Reviews
“Ms. Lian Chen has been teaching my two children piano for the last few months and they love her. She is patient and kind and the children have improved so much. My 4 year old does a 1 hour lesson and wants more! I would highly recommend Ms. Chen.”
Jacqueline Matthews
"Ms. Chen has been teaching piano to me (age 13) and my brothers (age 11 and 8) for nearly one year now. I have played the piano since age 6 and Ms. Chen is my 4th teacher. I think that she is the best piano teacher I have had. She is always pleasant, positive and encouraging. She makes the lessons fun and the hour goes by so fast. I have been able to explore different types of music and have even started composing. My mom said that my brothers and I have made so much more progress in the past year compared to the previous years. Even my brother who used to not like piano and hated to practice has been enjoying the piano since he is so much better now. I have had teachers who focused on musicality, others on technique and sight reading - Ms. Chen has a well - rounded approach and still maintains our technique while enjoying the music. My mom is very happy with Ms. Chen and so are we."
Megan Ha
"My 22 year old son – who is autistic and recently aged-out of high school – needs mentally stimulating activities. I, a 50 something, played piano for a few years as a kid but reached a plateau and quit. I regretted quitting and wanted to give it another try, so my son and I decided to take piano together.
We clicked with Li-An at the interview. She listened intently about our goal of having an activity to share and enjoy. We do not want piano to become a chore. Li-An continues to ask about and adapt to our learning styles. Her methods make piano fun and reinforce the fundamentals I lacked that kept me from progressing off my plateau as a child. She teaches and assigns lesson books that develop technique, sight reading, theory, rhythm and playing. She ensures we progress with all aspects before moving on. She keeps it fun, fresh and never frustrates. We are feeling pride in how much we have accomplished. We look forward to the lessons and practice that are an invigorating work-out for the
mind. We are grateful we found Li-An – our gifted and thoughtful teacher."
Brendan & Joyce McCallister
"Li An Chen is a fantastic piano teacher. She has not only taught my two daughters (ages 9 and 6) to play piano, but has taught them to read music as well! She requires a lot of work from them, but they do it, and love to play. The progress we have seen in just 6 short months is truly amazing. They are even planning to play a duet together in their elementary school talent show. I have heard from other parents in our school that my girls play better than their children who have been taking lessons for years! I truly believe it is because Li An doesn’t just teach them to play - she teaches them music theory as well. I would recommend Li An without reservations!!"
Megan Booth
"Li-An Chen is a wonderful and inspiring piano teacher. Piano lessons from Li-An were a gift from my husband. I hadn't played since I was 13 years old, and now at almost 50, I must admit I was skeptical. But amazingly, Li-An was able to quickly assess my level and she immediately began to improve my playing abilities. Her skill in tailoring lessons to the individual is impressive. Li-An is tremendously talented, and very gifted in her ability to instruct. Her knowledge of technique and the finer points of playing a piece are masterful, and far more sophisticated than anything I had been taught in the past. In less than 3 months, she had me playing in a recital, and playing a piece that was far more difficult than anything I have ever played. It was amazing! She is always positive and encouraging, and inspires her students to believe in themselves. I would highly recommend Li-An as a teacher, for students both young and old!"
Melissa Denkler
"Li-An is truly a gifted and talented piano teacher. My 5-year old daughter has been a student since February 2011. taking one-hour lessons each week, and we could not be happier with her progress and results. Li-An has a wonderful teaching style and tailors each lesson to meet my daughter's needs and mood. She is able to make the challenging lessons fun, with patience and creativity. My daughter is so proud of herself, and Li-An has instilled so much confidence in her. She played "Happy Birthday" to me in July to cheers and tears, and She is very much looking forward to playing Christmas songs!! My daughter adores Li-An and really enjoys going to her weekly lessons. I would recommend Li-An Chen Piano Studio!"
Crystal Birnie
"About two years ago, I got this crazy idea of teaching myself to play the piano....It didn't take too long before I gave up and throw in the towel.
Fortunately, around April 2011, I had the chance to watch my niece taking her piano lesson with Li-An as her instructor. I was very fascinated by her teaching techniques and her patience. I was also fascinated by how well my 7 years old niece was playing. That same day, I mentioned to Li-An, that I would love to learn the piano but starting something new at my age (40's) is hard and frustrating. From our first conversation, I was impressed by how supportive and encouraging she was. She expressed interest in me as a person and as a player which had made it very easy. In my few weeks of lesson, I could actually play so many songs. I couldn't believe it. I would recommend her without reservation to anyone and any age thinking of turning their dreams of playing piano into reality.
Li-An, thank you for making my dream come true. You are awesome. Without you I wouldn't have accomplish this. Again, thank you."
Yodit Amd
"Ms. Chen is an amazing piano teacher! I am 17 years old and I started piano not very long ago, When I was 16. I had never played piano before, but I had decided that I was really interested in learning how to play. After reading all the positive reviews on Ms. Chen's site, and having a consultation with her, I decided that I wanted her to be my teacher. About a month after taking lessons from her, I was able to play a song that I have loved since I was young. I am always improving and excited when I am able to master songs that I love. Ms. Chen always gives me positive feedback and tells me how much I have progressed. Even if I walk away from a lesson disappointed with myself, I feel happy because of how supportive she is. I enjoy taking piano lessons from Ms. Chen, and I marvel at how skilled I am after only a short time. I whole-heartedly recommend her."
Rebecca Kellerman
"Ms. Li-An Chen started teaching my 7-year-old daughter piano in December 2009. My daughter just loves her! She has progressed so much in a very short time and is always looking forward to her piano lesson, unlike my other two kids (18 and 20) who took a lot of piano lessons with another instructor a few years ago. I see a huge difference between the way Ms.Chen teaches piano and the way my other two kids were taught. Ms. Chen is so patient; she knows how to motivate a child and her teaching techniques are so efficient. The way she combines theory with practice makes theory, which kids usually dread, seem to be fun. I highly recommend Ms. Chen."
Nada Salem Abisamra
"Li-An is a wonderful teacher to both my daughter and myself. She has the patience to deal with my 11 year old daughter and the sense of humor to teach a 40 year old mom. We tried other piano teachers and other studios and nothing comes close to the personal and professional instruction we have received from Li-An Chen. In fact, we drive extra distance just to be in her class. I would recommend Li-An Chen to anyone who is serious about learning to play piano and about the theory behind the music."
Lorianna Viera
"My two children had been taking private piano lessons from another teacher for more than five years before they started to take piano lessons from Ms. Li-An Chen since last September. For these three short months, we can tell that our children not only have made a tremendous amount of progress, but also started to enjoy more playing and practicing piano. Ms. Chen is a talented and patient teacher, and her teaching techniques are specific for each of my children based on the level and the trouble spots. That is why our children have improved so much in such a short period. Ms. Chen's nice and kind personality makes taking the lessons more enjoyable and fun. I highly recommend Ms. Chen."
John Lin
"Mary, our 6-year-old, has been taking lessons from Li-An Chen for a little more than four months now, and we are amazed at how much progress she has made. Mary has always loved music, but she had never played the piano (or any instrument) before—at all. Now she is loving playing songs she has known for years. She can also look at a new song and play it pretty well right off the bat. She has learned a lot, and she is enjoying it."
Ramesh & April Ponnuru
I highly recommend Ms. Chen. Her hard work and dedication to teaching piano has reflected greatly upon my son’s piano playing skills. My son Henry was taking classes from another instructor for 4 months. In those 4 months, he was only able to play one song, couldn’t read any music notes, and had bad form. We decided to change instructor and found Ms. Chen. Henry has been with Ms. Chen for only 1 month and he is able to play almost 20 songs, read notes, and his posture has improved. Every time he masters a song, you can see the pride developing within him. The best part of Ms. Chen’s teaching is that my son is learning something new every time. It’s not the same repetitive exercise over and over again. The "bad habits" that my son developed in the previous instruction is slowly disappearing and his piano playing has improved. All the credit goes to Ms. Chen.Scythia Tong
"I highly recommend Ms. Chen. Her hard work and dedication to teaching piano has reflected greatly upon my son’s piano playing skills. My son Henry was taking classes from another instructor for 4 months. In those 4 months, he was only able to play one song, couldn’t read any music notes, and had bad form. We decided to change instructor and found Ms. Chen. Henry has been with Ms. Chen for only 1 month and he is able to play almost 20 songs, read notes, and his posture has improved. Every time he masters a song, you can see the pride developing within him. The best part of Ms. Chen’s teaching is that my son is learning something new every time. It’s not the same repetitive exercise over and over again. The "bad habits" that my son developed in the previous instruction is slowly disappearing and his piano playing has improved. All the credit goes to Ms. Chen."
Joe Adams
"Ms Li-An taught me piano from 8 to 13 years old. She is a very patient teacher yet she is firm. She gave me a solid foundation for my piano technique and gave me sight reading skill otherwise I would not have obtained. I remember always looking forward to my piano lessons. She taught me how to feel music with my heart. I never had hand injuries unlike my music colleagues because Ms Li-An has taught me how to relax and properly use my wrist and hand weight. Having only studied a few years with Ms. Li-An. My ability to play piece music without hearing it at first sight has become strength of mine."
Sheen Shau
"Ms. Li-An Chen has been teaching my six year old daughter music lessons for the past two months and my daughter’s progress in the short span of time has far exceeded my expectations. My daughter has learned to read and play basic music books, which vary from favorite kids songs to popular children hymns. And, she has begun to learn music theory and rhythm concepts. Ms. Chen is very patient and encouraging and employs a reward system to help children in their early stages of musical development. The fact that my daughter enjoys and looks forward to her weekly lessons and understands the importance of practice in her progress is the best testimonial I can give."
Michelle Roberts
"My 6 year-old daughter and I each started taking weekly one-hour piano lessons with Ms. Chen about 8 months ago, and it has been a wonderful experience. Ms. Chen is an excellent teacher. Ms. Chen obviously is an accomplished pianist, and her teaching methods are impressive and individualized. My daughter and I have used a variety of little music books as we each have progressed—classical, rags/boogie, holiday music, music theory and so forth, and Ms. Chen selects each book for each of us based on what we enjoy playing and the nature of our progress. I can tell that she selects each book with great care. Ms. Chen is professional and certainly has imparted a feeling on my daughter that the piano is a great musical instrument, but at the same time she applauds and cheers encouragingly during my daughter’s lessons. In the first few months when I was starting with the most basic concepts (where is Middle C again?), Ms. Chen noticed and appreciated small steps of progress in my playing. It is important for both a younger child or an adult (I am 40) to be encouraged even as we just begin to play piano. My daughter and I are looking forward to playing in a recital this Spring."
Michael Williams
"Li-An Chen has been teaching my two daughters piano lessons for only a couple of months now. They have both learned to read music with ease already. Her easy manner with the girls has really helped encourage their fast progression. She provides them with a lot of different popular music they want to actually practice and play. She understands that the girls are in different stages of life and that one has a very demanding school and sports schedule. She handles them both - just right. I am really glad I found Ms. Chen. She is working out well for us. I believe she is a great piano teacher."
Maryjean Webb
"I give my strongest recommendations for Li-An Chen for piano teacher. Li-An is an outstanding piano teacher. She is an extremely talented and caring piano teacher. I have known Li-An for about a year and without mistakes she is the best piano teacher that I have observed. Our son Humberto has been taking piano lessons since he was four years old and over the past five years we have moved from Hawaii to Virginia, back to the West Coast and now back in Virginia and we are extremely happy with the level of professionalism and dedication that Li-An has with her students. If you want your child to learn to play the piano, read music, and compose music with a high level of proficiency in a safe and professional environment, then give Li-An a call and she will take care of the rest."
Humberto & Doris Jones
"I highly recommend Li-An Chen as a piano teacher. My daughter has been taking Piano lessons with her for the past year and our experience has been nothing but wonderful. She is not only friendly and patient but also is good at gauging her student's level of knowledge and ability. She customized the music and lessons to her current skill level while at the same time provide challenges to keep the learning process going."
Thilaga Marimuthu
"Li-An was my Piano Instructor from first grade to freshman year of high school. The first day with her I expected nothing but a disciplined lesson. I was wrong, for the reason that she taught through her own systematic and creative approach. For example, she provided activities and quirky methods to help me learn notes and recognize keys on the piano. Such activities included matching the tunes with the keys and developing my own wacky acronyms for the scales. Her fun methods not only lured me into playing, but also helped me establish a bond with her and a new attitude towards playing.
She was gracious and did not speak overbearingly to me on the first day. An introduction to several pieces and warm-ups were clarified, and demonstrations were uncomplicated given that she acknowledged I was a novel student and had no previous experience in piano. Her consideration surfaced continuously when she would accommodate her teaching style to fit my learning needs with inventive techniques. Throughout every lesson she would inform me the importance of relaxation and imagination, which were two elements that guided me through a piece. For example, she advised me to sink into the music and imagine I was in the midst of it.
Her originality, inspiration, thoughtfulness, and friendship have shaped me into a piano player I never knew I could be. Li-An is an exceptional teacher, who cares about her students and provides creative ways to alleviate her students’ stress. She is intelligent in teaching and in music, and is well informed of how to present different teaching styles for each student."
Frankie Chang
"I am an eight year old kid. I first learned how to learn the piano in group class for two years. Now I am learning private class with Ms. Li An Chen for three months. I improve my skills on reading the musical notes. And Ms. Chen teaches me different kinds of music, such as Jazz, Classics and modern music. I learn a lot of music from her. She is a patient and kind Piano Instructor. I am very happy learning with her."
Richard Huang
"Li-An has been an amazing instructor to my 8 year old son and myself. My son has been playing for 3 years and Li-An has taken him to the next level in a challenging but yet fun way. She has also inspired me to start taking lessons and even challenges me. We are looking forward to our first piano competition tomorrow and it is all thanks to Li-An."
Meghan & Quinn Kennedy
"I highly recommend Li-An as a piano teacher. She has taught my 7 year old daughter to read music in just a few short months. She is patient with her and gives her the confidence and encouragement to play independently. She is very focused on her students and I would highly recommend her to any child or adult who wants to learn to play the Piano"
Taryn Sifakis
"My daughter has been taking piano lessons with Ms. Li-An since Nov 2010 and she is always looking forward to it. Ms. Li-An has undeniable gift for teaching others what she loves to do. She has the ability of keeping her student engaged and interested as they move up. My daughter was able to participate in the Spring Festival and was graded "Superior" by both judges. Normally it requires six months of piano experience to participate in the festival and this is my daughter's first lesson. I am so happy with my daughter's progress. I highly recommend the creative and inspirational techniques of Li-An for anyone who would like to learn piano or improve their skills."
Rebecca Daniel
"Dear Li-An, Learning to play the piano with you has been a really wonderful experience for me. I could not even read music so that has been a challenge for me, but you have made it fun and enjoyable. The thing I like about your teaching is that you let me exceed my own expectation...by that I mean that you have faith in me and it helps me to have faith in myself even when I get frustrated with a particular piece of music. You are always so positive and that rubs off on your students. Thank you for taking on a old timer like me and helping me to exceed way past anything I thought possible for myself. Piano is fun because you make it fun!"
Jane Andree
"I can not say enough good things about Li An Chen Piano Studio. Li An is an incredibly gifted piano teacher. Right away she taught my nine year old son to read music and to play the piano with both hands. Within four months he was competing in the Spring Music Festival where he achieved a score of Superior. Li An is patient and methodical in her teaching methods which my son responded to right away. Her personal manner and obvious love of piano made quite an impression on our family. She is absolutely the best choice for a piano teacher in Northern Virginia."
Kelly Turner
