Loving my return to teaching piano!

Yes, there is a piano teacher who will come to your home in Central Toronto! I love working with people of all ages and all levels. I generally either teach online on Zoom, or I travel to the student’s home. Adult students who are returning to piano studies are a specialty!

After several years of focusing solely on composition, in 2018 I returned to part-time teaching. This time around I am working with fewer students, so I am able to create individual programs to fit the student’s interests. I even arrange their favourite pieces for them, for a truly “boutique” lesson experience. I find it’s really satisfying for both of us, when students can pursue and realize their musical dreams.

I teach classical piano, including preparing for RCM exams: up to grade 9.

I teach jazz or popular piano/keyboard playing (using sheet music or lead sheets): up to intermediate levels.

I teach music theory, composition, song-writing, ear-training, and notating music using “Sibelius” software: all levels, depending on the student’s interest and experience.

Thanks to ongoing referrals by local music stores Paul Hahn & Co and Remenyi House of Music, it seems that adult students, both beginners and those returning to lessons after many years, are my new specialty. Some choose to play Royal Conservatory of Music exams, while other just want to play for pleasure or for the challenge of learning a new skill. I am constantly impressed and inspired by my students!

I usually have some availability on Tuesdays or Wednesdays for online lessons via Zoom, or in students’ homes in my neighbourhood (near Rosedale station in Toronto). I do venture farther out, but lesson pricing is tiered according to your distance away. All lessons and materials are tailored to the individual student's interests and abilities. Please contact me to discuss the possibilities at erikayost{at}gmail{dot}com.

But wait… I teach Latvian language also!

Having learned the relatively complex Latvian language from scratch as an adult (mostly self taught), I find that there is quite a demand for me to teach it to others. There are many of us who grew up in North-American Latvian culture but somehow never learned the language. It is a challenging language to learn as an adult, but definitely possible with some hard work and determination! I would be happy to help you on your language learning journey, so please feel free to contact me. You can read more about my own Latvian language journey via the blog I kept during my year in Latvia, which you can read here.