Name: Northwest School of Music
Price range: $$

Lessons We Offer

Quality music lessons for people of all ages

Piano
The piano is both approachable for young beginners and richly complex for advanced players, and is perfect for learning to read music and building a strong musical foundation.
Guitar & Ukulele
One of the foundational instruments of contemporary music, our guitar instructors teach across genres and will equip you to play for yourself or as part of a group.
Voice
The vocal instrument is a complex living system and healthy technique is the key to lifelong enjoyment. Study musical theater, pop music, opera, or anything that interests you.
Violin & Viola
Whether you want to learn the classics or contemporary pieces, our instructors will help you master the technique needed to excel at these captivating instruments.

Music Lessons for All Ages & Skill Levels in San Jose, CA!

Founded in 1996, Pacific Piano School has touched the lives of more than a thousand bay area families and distinguished itself as the premiere music school for children learning piano, voice, and violin.

At Pacific Piano School we offer private music lessons for children and adults at our well lit and spacious studio. Our experienced instructors help students reach their musical goals while — most importantly — having fun!

Learn from our amazing faculty who are welcoming, patient, and incredibly talented!

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A Few FAQs

What is included with tuition at PPS?

Included in all students’ basic tuition are weekly lessons, school-wide events and programs, and access to many PPS services and resources. We want our students to participate and learn as much as possible while they attend PPS, both in their lessons and through our many enrichment offerings.

Participation in recitals and our annual PPS competition are offered at no cost — as are the recordings of these special events! We also allow our students free access to our recording studio and the PPS Foundation’s Music Lending Library. Tuition rates for additional lessons, theory classes, and group-supervised practice sessions are listed in our pricing guide.

What ages does PPS teach?

We welcome students of all ages at PPS, including adults! For our youngest students, we offer our Little Mozarts program as an opportunity for parents and small children to learn the fundamentals of music at an early age. When ready, students 4-8 years old can graduate to group piano classes, which teach younger students the basics of piano in a fun, relaxed environment. Around this age, students may also be ready to move to shorter, half-hour private lessons. After age 8, we recommend 45-60 minute lessons to maximize their progress. We are happy to evaluate each student to recommend which class will give them the best experience.

Do you offer lessons in my home?

We offer virtual lessons that you can take remotely in your home! Because travel time and cost is prohibitive for instructors, we only offer in-person lessons at our school.

What do I have to commit to as a student at PPS?

Pacific Piano School isn’t just a place for music lessons. We are committed to a holistic, enriching music education for all of our students, with lessons being only one aspect of the student experience. We ask each student to commit to regular performances. PPS hosts an annual competition for all ages and encourages our students to participate (and win!) outside competitions. For students who are preparing for exams (i.e., Certificate of Merit®️ and AAPA), we require participation in our music theory class to refine their skills and best position themselves for success.

What time slots are available?

We are open 7 days a week, but availability varies throughout the year. We almost always have some availability, but the most requested times and days usually have a waiting list. The best way to find out is to give us a call to discuss upcoming openings and sign up for a free trial session.

What about music theory?

At PPS, we place a strong emphasis on teaching music literacy, including music theory. This allows each student to understand music on a deeper level and helps them progress quicker toward their goals. While general music theory is incorporated into lessons as required for each piece, we offer and strongly encourage all students aged 8 and older to attend music theory classes with one of our faculty members. For students preparing for the Certificate of Merit and AAPA exams, we require dedicated music theory studies to best position them for success. We teach all levels of music theory, up to and including the Advanced Placement (AP) level.

How much practice is required outside of lessons?

As with anything that is skill-based, practice is essential. PPS is dedicated to helping every student reach their full potential — and practice is required to meet this goal. Depending on your program and experience, our instructors will work with you to establish a practice schedule best suited for you. For our youngest students, this is often at least 15 minutes per day, 5-6 days per week. As students grow and develop as players and take on longer, more challenging pieces of music, we’ll adjust your recommended practice time accordingly.

We Teach All Around You!

Lessons at Pacific Piano School

Pacific Piano School serves students from San Jose, including Silverland, Chaboya, Fowler, Cadwallader, Murillo, Heritage, Holly Oak, Quimby, Northwood, Creekside North, Evergreen & other nearby communities.

Praise for Pacific Piano School

This is a wonderful school with talented musicians as teachers. Chinh Le in particular is an extraordinary teacher. David has grown so much with his instruction. He has performed in the honors recitals in large part due to Chinh’s instruction and encouragement. The school prepared David to perform in the San Jose Youth Orchestra and in numerous recitals and performances. We highlight recommend this school for your child.

David Fetterman
My daughter studied Piano for many years and start from 0 to completed CM certification, AP music and several competitions. Dr.Dante is an Amazing master piano teacher with dedication and professionalism. I highly recommend PPS and Dr.Dante for kid’s piano study.

Sam Zhang
First of all, please allow me to express my profound admiration for everything you and your teachers at Pacific Piano School do for our kids. I am truly impressed with this school and thrilled that my daughter is part of it.

Amelia J.
We don’t expect our kids to make a career out of music. However, this training is so important for their lives as you know. I want to thank you for your dedication in classical music education.

Ellie N.
It appears to us that after studying with you on the master class, Claudia seems to absorb some of the coaching that you gave her. We notice she plays with more feeling. Strong noted when they are supposed to be strong and soft when the music phrase is supposed to be soft
We don’t expect our kids to make a career out of music. However, this training is so important for their lives as you know. I want to thank you for your dedication in classical music education.

Tim & Vivian
I would like to thank you both for doing such a fabulous job teaching our kids music and making the camp the most valuable and fun experience for our children this summer.

Phung Y.
I will highly recommend PPS to whoever I know and I hope that your studio will continue to grow in the future!

Anna G
My playing is steadily becoming more expressive and emotive, and performing has become less of a chore.

Alexander E.

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Music School Serving San Jose, CA

We Teach Piano Voice Violin

Our Mission

Our Teachers

Music Lessons

Lessons We Offer

Piano

Guitar & Ukulele

Voice

Violin & Viola

Music Lessons for All Ages & Skill Levels in San Jose, CA!

A Few FAQs

We Teach All Around You!

Praise for Pacific Piano School

Hours of operation

Lessons