Piano Lessons by Debbie DeMar

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Introduction: Hi, Thanks for checking out my profile! I offer private lessons for beginning to advanced students with lesson plans tailored to meet the students' needs, concentrating on the important fundamentals of music, note-reading, rhythms, musical expression and theory, making sure the student has a good foundation in music. From there the student can branch out into all types of music from classical to contemporary. As a member of the Music Teachers' Association of California, I am able to offer participation in the Certificate of Merit program, which is a very comprehensive yearly evaluation of piano performance and theory. I offer participation in a studio recital every year. I love teaching piano and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thanks! I enjoy seeing the progress each student makes from year to year, as is evidenced in my yearly student recital, participation in Certificate of Merit and other extracurricular playing.

Overview

Hired 2 times

Background checked

48 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Cash, Check, PayPal, and Zelle.

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Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for punctuality, professionalism, and value.

Excellent 4.9

8 reviews

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Read reviews that mention:

Elaine L.

Aug 21, 2015

Mrs. DeMar is a fabulous piano teacher. I took lessons with her every week for 12 years, and she makes learning to play piano easy to understand, and most importantly, enjoyable. She is knowledgeable, kind, patient, and flexible--able to teach varying ages of students, with various degrees of experience. From basic music reading to more advanced musical theory, she covers all bases. Whether I was learning a Christmas song to play for fun, memorizing a piece for a recital, or practicing sight reading for a Certificate of Merit test, Mrs. DeMar always went out of her way to make sure I felt prepared and confident in my abilities.

Priya J.

May 20, 2018

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Hired on Thumbtack

Debbie was instrumental in getting my daughter to love piano again. Very professional. Hate to loose her as we are moving out of this area.

Piano Lessons (for children or teenagers)

Stephanie K.

Oct 9, 2017

After ten years of lessons from Debbie as a child, I am now teaching private piano lessons in my home to over 20 students, including my own daughter. Debbie gave me a wonderful foundation of music... technique, theory, timing and skill. She constantly challenged me to improve and believed in me in ways that I believed I could do more than I thought. I highly recommend her as a teacher and as a professional.

Crystal L.

Aug 12, 2015

I had the pleasure of taking piano lessons with Mrs. DeMar for over twelve years, and it was a positive and formative experience. Mrs. DeMar is talented, patient, and kind, and she truly cares about her students. She fostered in me a love of playing the piano, as well as a solid understanding of music theory, both of which continue to this day. She has a positive and encouraging attitude, and I highly recommend her to anyone who hopes to learn to play and love playing the piano.

Varun R.

Aug 3, 2015

I wholeheartedly recommend Debbie for piano lessons. If you've been looking for an outstanding piano teacher, either for your child or as an adult yourself, look no further. I studied under Debbie for over 12 years before I moved away from the bay area and my experience was always outstanding. Her teaching style is both positive and efficient, which served as great motivation to instill a passion for piano within me. I attribute my love of the piano today largely to Debbie's attitude & teaching style. After laying a solid foundation of the basics, we progressed through increasingly advanced material. By the time I moved away, I was playing Rachmaninoff and had everything I would need to continue learning new material on my own. From sight reading to finding the correct fingering to interpretation of pieces, I have always felt that my training has enabled me to quickly and accurately learn even the most difficult of pieces. Debbie has her students participate in the Music Teachers' Association's Certificate of Merit program, which hones musical theory as well as sight reading & performing skills in front of an evaluator. These exams were invaluable, as having a firm understand of theory is incredibly useful when learning new pieces. It sometimes took me many months to learn some of the complex pieces for these exams, however with Debbie's excellent planning, I always learned them in time and went fully prepared into these exams. I was also chosen multiple times to play in the Branch Honors Recitals, again thanks to her excellent guidance. In addition, she holds annual recitals to further develop students' stage-performance ability. I think this is crucial for all developing musicians and has certainly allowed me to get rid of my stage fright when playing in front of large audiences. Finally, Debbie is such a nice person and is always engaging and lively. I firmly believe that a positive atmosphere is needed to cultivate a lifelong passion for the piano, and with her skills and experience, I feel that Debbie is among the very best piano teachers in the Bay Area.

Credentials

Background Check

Deborah Demar

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
The lesson costs are based on a schedule averaging 4 weekly lessons per month. Some months have 5 lessons, there is no extra charge for that because it is used to offset other months that have 3 lessons due to holidays on the schedule. This way the price remains constant each month. Currently, $144/month for 1/2 hour weekly lessons, $210/month for 45 minute weekly lessons.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I would schedule an interview to assess the students' needs and genres of music of interest to them. Lessons are at a "go at your own pace". We advance as we master each piece(s).
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I received my teaching certification from the Music Teachers' Association of California in 1998, after completing the 3 year Cal Plan program administered by the association. I also received a Diploma from Sherwood Music School of Chicago, extension department, in Piano and related theoretic subjects. I also studied for a few years from classical pianist, John Kraus.