Mimico Piano Lessons

A commitment to Excellence with professional one to one private piano lessons in person or online using the Zoom platform.

Piano Lessons
Theory Lessons
Ear Training
Sight Reading
Musicianship
Royal Conservatory of Music Examinations
High School Credits

“The gift of music lasts a lifetime because
success in music prepares you for success in life"

- I am offering piano lessons for beginners to advanced piano students of all age

- lessons include all aspects of music including ear training, sight reading, technique and theory

- I have tremendous success with adults who either resume piano lessons which they begun while they were young as well as adults who begin for their own enjoyment or those who begin to study piano to help their kids in learning as they share time together

- if you prefer you may learn to play fun, popular songs

- be able to improvise and create your own musical compositions

- introduction to light jazz at the appropriate time is possible if you are interested

Every aspect of complete musicianship is constantly emphasized:

  • reading efficiently

  • hearing comprehensively

  • connecting with the rhythms

  • executing phrases and larger structures with understanding

  • feeling the music emotionally and intellectually comprehensively fusing all components together

  • I primarily follow the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto curriculum as a guideline and I have many supplementary materials for those who do not wish to take examinations

Congratulations to all my students in their endeavours:

  • RI for acceptance to the PhD Programme at the most prestigious Harvard University

  • RI 81% Grade 10 Piano

  • AS Grade 1 89%

  • AS completing Prep A, Prep B, Grade 1 and Grade 2 in one year

  • DM Grade 2 85%

  • CE 80% in Grade 5 Piano

  • CX 80% Grade 9 Piano, age 14

  • CX  94% Advanced Rudiments

  • DD 87% Grade 8 Piano, age 13

  • Mrs. D. 83% in Grade 4 Piano, age 70+

  • CP 88% in Grade 6 Piano

  • YCS 86% in Grade 1 Piano

  • YE 83% in Grade 4 Piano

  • RI for placing 2nd in ARCT Class in Davenport Festival

  • JC for being accepted to the Jazz Music Program in Humber College

  • JF for receiving ARCT

  • KE 85% Grade 3 piano

  • JW 3rd place in first competition

  • MG 88% Prep A Piano

  • MW 76% in Grade 7 Piano

     

Instructor

Pianist Monika Kasprzak

M.Mus. in Piano Performance & Pedagogy
B.Mus. from University of Toronto
A.R.C.T. in Piano PerformanceRoyal Conservatory of Music Affiliate
Yamaha Music Trained Teacher

Monika Kasprzak is a pianist of the highest calibre who she has been passionately pursuing excellence in all styles of piano performance her entire life. A highly qualified professional instructor with a knowledge of serious classical repertoire, what sets Monika Kasprzak apart from other classical piano teachers is her experience in performing many other genres from a very young age.  Also as a practicing professional with over 30 years experience performing classical as well as current music, light jazz;  piano solos and duos, as well as ensembles, symphony orchestras and choirs, she can incorporate all of these varieties of music into your music education.  With over 28 years experience teaching hundreds of students,  a number of them continued music in higher institutions and pursued music as a career.  A recording artist, her solo piano CD "A Steinway Christmas" was nominated and awarded with a Best of the Year  2013  Runner-up on SoloPiano.com internet radio.  (see CD details later)

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS
- undergraduate studies at University of Toronto's Faculty of Music
- trained by top teachers of the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto, including Tanya Tkachenko and Margaret Parsons-Poole and from a direct lineage of teachers leading back to Chopin and Beethoven             - Masters in Piano Performance & Pedagogy with A average
- chamber music studies at Banff School of Performing Arts with coaching by Ruth Laredo and Gilbert Kalish
- modern piano improvisation studies with Casey Sokol at York University
- jazz arranging with Dave Elliott at University of Toronto
- jazz intro with Phil Nimmons at University of Toronto
- jazz piano improvisation with Dr. Ted Hanson

TEACHING- Monika Kasprzak has been teaching and preparing students for Royal Conservatory Examinations for years and is confident teaching students from the beginner level through to Grade 10 and ARCT Degree (Associate of Royal Conservatory of Toronto)
- trained with specially designed teaching techniques which were researched and developed for over 60 years in Japan by the internationally recognized Yamaha Music Education System
- teacher in Yamaha Corporate Music School in North York for 17 years where she taught  private piano and class piano and now implements  her classroom experience to private lessons where applicable- hundreds of students some of which have pursued piano teaching, continued jazz and composition studies and Humber College as well as performed locally
-recently certified to teach the new Royal Conservatory Theory Curriculum as introduced in the most recent upgraded Syllabus

AWARDS
- winner of numerous awards and scholarships at numerous competition festivals from the age of 12 and attaining marks of 94%, 96% and 97% at Kiwanis Music Festivals which lead to a performance at the "Stars of the Festival" final annual showcase at the age of 16

- distinguished throughout her life for her musical work and dedication many times including Distinguished Musicianship Award as a graduate and Board of Education Music Award at Etobicoke Collegiate Institute

- 1st place laureate in Canada in Canadian Music Competition at the age of 19 as part of a piano duo

- CD Recording Artist with a nominated and Runner Up recognition at SoloPiano Internet Radio for her solo piano CD:  "A Steinway Christmas".    (Please see below for more details)

PERFORMING
- performing since childhood at many events for the Polish community
- toured under the auspices of Youth and Music Canada in an Ontario 12 city tour 1991
- performances  with the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra and York Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Clifford Poole
- 5 years of big band playing, 4 of which were at Etobicoke Collegiate Institute with a 3rd place in Canada win at the annual Canadian National Stage Band Festival
- a practicing professional with a repertoire of over 1,000 songs and pieces of all styles, over 25 years experience and over 2,800 performances in primarily solo piano of classical, popular and light jazz styles, around Southern Ontario at venues such as Windsor Arms Hotel, Tom Jones Steakhouse, Brettons Stores, Doctor's House among 50 more and being selected as preferred pianist over many others.                                 - performances in 28 cities in Canada and United States including venues Roy Thompson Hall, Jane Mallet Theater, also on CJRT and CHIN radio and for numerous dignitaries and VIP's.
-  much collaborative performing experience with  ensembles in big bands, symphony orchestras and choirs  also starting as a teen
- very accomplished accompanist with phenomenal sight reading skills and extensive accompanying experience  for duets with instrumentalists and vocalists as well as for choirs which began at the age of 12 with her school choir which presented its first full musical which she fully accompanied

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- she has been continually honing her skills by listening only to the world's best pianists and musicians of many genres and also taking online MOOC courses by Coursera as well as observing Master Classes by many world's greatest pianist/teachers.  Most recently, she received 92% in Gary Burton's "Introduction to Jazz", 93% in Jonathan Biss' famous "Beethoven 32 Sonatas" MOOC classes and 100% in 'How To Write Like Mozart"
- she has  completed "The Art of Teaching Theory Grade 5 " and  "The Art of Teaching Theory Grade 8" webinars offered by the Royal Conservatory as a teacher update with the brand new Theory curriculum of the latest Syllabus in November 2018.

Musical Background

Luckily piano was taught to her since the age of 6 in a musical family where musical training was a part of her daily life as she spend her entire childhood and teen years studying practising and performing piano music, attaining Grade 8 at the age of 12, Grade 9 at the age of 13, Grade 10 at the age of 14 and A.R.C.T. Piano Performer's Practical at 16 with the completed Theory Co-Requisite requirements at the age of 17.

Additional musical experience during her high school days included playing piano/keyboard in Big Band Stage Bands for 4 years; and being the piano accompanyist for the junior and high school choir's Musical Productions 3 times starting at the ages of 12;  as well as playing clarinet in Concert Band orchestras for 7 years.

A bonus unparalleled level of training came with performing Piano Duos and Duets since the age of 12 with her sister in a multi-award winning journey often attaining marks of 94%, 96% and 97% in festivals, including a first place in Canada in Canadian Music Competitions and featured in the Kiwanis Stars of the Festival Final showcase..  In Piano Duo playng there is a necessity to have a complete mastery of the instrument in order to be fully prepared for the added element of unknown with another musician.

She took all of this knowledge into practice when at the age of 20 she took her first of many jobs playing in restaurants.  There she was able to incorporate and fuse all of her musical and pianistic knowledge into playing for 3-5 hours of arrangements of music and compositions of all styles from classical, light classical, jazz standards, broadway musicals, popular, contemporary, light jazz, classics from the 1920's. 1930''s and each decade, into artforms and elegant cocktail piano stylings.
 
Having studied and been inspired only by the world's greatest pianists and musicians of numerous genres she has devoted over 30,000 hours of practice and experienced over 12,500 hours of performing piano.  Where 10,000 hours is the minimum amount of time required in many activities to reach the level of mastery, she has highly refined rare skills in playing, interpreting, comprehending and teaching piano.  Inspired by the world's greatest classical and jazz pianists and musicians of the past century and now.


Classical Pianists - Vladimir Horowitz,  Earl Wilde, Arthur Rubinstein, Sviatoslav Richter, Martha Argerich, Shura Cherkassky, Van Cliburn, Labeque sisters, Ivo Pogorelich, Yuja Wang
Jazz Pianists - George Shearing, Bill Evans, Marian McPartland, Art Tatum, Chick Corea
Jazz/Fusion Musicians - Miles Davis, Pat Metheny,  (more coming)


Having taught students in the hundreds, she is proud to instill her passion and knowledge of one of the most amazing art forms to our next generation.

“Monika is a pianist of the highest calibre who has been pursuing excellence in pianism most of her life”

“Being a perfectionist my whole life I strive for excellence in anything I do including bringing out the best possible talent in my students.”

“I have a very highly attuned sensitivity to a student’s inherent challenges and work to facilitating a successful path to their learning process.”

Fees

 ​My fees are highly competitive and you will be receiving the highest possible standard in music and piano instruction.   A very individual programme will be prepared to most suit your goals, needs and budget. Royal Conservatory Examinations have taken place 4 times each year: in January, April, June and August giving students much freedom to prepare at the most desirable pace but since 2020 examinations have become available in online formats with many more dates available throughout the year providing students with the possibility of flexible and tailored programmes.

It is very possible for most dedicated students to fast track and complete Levels 1-6 spending  3-6 months at each level with longer lesson times and longer dedicated daily practice sessions.  Please ask for more details as this is variable and needs to be assessed personally with the instructor.

Each level requires theory supplemental instruction of 15 minutes extra.
Lessons are available all year if you have specific needs and goals.

Beginner

This is for the new beginner until Grade 3.  A minimum of 30 minutes lesson every week.

$36 for 30 minutes

$54 for 45 minutes

$72 for 60 minutes

Intermediate

This is for students between Grades 4-7 and a minimum of 45 minutes is recommended.

$54 for 45 minutes

$72 for 60 minutes

Advanced

This is for students who are at the Grade 8 Level and upwards to A.R.C.T.  A minimum of 60 minutes is recommended

$72 for 60 minutes

$90 for 75 minutes

A Steinway Christmas CD

After years of performing in many fine dining establishments I have had many requests to record a CD of my solo renditions of Christmas Music and so with great pleasure I present this CD for your own enjoyment.  This is a beautiful collection of 18 sacred and secular traditional Christmas pieces of the English and Polish cultures arranged in a variety of piano stylings:  from a large grand concert classical style to light jazz renditions to calm relaxing modern sounds.   I am honoured to have received an Honorable Mention at SoloPiano.com internet radio in 2013 for this recording.

Click Here For More Details

LISTEN TO SAMPLES ON SOUNDCLOUD

https://soundcloud.com/pianistmona/a-steinway-christmas-medley-1

BUYING OPTIONS

  • Pay directly using PayPal by sending me your email address and I will create an invoice.

  • Meet in a local coffee shop in Mimico for an in person exchange by contacting me through the contact form as well.

  • Available on Amazon which will be mailed out to you and be sure to order from MK Official CD Book Store:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00123CEIA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A27SOPIAJASFKP&psc=1

  • CD

Links

Royal Conservatory Of Music

The best and most comprehensive music education system of training and assessing musicians.

www.rcmusic.ca

Concert Pitch Piano Services

Tuning, repairs and piano appraisals.  Online piano accessories and piano brokers.   Buy, sell, tune your piano or find a teacher.

www.concertpitchpiano.com

Ear Training Online

This is a very excellent and user friendly source to help with your ear training.


www.good-ear.com

Location

I have a home studio with a grand piano and an upright piano, one for the student and one for myself.
I do not travel to people’s homes.
My lessons require both pianos and a variety of supplements that are readily available at my studio.My Home Studio located near Lakeshore and Parklawn.
NOTE:  Lessons are held ONLNE only during 2020 and 2021.
During 2022-3 the decision whether to return to in-person lessons or to remain online will be made on a case by case basis based on status and lifestyle whether they tend to stay away from crowded places etc. My desire to keep myself and all my students as safe from any illnesses is utmost.
However even if we do have in person lessons I see that the online setup is very useful for occasional use such as times when you may have a mild cold but are still well enough to continue regular life or when we have heavy extreme weather.

near Lakeshore halfway between Parklawn Rd. and Mimico Rd.

+1  416  to be provided once lessons have been confirmed

please past and copy if necessary
 lessons@mimicopianolessons.com

M-F to be scheduled

Contact

Please provide your name, email and a brief message with specific details of your request and we will reply within 24 hours.
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