TESTIMONIALS

"Ric Louchard is no ordinary piano teacher.  He is a gifted pianist and a talented composer.   Ric knows enough about music theory and classical musicians to teach at the graduate level.  And yes, he also exceeds as a piano instructor.  He is warm, patient, kind and has a great ear.  Despite his quiet demeanor his student list includes children and adults from the Who's Who of Silicon Valley.  As an adult student, I am constantly impressed at his breadth of musical knowledge.  I have seen his results working with younger students who have blossomed and played complex pieces beautifully.  Ric is simply the best." Joy E.

"Ric was my piano teacher in middle and high school, and I had a wonderful time as his student. He is an excellent, kind teacher and was a great fit for me - he has a wide range of expertise including classical music but also blues and jazz, and was happy to support me in my interest in learning a lot of ragtime! He was always very thoughtful and kept our lessons fun and interesting. He is an impressive, emotive pianist, improviser, and composer. Thanks to Ric, I knew I wanted to continue studying piano in college, which I did--and my experience as a music major is something I wouldn't trade for anything. I'm now returning to the piano after a hiatus, and although I live across the country, I reached out to Ric for advice because I knew he would be as warm and welcoming as ever. Highly recommended!" Chloe K.

"I began taking lessons with Ric when I was around 7 or 8. I continued lessons with him until I left for college, and now that I am 23 and back home in the Bay, one of my wishes is to continue to work with Ric. He taught me everything from scales (back when my homework was to "bonk the black keys") to advanced music theory. I had no other music teacher and I consider myself lucky to have been with Ric for so long.
 
I always remember how kind, patient, understanding, and forgiving he was with me. While I loved (and presently do love) music, I didn't always have the discipline to practice the technical stuff. I was also quite challenging as a student because I rely more heavily on my ear (ie. listening to the music) than on reading the sheet music in front of me. Ric was always very understanding about this. He would gently remind me that practice is how we improve, and he really inspired me to keep going.
 
I also remember how Ric would always ask me about my personal music tastes -- what kind of music I liked to listen to, what kind of music I liked to play. He never forced me to play any one kind of music. When I was a certain age & had enough technical ability, Ric helped me look for classical music that was to my taste. At one point, he even transcribed a song from a videogame soundtrack that I loved (but I had no sheet music for it). He also helped me to record this piece of music professionally, which made me feel so proud of my abilities. Ric will go great lengths to ensure that children and youth maintain their love for music, while also supporting them in their technical abilities.
 
Simply put, because music is one of my passions, Ric was one of the most important people in my life growing up. I have no idea what kind of pianist I would be, or if I would even enjoy playing the piano, had it not been for Ric. Since I was such an unusual student and musician, I really attribute a lot of my love and passion for the piano to him. Not to toot my own horn, but when I play the piano, the people around me like to listen. I can thank Ric for that." Kaitlin B.

 
"My daughter, Kaitlin, began taking piano lessons with Ric when she was entering 3rd grade. Kaitlin was a typical student in many ways and a challenging one in others. Ric inspired her interest throughout all her developmental phases, motivated her to learn a broad range of styles and rewrote music she felt passionate about to accommodate her capabilities. More importantly, she remains passionate about all kinds of music, and to this day loves to play the piano.

Ric was absolutely everything a music teacher should be: accomplished, creative, inspiring, kind and disciplined in the most understated way.  He is truly extraordinary." Patty M.
 

“Ric is an amazing piano instructor. He's been teaching our son since he was a 9 year old beginner. He's now a high school junior who's passionate about piano and continues to take on more challenging pieces. We've been really impressed by Ric's positive approach to working with kids. He encourages them to choose what they want to play, so the recitals are a mix of classical standards, movie themes, and pop hits. He also tailors his approach to each student.  Ric incorporated music theory into the lessons when our son expressed an interest, which really advanced his understanding. Most importantly, we appreciate Ric's positive influence on our son and feel very lucky to have found him.”     --Kristi, Portola Valley

“We pinch ourselves, feeling so incredibly lucky to have Ric in our lives, not just as our daughter's piano teacher but also as our friend. He is what I'd call the perfect teacher, not here to mold a student to his teachings, but to meet each individual exactly where they're at - lesson by lesson.  My daughter is a singer, musically inclined, but initially intimidated to learn piano, especially after hearing her friends describe their own teachers as 'strict' and 'mean'.  Ric - thankfully - breaks this mold then re-engineers the concept of piano teaching and piano lessons as enterprises that can be joyful and fun and incredibly enriching.  My daughter leaves her lessons 'buzzing', talking a mile a minute about what she is jazzed to learn more about, or continuing to plunk away at the keys excitedly as she masters a new tune.  

One day, she wore a thrifted "Nirvana" t-shirt to a lesson, not having a clue about the band's music, just liking the design.  Within minutes, she and Ric embarked on a conversation about favorite bands and music, and within a few weeks our daughter had added "Smells Like Teen Spirit" to her repertoire.  She has learned to play songs as fun as classic Beatles tunes, or as obscure as a short riff she heard in a Tim Burton movie.  Ric is excited to join her on her own personal journey with music, every step of the way. And yes, she has also learned more traditional 'piano music', too.  Currently, she has become interested in singing ballads and in songwriting, and yes Ric was the first to believe in her abilities to embark on these new pursuits.

Ric is also encouraging of community and hosts wonderful recitals every few months, where all his students and families gather to share whatever pieces they are playing currently. These are not staid, anxiety-provoking recitals. These are gatherings that feel fun and supportive, and it's wonderful to see how each player grows and develops over time, both their abilities as well as their varied interests. The breadth of music is astounding, with kids playing Beethoven and Rachmaninoff, folk tunes, and classic rock. I learn so much about music history listening to Ric's musings about each piece, as well.

In my work as a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I have developed a sense for adults who relate to kids and teens on a genuine level. Ric is one of these people. We feel blessed to have found him, and have recommended him whole-heartedly to our friends' kids.  He is an amazing teacher and human being, truly special, and just brings joyfulness to everything he does.”

Beverly R.