than you do yourself. More than that, you need a teacher with an intense passion for what she does, and an inspirational desire to help others discover what they love. After all the years I have studied piano, I can honestly say that I have learned something. For that, I owe Marina, her boundless patience and her love for her craft."

- Rachel Huang, High School Student (Advanced Level)

"I often feel that Marina is not just teaching us how to play piano; she is also teaching us how to look into Schumann’s, Beethoven’s, and Bach’s souls by playing the music they wrote. Each week I go into Marina’s studio for an hour as if I had traveled through time and foreign lands."

- Grace Kiang, adult student