Lessons

I am pleased to offer private piano lessons in my home studio in Oakland. My lessons are classically based, emphasizing strong grounding in technique, and also incorporate composition, improvisation and detailed score analysis. With over 10 years of teaching experience, I bring the versatile perspective of a contemporary performing musician to my music education philosophy. I work exclusively with adults and adept children, and I aim to encourage each student’s distinct musical voice. I also have trained in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and am very interested in the brain’s understanding and mapping of concepts through a variety of sensory inputs and networks.

Prospective students can contact me to schedule an interview and trial lesson – we’ll start by checking in with your current technical ability and do some exploring of small and large physical gestures to incorporate into your daily piano practice. I am a member of MTAC (Music Teachers’ Association of California) and am also professionally affiliated with Beyond Artists and the MusicLink Foundation.

Testimonials from students and parents

"Anne Rainwater is the piano teacher I’d been looking for all my life, teaching me about musical depths and the finest details of technique. Because of her I'm playing better than I ever dreamed possible music I always thought was beyond me."

Steve B.

Student

"Anne is a wonderful teacher. I would recommend her to students of any level, but all the more so if you're somewhat serious about the piano. I had been struggling to get better on my own for a while before I started studying with her. Anne has helped me accelerate my progress, tackle more ambitious pieces, and think in new ways about how to practice effectively. And most importantly, to listen to and appreciate the music more keenly."

Scott F.

Student

"I enjoy taking lessons and playing the piano with Anne. I find her analysis of scores is often very useful for both practicing and appreciating music. And from her lessons too, I find she tries to teach me, besides and beyond technical skills, how to express musical feelings."

Harry X.

Student

"I have been studying with Anne Rainwater for nearly 3 years. She has helped me improve my piano playing in both fun and thoughtful ways. Using different means to understand and connect to the pieces we learn, Anne has brought much into music that I had not experienced before. During lessons, we explore the known and even the unanswerable questions that music raises. She uses each students’ interests to help them understand better the beauty of music and how each student can create and develop their own creativity and imagination around the pieces they are to perform."

Frances G.

Student (age 15)

“I am so glad we found Anne for my nine-year-old son. He has learned great technique, music theory, and the joy of playing. Anne strikes a very fine balance of patience, playfulness, and gentle firmness. I especially appreciate that she respects each student as an individual.”

Robyn W.

Parent

"Our 8-year-old daughter loves taking piano lessons with Anne and has learned to play so much in just one year. Anne definitely has a way of teaching kids that shows she is serious about musicianship but is still playful, patient, and kind."

Lucia H.

Parent

Links to teacher websites and articles that I recommend:

Joy Morin’s creative website and blog about her piano studio in Ohio, called Color in My Piano.

Krista Lundblad’s piano studio website, which contains teaching article links, helpful hints for parents of piano students, and much more useful information HERE.

The 6 Stages of Piano Students at Theresa Chen’s piano studio website.

The Truth about Piano Lessons and how to guide your child through the process.

How to Motivate Your Child to Practice