Personalized lessons for adult beginners in Kelowna, BC.
Adult Students
Ready to finally learn piano?
Maybe you've never played a note. Maybe you played as a kid and the piano's been calling you back ever since. Either way, if you've put it off for "long enough," you're in the right place.
I've spent over 30 years teaching piano, and I specialize in adult beginners. I know starting as an adult feels different — you want a teacher who won't make you feel behind, who builds on what you're already good at, and who makes room for a busy, real-life schedule. That's exactly how I teach.
Here's how it works:
1. We start with you. Every lesson is customized — your pace, your goals, your approach (method book, chord charts, lead sheets, sheet music, or a mix).
2. You learn the music you actually love. Not just exercises — real songs that keep you motivated.
3, You grow from a strengths-based approach, so lessons feel encouraging, not intimidating.
Don’t just take my word for it — read what my adult students are saying on Google.
Flexible drop-in lessons available during the day on Wednesdays and Thursdays. $36 for 30 minutes.
Youth Lessons
Private Piano Lessons are offered to committed students who
attend for 30 or 45 minutes per week.
Private
lessons allow for complete student support in a 1 on 1
setting. Tuition is reflected accordingly.
Criminal Record Checks are on file with both HCOS and
KLEOS.
The studio is priviledged to be full and is not accepting waitlisted students at this time.
Michelle (she/her/hers)
Welcome to Michelle's Music Studio!
Curious about piano lessons but not sure where to start? You're in the right place.
Whether you're brand new, returning after years away, or just want a more supportive, personalized approach — I'll meet you where you are and help you move forward with confidence.
Who I Work With
After 30+ years of teaching, I've found my sweet spot: adult beginners. I currently teach 25 adult students, ages 20 to 80, and I love supporting them as they begin — or return to — their musical journey.
I also teach:
- University students and working professionals
- Retirees
- Neurodiverse learners
- Children and teens
What Lessons Look Like
Lessons are built around your goals and learning style, using a method book, practical music theory, chord charts, or lead sheets — whatever fits you best. My focus: helping you feel successful, using music you genuinely enjoy.
Where Lessons Happen
In-person at my bright, calm studio on Dilworth Mountain in Kelowna, featuring a Kawai Grand Piano and a Yamaha Clavinova digital piano.
What You Can Expect
- A safe, supportive environment
- Clear guidance, no pressure
- A pace that's yours, not a preset timeline
- A strengths-based approach that builds confidence
How to Get Started
- Reach out through the contact form
- We’ll find the right fit and availability
- Start lessons with a plan built around you
Image credit: Holly Smee
Your dream of playing piano is possible!
My approach is rooted in creating genuine safety and connection — not just teaching notes and rhythms, but helping you feel present, grounded, and truly met wherever you are in your musical journey. I believe growth happens best when you feel secure enough to be curious, make mistakes, and rediscover the joy of playing.Come play!
Client Love
"Thank you so much for the opportunity to learn with you today. It was SO MUCH FUN! I always knew my girls were lucky to have you as their teacher, but now it is confirmed from first hand experience how great you are and how lucky we are to learn alongside you!"
"Michelle is an amazing instructor. As an adult learner, I appreciate her positive reinforcement and interest in tailoring her teaching to songs and techniques I gravitate towards, which makes learning easy and motivation to play is high. You won't be disappointed picking her."
"Michelle is an incredible instructor and lovely person! I’m an adult learner and she is warm, patient, encouraging, and professional. She is a gifted teacher who explains concepts clearly and is quick to try another approach if the first isn’t working. The techniques she has introduced me to have been very helpful in learning and retaining new information. Not only this, but she has numerous apps, games, and recommendations to help with all sorts of musical theory, methods, and practice. Her home is welcoming and calm, and her piano is gorgeous. I highly recommend Michelle's Music Studio. :)"
"I have been having so much fun learning to play the piano with Michelle. She challenges me and encourages me to learn and do more than I expected I could. She understands how adults learn and adapts her teaching style. I couldn't be happier with my lessons and how much I'm learning. I highly recommend Michelle for anyone who wants to learn or take their ability with playing the piano to the next level."
About Me
Welcome! I'm Michelle, and I've been teaching piano for more than 30 years. Over the years, I've had the privilege of learning alongside hundreds of students, and I've discovered that adult beginners are my sweet spot. I especially love helping people discover that it really is possible to learn piano as an adult — without judgment, pressure, or the feeling that you should already know how to do it.
My approach to teaching is warm, nurturing, and inclusive. I strive to create a learning environment where you can feel safe to be curious, make mistakes, ask questions, and learn at your own pace. As an Enneagram 2, INFJ, and highly sensitive person (HSP), I naturally pay close attention to the person behind the student. I care deeply about connection and meeting each person where they are. I listen deeply — to what's working, not just what needs work — and I make a point of naming what you're doing well, right alongside the gentle challenges that help you grow.
My teaching journey began in high school after completing my Royal Conservatory of Music credentials. I went on to study Education at university, with a minor in Music, and then completed three years of training with Music for Young Children (MYC), becoming a certified MYC teacher in 1997.
For many years, I maintained a large group teaching studio in Kelowna before returning to private lessons. I found that individual teaching allowed me to slow down, listen more deeply, and tailor the learning experience to each student.
Although I am classically trained, I've always enjoyed a wide variety of music, including folk, rock, pop, sacred, classical music, and soft rock. I love playing by ear and playing from the heart, and in recent years I've returned to composing, particularly enjoying rich harmonies and the freedom of creating something of my own. Thanks to my son, I've even developed a greater appreciation for rap!
For me, music has never been only about reading notes correctly or playing the "right" way. Music is math and art, harmony and magic, all at once.
My life and work are deeply shaped by attachment theory and embodiment practices. I believe that when we drop out of our heads and into our bodies, we become more available to expression, creativity, and connection. When we allow ourselves to feel the music as we play, something shifts — in us, and often in the people listening. Students often remark that our time together at the studio feels healing for them. Lessons often include laughter, as well as joy, delight, and the occasional frustration (o: — all part of the process.
I've also been shaped by my own children, now grown, and by the many "children of the heart" I've had the honour of loving and supporting throughout the world. Through it all, one thread has remained: I love fostering community and creating spaces where people feel that they belong. That thread is, I think, the real legacy I hope to leave — not a list of accomplishments, but a trail of people who felt a little more at home in themselves because of our time together.
Perhaps this began when I was a young kiddo shaped by the gentle wisdom of Mr. Rogers. I still carry that spirit with me today, and I try to pass it forward with every student who sits down at the piano bench.
Whether you're returning to the piano after many years, learning for the very first time, or simply looking for a creative space in your week, I hope you'll find a welcoming home at the piano here.
There is no particular kind of person you need to be, and no particular level you need to reach before you belong.
Come as you are. Let's make some music.