Cascade Method Piano Lessons

Cascade Method Piano Lessons We offer individual and grouo piano lessons using a fun and unique method that kids love! We also teach children with special needs.

Welcome to Cascade Melody School of Music where we offer private in-home music lessons in San Francisco, Marin, and the East Bay. We teach piano, guitar, voice, violin, saxophone, and flute lessons in a creative and motivating way for students of all levels and ages.

09/25/2026

Here is Gemma’s beautiful performance of “Piper’s Duet.” ✨

Gemma first started piano through one of my online courses, Hooked on Piano. And somewhere along the way, she discovered that she genuinely loved playing piano. 🥹

That love eventually led her to Piano Club, where she’s been taking group lessons for the past couple of years. This was her most recent performance back in May, and I couldn’t be more proud of the progress she has made. ✨

But honestly? What touches me the most isn’t just how much she has learned.

It’s how much she truly loves her lessons. ❤️

Watching a student go from simply learning an instrument to finding something that lights them up is one of my favorite parts of being a piano teacher.

Gemma, you have grown SO much and I’m so proud of you! 🎹🌸💕

🎹✨ One of the things you may see your child doing in our lessons is something that might look surprisingly simple:Writin...
09/23/2026

🎹✨ One of the things you may see your child doing in our lessons is something that might look surprisingly simple:

Writing music by hand.✏️🎼

And there’s a very good reason I have my students do this—even my youngest beginners.

When a child is learning piano, it’s easy to think that if they can find the right keys and play the right notes, they understand the music.

But there’s SO much more happening behind the scenes.

When I hand a student a pencil and ask them to write a note on the staff, I get to see what they really know.

Do they know where Middle C belongs?
Can they tell which direction the notes are moving?
Do they understand how the piano keys connect to the notes they see on the page?
Can they recognize a note—and then write it themselves?

Sometimes writing it down reveals something that playing it didn’t. And that gives me a chance to slow down, explain it differently, and help that concept really click. 💛

And honestly? Kids LOVE making up their own music. 🥰

Even my youngest students can create a tiny melody, choose a few notes, write them down, and then PLAY the music they created.

That little moment of, “I wrote this!” is incredibly powerful. ✨

It’s one of the reasons I bring composition and music-writing into lessons from the very beginning. Learning piano isn’t just about learning to play someone else’s music—it’s about learning to understand music. ✏️🎼🥰

09/21/2026

One year of piano lessons.

That’s it.

And THIS is what Lyla did. 🥹🎹💗

Lyla was part of my Piano Club, learning piano in a small group rather than through traditional one-on-one lessons.

Here she is playing “Pink Pony Club” as a duet — and I just cannot get over how naturally the music comes through her.

You can SEE it.

The way she moves her body.
The way she feels the rhythm.
The way she catches those little moments between the notes.
The way she isn’t just playing the song… she’s FEELING it.

And this is one of the things I love most about teaching piano in a group setting.

Sometimes parents worry that their child needs private lessons in order to really excel.

But children can learn SO much from making music alongside other children — listening, watching, taking turns, building confidence, playing together, and learning to hold their own musical part.

And when you combine that with a teacher who is paying attention to each individual child?

✨ Magic can happen.

Lyla only had one year.

One year in Piano Club.

And look at her play. 🥹💗🎹

09/18/2026

Here’s Lenna’s beautiful performance of Love Story 💖🥰🎹

One of my students, Lauren, started teaching a couple of years ago, and I couldn’t be more proud of both girls. ✨

There’s something so incredibly special about watching your own students grow up and become teachers themselves — and even more beautiful when they form such a meaningful bond with their own students and help them become the musicians they are meant to be. 🥹💗

It feels like such a full-circle moment, and I couldn’t love it more. Watching the love of music get passed from teacher to student, and then from student-turned-teacher to the next generation, is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do. 🎹✨💖

09/16/2026

I’m calling this game Copycat, and WOW—what an eye-opener!! ✨🎹 I had students copy notes directly from a card onto a magnetic board… sounds simple, right? 🤔 Not always!! Some kiddos struggled with spacing, note order, and even placing notes on the correct line or space 🫣🎼

I used these adorable little cards from Abigail’s Whole Foundation Method 🧡—so clean and simple!! I love that they come in both treble and bass clef, so I could switch things up and keep everyone on their toes 👣🎵 Once they mastered copying the notes correctly, they either got to play the melody starting on ANY key or I gave them the real starting note and they had to read by intervals 🎯🎶

This hands-on approach is EVERYTHING!! It helps me see exactly what my students do and don’t understand, where the gaps are, and how I can better support them 🙌🏼 So proud of my Piano Club kiddos!! ⭐️👏🏼

Try this with your students—you’ll learn so much from watching them “copy”!!

09/14/2026

Rory has been with me since 2021, when he first started in Piano Club. 🎹💗

It didn’t take long for me to realize just how devoted he was to piano, and he quickly moved into one-on-one lessons. And WOW… he’s come so far! 🥹

Mind you… Rory’s current warm-up for his lessons is the first TWO pages of La Campanella by Liszt. 😆🎹 If you know, you KNOW. 😂

I am SO proud of him and everything he has accomplished over the years. Watching a student grow from those early days into the pianist he is today is one of my absolute favorite parts of teaching. ❤️

Here’s a little snippet from our latest recital 🎶

We just started back up with our 1:1 lessons and I’m already so excited to see what this next year brings! ✨🎹

Here are a couple pictures from our first week back in lessons!! ♥️🎹🥰
09/11/2026

Here are a couple pictures from our first week back in lessons!! ♥️🎹🥰

09/09/2026

My students are OBSESSED with this game! 🤩🎶 And honestly… I don’t blame them. It’s basically interval practice disguised as a competition. 😉🏆

I originally created **Blowfish Bump** as a printable game, but adding my magnetic Sound Shapes has taken it to a whole new level! 🧲🎹 Now students get to physically move the notes around the staff while using my Boom Deck to determine their next move.

And because they’re trying to BEAT each other to the finish… they don’t even realize how much they’re practicing! 😂🙌

Here’s how we play:

🎹 Each student starts on Middle C.
🎯 We choose two target notes—one in treble clef and one in bass clef.
🎲 The Boom Deck tells us the move: stay on the same note, step up/down, or skip up/down.
🏆 First player to reach their target note wins!

It’s such a fun way to reinforce **beginner intervals, directional reading, and note recognition**—with just the right amount of friendly competition. 😜

09/08/2026

One of those teacher moments that makes you SO proud. 🥹❤️

When Louie first started with me, he was so shy. He even asked if his parents could stay nearby during his lessons because being in a new environment felt a little scary.

Fast forward three years… and WOW. 🥹

Not only has Louie grown so much as a little musician, but his confidence has blossomed right along with him. And I got to see just how far he’s come at our most recent recital.

He played the Addams Family Theme 👻🎹 and absolutely had the whole crowd going! There was clapping along while he played, and watching him confidently perform in front of everyone made my teacher heart SO happy.

Because the year before, Louie was supposed to perform too… but at the very last minute, he got scared and decided he just couldn’t do it. And that was okay. ❤️

So to see him get up there this year, sit down at the piano, and not only PLAY… but completely own the moment?! 😭👏

I couldn’t have been more proud of him.

Three years of lessons, so much musical growth, and SO much confidence gained. These are the moments that remind me why I love teaching. 🥹🎹❤️

Way to go, Louie!! You absolutely rocked it! 👻👏

I honestly didn’t realize how popular this Snowman game would be! ☃️🎹When I teach piano clubs, some groups are mixed lev...
11/05/2025

I honestly didn’t realize how popular this Snowman game would be! ☃️🎹

When I teach piano clubs, some groups are mixed levels — a few students have been with me for two years while others are just starting out. Sometimes, I want everyone to play the same game… so last week I made two versions of this one: one for beginners and one for more advanced students. ❄️

Well… my students were OBSESSED! 😍 They even asked for more accessories to decorate their snowmen! 😂 You can bet this game is sticking around for the next couple of months! ☃️💙🎶

Address

Novato, CA
94947

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 10pm
Tuesday 9am - 10pm
Wednesday 9am - 10pm
Thursday 9am - 10pm
Friday 9am - 10pm
Saturday 9am - 8pm
Sunday 9am - 8pm

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