Meet some of our peery graduates

Years at Peery: 2013 - 2022 

Immediately after Peery: Attended De Anza College for 2 years and then transferred to UCLA as a Computer Science Major and planning to minor in Climate Science.

Peery Memories and Meaning: I can say without a shadow of a doubt that my time at Peery has had an incredible impact in shaping me into who I am today. I discovered and honed a passion for music and playing piano has become one of my favorite things to do. As a student, I learned not only music and how to play piano but also discipline and perseverance. Many of the skills I acquired at Peery translated and carried over to other aspects of my life. Lessons were tailored to each student so I was able to enjoy and learn the pieces that I loved listening to. During my time as a community college student, I returned to Peery as a teacher which was incredibly rewarding and valuable both as a person and as a pianist. I am so incredibly grateful for the PPA community that has helped me over the years. My life has been substantially improved because of Peery, and I would not be who I am today without them.

Years at Peery: 2009-2022

Immediately after Peery: Attended Brigham Young University Provo majoring in Anthropology
Peery Memories and Meaning: There was a year or two in high school that I didn't play piano at all myself. I taught, but I didn't practice. Eventually I realized, not so much that I missed it, but that I was frustrated at not being able to do something that I used to be good at. I started practicing again, and realized that I really was good at it, and I really did miss it. I hadn't known how much fun it could be just to do something that I was good at. I learned a totally new skill: to play purely for the fun of it. I practice every day now, just doing stuff that catches my attention, stuff that I enjoy. Peery is dear to me because it taught me how to teach, to learn, to work hard, to practice, and because it taught me good habits. I can't understate any of those things. They've all been hugely important to me in every aspect of my life and my character. And yet, what I most value from Peery is that it pushed me through the pains of learning until I was good at something, and in so doing gave me the opportunity to learn to appreciate the beauty and joy of mastery. There is beauty and joy in both the recognition and exercise of mastery, and I would never have known that beauty and joy if not for Peery.

Years at Peery:  2008-2021
Immediately After Peery:  Attended UC Berkeley

Peery Memories and Meaning: My time at Peery has been full of personal highs and lows: both  rewarding practices and disappointing lessons, stellar performances and  memorably lacking ones, too. And yet no matter the challenge, Peery has  taught me to persevere, to remain determined, to practice patience,  grit, thoughtfulness, attention to detail—skills I will invariably use  for the rest of my life. I’ll forever be thankful for the time I’ve had  at Peery and the people I’ve been so lucky to work with (most notably  Amy and Christie!). Peery Piano has shaped who I am today & I will  miss it all so much!!  

Years at Peery:  2018-2020
Immediately After Peery:  Attended Notre Dame majoring in Physics and Math

Peery Memories and Meaning: In my (albeit short) time at Peery, I really gained an appreciation for  the interplay of the more technical side of piano and the more artistic  side of piano. Prior to working with the Peery instructors, I didn't  really understand exactly how those two went together, but through my  time at Peery, I really gained an appreciation for how those two sides  of piano are both very complementary to each other. That really elevated  my approach to piano and has made me much better in practice and in  performance.

Years at Peery:  2009-2019
 Immediately After Peery:  Attended UCSB for Chemical Engineering

 Peery Memories and Meaning: Nothing passes time like doing something you love! My time at Peery was  instrumental (pun intended) in shaping my work ethic and my musicality.  All the time I've spent in class with Mrs. Skousen and at home breaking  down pieces that felt far beyond my abilities has taught me that  perseverance and a love for the music I was learning make practice feel  equally enjoyable as performing the piece itself. As YouTube keeps  throwing fantastic new pieces at me to learn, it's the methods of  practicing that I learned at Peery that have helped me explore a vast  range of music, from Bach Preludes and Liszt's Totentanz on piano to string quartets, orchestral music, and symphonic music on viola.

Years at Peery:  2006-2018
Immediately After Peery:  Attended Brigham Young University majoring in Neuroscience

Peery Memories and Meaning: I had the best class ever with Anne and Laura (and Rohan at the end).  One of our greatest hits was Love Song.  My performance of Chopin's  Waltz in A minor was legendary because I worked on it for 3 years  straight. At Peery I learned the power of good process and how to  prioritize and balance my time. I also gained an appreciation just for  being able to play the piano and the importance of efficient and  effective practicing. Peery is the best! I loved my lessons, I loved  teaching, and I loved being able to work at and improve so consistently.

Years at Peery:  2006-2018
Immediately After Peery:  Attended University of British Columbia - Vancouver

Peery Memories and Meaning: I am very grateful for both the piano skills and personal values that I  learned throughout my time with Peery. Although I was not always the  best with practicing, my experience at Peery allowed me to discover and  nurture a love for music and performing.  Recitals taught me the  importance of setting a goal and persevering, and how to stay calm and  perform under pressure, all of which have carried through to other  aspects of my life. As I grew older, playing piano became more than just  pressing keys but also an emotional experience for me, so I vowed to  stick with it, even when life got especially busy. I now play piano with  a performance club at my university, and I don't believe music would be  such a big part of my life if it weren't for Peery.  

Years at Peery:  2006-2018
Immediately After Peery:  Attended Utah State University in the BFA Acting program

Peery Memories and Meaning: In my time at Peery, I learned the value of consistent, hard work. Now I  am able to turn to piano and music as a relief, an outlet, and a pass  time, but it took many years of not so relaxing or fulfilling practice  to reach that point. I am so glad I stuck with piano because I am now  able to use those skills for my own personal enjoyment as well as to  contribute to musical endeavors in community, church, and education  settings. My work at the piano over the years has helped me see that  though results are not always immediate, practice and diligent work will  pay off and result in rich benefits. I am grateful for the skills Peery  gave me, piano related and character related, that have helped launch  me into this new stage of life! 

Years at Peery:  2007-2017
Immediately After Peery:  Attended Yale as a chemistry major

Peery Memories and Meaning: My Peery training gave me a strong base of technique and musicality  that has allowed me to thoroughly enjoy music after high school. In  college, I’ve played in chamber music groups and pit orchestras, and I’m  so grateful for all of Mrs. Skousen’s guidance that taught me  discipline, work ethic, and a love of music. 

Years at Peery: 2003-2016
Immediately After Peery:   Attended The Juilliard School as a Piano Performance Major

Peery Memories and Meaning: What I most have taken away from my time studying with Mrs. Skousen at  Peery, as well as the musical ideas and approaches to listening and  playing music she has given me, is the ability and knowledge of how to  practice concisely and correctly, and the ability to make myself listen  to my own playing, in a way that I would never have been able to alone.

Years at Peery:  2007-2016 

Immediately After Peery:  Attended UC Berkeley

Peery Memories and Meaning: I have very fond  memories of my time at Peery. Although I was far from the best at  practicing or performing, I think my favorite part of Peery was how  there were so many ways to pursue one's interest in music. I heard many  of my friends complain about their experiences with piano lessons, which  is something I never shared because the Peery curriculum was so diverse  that I always found something I enjoyed. I was still well prepared for  the annual tests which was what mattered to my mom, but for the rest of  the year, I could learn choice pieces, play hymns, learn chord  progressions or play jazz. Additionally, I think the opportunity to  become a teacher was a fantastic way to gain a greater appreciation for  music. Teaching really clicked for me, and getting to work with the  younger students and see their progression over the years was an  incredibly rewarding experience.

Years at Peery:  2008-2015
Immediately After Peery:  Attended Brigham Young University Provo for a Computer Science degree with minors in Business and Design

Peery Memories and Meaning: I felt like Peery was a family to me. I loved my Habits students and I  will always be thankful for the person I became through teaching. I  learned more than just Piano; I learned the skills that allowed me to  tackle any problem by breaking it down, and practicing it. I would not  be the person I am today without Peery..

Years at Peery: 2003-2015
Immediately After Peery:   Attended Carnegie Mellon University, with a Major in computer science and Minor in music

Peery Memories and Meaning: As a shy and introverted person, teaching piano at Peery helped me  learn how to open up and interact with people of all ages! I used the  communication and interpersonal skills that I gained to be a more  effective teaching assistant and vocal music club leader.

Years at Peery:  2002-2013

Immediately After Peery:  Attended UCSB
Peery Memories and Meaning: I have loved being a part of Peery Piano Academy for the past 19 years.  After high school graduation, I attended University of California,  Santa Barbara and have since returned back to the Bay Area. I feel so  blessed to continue teaching at PPA after graduating. Music, in general,  has taught me discipline, hard work, and dedication. However, being a  part of the Peery community has shown me the effects that encouragement  and perseverance have on young students. Having started teaching at a  young age, my students were able to immediately relate to my teaching  style and I was able to relate to their struggles. We laugh together  when I tell them that I used to cry during practice too and that sight  reading was also hard for me at their age. At Peery, the teachers are amazing,  award-winning pianists, but we're also passionate about giving back to  this community and uplifting young students who feel discouraged. These  young students can see other students at all levels play during our  recitals and see where their piano journey is headed. Peery has an  incredible sense of family within our students and staff that is rare to  find. I love sharing my passion for music with my students and it's  exciting to see them blossom in their own journeys.

Years at Peery:  2002-2012
Immediately After Peery:  Attended University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Peery Memories and Meaning: My time at Peery has taught me discipline and diligence. My defining  moment: when I was 7, in response to my sloppy playing in my haste to  expedite the learning process, Christie told me that there is no  substitute for hard work, no elevator to success, just steps. I learned  to take challenging pieces, and break them down into manageable next  steps. Peery Piano trained me how to think, how to tackle a problem to  reach my goal. This framework and mentality has helped me excel both in  college and now at work.

Years at Peery:  2002-2012

Immediately After Peery:  Attended UC Berkeley with a major in Business

Peery Memories and Meaning: My greatest takeaway from my piano study is that with enough discipline  and persistence, you can achieve your goals. Conversely, if you lack  practice, you shouldn't expect things to come easily. I try to apply  this mindset whenever I'm frustrated because I don't pick things up as  quickly as I would like and remind myself that I'm capable because I've  done it before when I was younger practicing piano!

Years at Peery:  2007-2009

Immediately After Peery:  Studied piano performance at BYU

Peery Memories and Meaning: I loved playing during the masterclasses - we had lots of fun making  mistakes together, and it was a very supportive crowd. Now as I look  back at that time, however, I realize that having Christie continually  push me to pay attention to every detail and how I sound has been one of  the important life lessons I have gleaned from my years behind the  keyboard that I try put into practice with my family and at work.