I have enjoyed teaching adults since the beginning of my career.  Sometimes musicians with other specialties, such as composers or singers, come to me to hone their piano skills.

“When I came to study with her ( Jessica Klass), I was an accomplished composer and songwriter who had been unevenly trained on the piano. Mrs. Klass was able to really lay the groundwork for me and teach me the basics of piano technique, all the while respecting my high level of musicianship in other areas. She was excellent at assessing my musical strengths and weaknesses and helped me develop my weak areas while encouraging me in those areas in which I was already strong.”

— Julie Geller, singer/songwriter:graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and Harvard University

Most of my adult students have been returnees to the piano, sometimes after decades of neglect of their skills. We have a wonderful time revisiting old favorites and bringing technical skills back to their old level, learning new repertoire and moving forward into uncharted territory.

“Over the last half century, I have had the privilege of studying piano with a number of excellent teachers at various times and in various parts of the country. Ms Klass is more than a pianist who has chosen to teach. She is a serious student of piano pedagogy as well as a pianist. As such, I and other students I know have found her to be far superior to most others we’ve studied with as a teacher of technique and musicianship. She is also able to help her students develop  a love and understanding of music and piano literature in particular.”

–Paul Panish

Occasionally, I have the opportunity to teach an adult beginner.  To be successful as an adult beginner, the adult student must set aside enough time daily to learn the rudiments and commit to regular practice.  Many adult beginners have wanted to study piano for a lifetime and cherish the time in lesson and at the piano practicing. This man began piano lessons at age fifty, when he had a sabbatical, and played for many, many years.

“Mrs. Klass is a born teacher. She has an unerring sense of just how much a student can handle at any given time, how to criticize and how to reward. Her powers of observation are such that she seems to miss nothing. When something is not going well, she seems able to identify the problem quickly and propose solutions. She uses lesson time superbly, so that the experience is both instructive and pleasurable. Her assignments contain the right mixture of technical problems interspersed with attractive music so that one does not become bored. And she deals with certain blocks that threaten to get in the way of progress so that one never feels frustrated.”

— ( the late) Norman Fruman, professor of English, California State University, Los Angeles, and University of Minnesota