Piano Lessons for All Ages, Beginner to Advanced

Piano Lessons Toronto

Learn Piano with Merriam School of Music

Looking For Piano Lessons? Merriam School of Music offers piano lessons for all levels and ages. If you’re looking for fun and impactful piano lessons, and you live in Leaside, East York, Mid-town Toronto, Don Mills, Thorncliffe Park, Davisville, or surrounding areas of Toronto, make us your #1 choice. We can’t wait to meet you and share our musical passion with you and your family!

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Piano Lessons

Preschoolers • Kids • Teens • Adults • Seniors

Best Piano Lessons in Toronto

PIANO LESSONS FOR ALL AGES, BEGINNER TO ADVANCED

At Merriam School of Music Toronto, piano lessons are open to all ages and skill levels and you’ll have the opportunity to study with a top-rated teacher at your own pace. Our team of 150+ expert instructors will work closely with you to devise a lesson itinerary that best suits your level, style of learning, and interests. Classical, pop, rock, or jazz piano are all potential courses of study. Choose to focus and specialize on one specific genre or simultaneously explore all of them for a holistic experience. Enroll with Merriam Music today to begin your journey with one of our top piano teachers.

Piano Lessons for Beginners

Good Fit Guarantee

Love Your First Piano Lesson, or It’s Free

Your first piano lesson is covered by Merriam School of Music’s “Good Fit Guarantee”. We want to ensure that you are fully satisfied with your learning experience and teacher. If you are not happy with your first trial lesson, you don’t pay for the lesson.

Expert Instructors

Our instructors are among the very best in the world. Every teacher undergoes three interviews, background checks, and 80+ hours of training. Our extensive faculty of over 150 teachers ensure that you are matched with an instructor that aligns with your learning style and interests.

Convenient Scheduling

Merriam Music operates 7 days per week in order to ensure that every student is able to study music at their convenience. Various lesson formats, which include in-studio lessons, in-home lessons, and online lessons give you total flexibility to pursue your musical ambitions.

RCM Exams

Merriam Music has been preparing students of various ages and levels for the Royal Conservatory of Music exams. We know exactly what it takes to achieve the highest marks and distinctions. From grade 1 to ARCT, our experienced teachers will help you feel fully prepared to ace your RCM exams.

HD Performance Videos

High-Definition Video Logs are provided for each student every year. Every single one of your concert performances is captured and documented for you to share with your friends and family. No one has to miss your moments in the spotlight ever again.

Premium Pianos

Playing on high-quality pianos creates more excitement for piano players old and new. That’s why our Toronto MSM campus is equipped with brand-new C. Bechstein German pianos for students to play on, so that the student's progress can be showcased to the teacher as well as possible, and the teacher can convey nuance and coaching tips at the highest level

15+ Recitals

Our students are given the unique opportunity to partake in over 15 performances each and every year. Ranging from informal jam nights to formal recital settings, you will have the ability to workshop the skills and knowledge developed in your lessons to a live crowd multiple times a year.

No Long-term Contract

We are confident that you will love your lesson experience with Merriam Music. For this reason, we do not force students into long-term contracts. Lessons are billed month-to-month and all that is required to cancel your lessons without financial penalty is 30 days’ written notice.

5-Star Google Rating

Merriam Music serves over 3500 students each week. Despite our large size and student body, we have a 97% customer satisfaction rating. Come discover why Merriam Music is the most reviewed and highest-rated music academy in the area.

Private Piano Lessons for Beginners

Piano Lessons in Person, In-Home or Online

IN-STUDIO, IN-HOME & ONLINE PIANO LESSONS

Every student’s lifestyle and schedule are different. You may prefer the environment of in-studio lessons or you may prefer to learn exclusively from the comfort of your home. In either case, Merriam School of Music has you covered. Our online piano lessons are just as engaging and fulfilling as our in-person sessions thanks to our state-of-the-art proprietary online platform. So, regardless of what your postal code is, you will have the opportunity to become a member of the Merriam Music community.

Our music studios are equipped with the very best equipment, which includes top-of-the-line acoustic pianos and digital pianos for you to learn on. Certain classes and programs even have rental-free access to our recording studios and music venues. Our amazing facilities are complimented by an amazing community of music lovers that we cannot wait for you to become a part of.

Piano Teachers with Degrees

The Perfect Piano Teacher For You

There are many great pianists out there, but truly great piano teachers are much rarer. Teaching is a unique art and not something that everyone is equipped to do simply because they excel at something. This is why we are very selective about the music teachers we bring to our staff. 

We pride ourselves on our incredible piano department. With teachers ranging in specialization from classical and jazz to pop and rock, we guarantee that you will be paired with the perfect coach that fits your areas of interest and learning style. 

Merriam Music is also committed to serving students of all ages. We have coaches that specialize in both early childhood education and adult education. No matter what age or level you are, we will ensure that you connect with a teacher who resonates with you.

Beginner Piano Lessons
Piano Music School

DEDICATED FULL-TIME CUSTOMER SUPPORT

Exceptional Customer Service

Merriam Music’s customer service department is nothing short of amazing. They are some of the most dedicated and empathetic people you will ever meet. MSM’s full-time customer service staff work 7 days per week to ensure that your questions and concerns are dealt with immediately. 

Our customer service representatives work closely with every teacher, student, staff member, and family that walks through our doors. They are pivotal to the amazing sense of community that exists within the walls of each and every Merriam Music facility. Come experience for yourself why Merriam School of Music is more than just a music school.

Earn School Credits with Music Lessons

Earn Highschool Credits

The Merriam School of Music is one of a very small contingent of private music schools in North America that offers high school credit programs. Recognition as an accredited private school allows our students to earn Ontario high school credits as they study music.

If you would like to earn high school credits while learning music, connect with your Education Counsellor today for more details.

Music School

Piano Classes & Programs

In-Studio • Online  • In-Home

PRIVATE IN-STUDIO PIANO LESSONS

IN-STUDIO PIANO LESSONS

Aspiring Toronto piano students now have access to the celebrated, university-endorsed MSM piano curriculum through the Merriam Music Toronto campus, which is located within the walls of the historic Robert Lowrey Piano Showroom. Study with top teachers in a one-on-one lesson setting. Your instructor will work closely with you to ensure that your lessons are custom-tailored to your needs, goals, and areas of interest. They will help you reach all new technical heights, expose you to the critical repertoire of your preferred genre, and fill you with newfound levels of confidence that you never could have imagined.

PRIVATE ONLINE PIANO LESSONS

PRIVATE ONLINE PIANO LESSONS

As life progresses, our schedules tend to get far more complicated and, as such, finding time to schedule your hobbies and passions can become quite difficult. Merriam School of Music’s online piano lessons give you complete convenience and flexibility to ensure that your interests do not have to get cast by the wayside. In addition to being convenient, our online piano lessons are unlike anything you have ever experienced before. Our proprietary online platform gives teachers and students access to a vast array of resources, including sheet music, audio/video files, games, exercises, and much more. In fact, many students have even expressed that they found MSM’s online lessons even more impactful than in-person sessions.

piano LESSONS IN your HOME

In-Home Piano Lessons

An increasingly popular offering brings our teachers to your home. For customers within the adjoining neighbourhoods of our Toronto MSM campus, we bring our expertise, inspiration, and organization to your own home. Teachers will come with lesson plans, books, and students can still participate in recitals, festivals or exams. An ideal offering for those with a fine at-home instrument and a distraction-free lesson & practice space.

The in-home program has limited capacity, so please get in touch with us to explore the possibility of having lessons at home.

Online education has become a facet of all of our lives. This is the reason why Merriam Music has invested so heavily in developing the very best online platform for music education. Private piano lessons online should not be deprived of any of the nuance, quality, or level of engagement as in-person lessons. To make the experience between these formats seamless, we collaborated with our teachers and students and analyzed every tiny detail of in-person lessons. This culminated to the November 2019 launch of our state-of-the-art online lesson platform.

The positive feedback from students and teachers alike has been overwhelming. Many students and families even claim that online lessons offered even more than in-person sessions.

Online Piano Lessons

Learn Piano Online

Best Private Piano Lessons in Toronto

Music Is Fun. Piano Lessons Shouldn't Be Any Different

We spend countless hours a day enjoying the pleasures of music, yet many people have a false perception that studying an instrument and taking private lessons is a boring and sterile process. While that may be the case for some music schools, that is certainly not the reality at Merriam Music.

Through our experiences of educating aspiring musicians for over three decades, we have learned a simple but important fact: the best way to get the most out of a student is to ensure that they are having phones at all times. There is far more to music than repeating scales and musical excerpts in a practice terminal or reading theory textbooks. Music is a communal activity. That is why we expose all of our students to every facet of music as early as possible. From improvising and composing to performing in an ensemble and on stage, the Merriam Music experience is a holistic one.

If you are looking to have more fun than you ever could have imagined while acquiring a new skill, contact Merriam Music today to become a member of a wonderful community of musicians that love to have fun.

A Music School Beyond the Notes

Music is not simply an organized sound or blotches of ink on a page; it is far more dynamic and multifaceted. It is a language that is meant to be shared and communicated with others. At Merriam Music, we believe in the importance of teaching music accordingly.

Our philosophy is to help each and every student become well-versed and confident in using the language of music. This confidence is ultimately established through real world application. We do not want students of Merriam Music to simply talk about what it would be like to work in a recording studio or perform on a stage in front of a live audience. We want our students to experience those settings and environments for themselves. That is why our students are exposed to activities like composition, improvisation, and analysis right from the very beginning.

Not only is this process more fun and engaging, research shows that a holistic approach to music education leads to both better musical performance and academic performance. Increased cognition, confidence, teamwork skills, and expressivity are just a few of the lifelong benefits that come along with a proper music education.

The Science of Musical Excellence

Properly educating young minds and aspiring musicians is a science that we take very seriously. Since we first opened our doors in 1988, Merriam Music has been committed to refining the science of musical excellence to optimize the results and benefits that each of our students experiences.

From the lessons we choose for our lesson rooms to the excerpts and pieces we select for our curriculums, every minute detail of our educational process is meticulously thought out. We are constantly analyzing new research and data to be able to provide the very best learning experience possible.

Furthermore, we firmly believe that every student should have access to this pedagogical approach. The best teachers and most technologically advanced lesson facilities are not exclusively reserved for our most advanced students. Every single one of our students are given access to the same opportunities and resources from day one. Musical excellence is something that we want all of our students to experience and find pride in.

The Merriam Curriculum 

A Complete Music Education

The discipline and foundational knowledge that comes from learning to read music and play an instrument is unquestionably important. However, that is not where music education ends; that is where music education begins. The students of Merriam Music learn music differently. Through a unique curriculum that focuses simultaneously on all aspects of music literacy, our students develop a broader range of skills far faster than with any other program. While not all students are destined to become or, for that matter, aspire to become professional musicians, all students stand to benefit from a plethora of life skills that studying music helps establish. Creativity, expressivity, confidence, coordination, work ethic, and teamwork are attributes that will impact virtually all areas of one’s life. Begin to experience these benefits yourself by enrolling with Canada’s most renowned private music school.

Private Piano Lessons

One-On-One Piano Lessons

Learning piano can be challenging at times as is. However, learning piano without a proper coach is much more difficult. We ensure that your private piano teacher is the perfect fit for you. In addition to offering limitless inspiration, they will work with you closely to make sure you are on the path to accomplishing your goals.

Connecting with the right teacher early on is particularly important for young children that are just beginning to learn piano. This is why we put an incredible amount of time and energy in hiring the very best music educators in the country.

Family Piano Program

Group Piano Lessons

While private piano lessons are always available, some students, particularly young children, stand to benefit greatly from the social setting of group classes. In conjunction with learning tangible musicianship skills, students will also build confidence and teamwork skills as well as make new friends. This leads to the development of indispensable life skills.

It is the success of our holistic educational approach that has led to endorsements from many deans of top university music programs as well as professional musicians. Join one of the continent’s fastest-growing and most successful music schools today to start building your musical foundation today.

"Our mission and purpose is to help foster and inspire creative, connected, and well-rounded lives with the power of music."

- Alan Merriam, President of Merriam Music
Common Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Piano lessons can vary greatly in terms of cost depending on whether one is studying through a music school or directly with a private teacher. Typically, lessons through a music school come at a slight premium in comparison to lessons with a private teacher. Naturally, this is to account for the extra overhead involved as well as the additional resources and perks that come along with studying through a formal school.

The most affordable music schools usually cost $1200 per year while the most expensive music schools usually cost $5000 or more per year. When broken down per lesson, those numbers roughly equate to $25 per lesson and $100 per lesson respectively. Prices may also vary depending on the format. Online lessons may be less than in-person lessons and group lessons may be less than private one-on-one lessons.

Merriam Music has a number of different tuition rates depending on the lesson format, lesson length, and level of instruction. The annual tuition for the Merriam School of Music generally ranges between $1500 to $3000 depending on the student’s preferences and course of studty. For pricing and additional information regarding our music lessons, contact us at 647-953-5223.

Like any geographic area, music lessons in Toronto vary in price depending on a number of factors. Lessons through a music studio may be a bit more expensive than lessons taken directly with a private instructor. Naturally, there are pros and cons to both options and each individual will have to determine the best fit for themselves.

The Merriam School of Music is one of the largest and most reputable music schools in all of North America. MSM offers lessons via three GTA-based campuses in Toronto, Oakville/Mississauga, and Vaughan. Lesson and tuition rates vary depending on the level of instruction, lesson duration, and program type, but usually range between $1500 and $3000 annually.

The amount one should spend on piano lessons is ultimately determined by the individual and their particular budget. However, it should be noted that, like most things in life, the cheapest solution is not always the best solution. Spending a little more money per lesson can lead to a massive jump in education quality.

Would you want to have a surgery performed by a surgeon that has never been to med school? Similarly, would you want to be taught piano by someone that has never formally studied piano or performed professionally? Working with an experienced teacher has numerous benefits and will almost always be worth the extra investment.

Unlike some forms of entertainment that are short-lived and ephemeral, piano lessons lead to the development of skills and traits that will have an immensely positive impact on various aspects of one’s life. For instance, improved coordination leads to better athletic performance, heightened confidence leads to better academic and workplace performance, and emotional connectivity leads to fuller personal relationships. From that perspective, piano lessons are certainly worthwhile for anyone at any age.

The benefits of taking piano lessons are countless. Beyond the fact that playing piano is fun and relaxing, the simultaneous engagement of your brain and body leads to a number of important attributes and skills. Increased cognition, improved coordination, ability to function and collaborate with a team, creativity, and confidence are just some of the myriad of benefits that come along with learning to play the piano.

Every program and teacher has their own philosophy as to what the best starting point of learning to play the piano is. However, most educators agree that proper technique, understanding the notes of the keyboard, and reading music notation are all important elements that a student should be exposed to as early as possible.

With that said, the course of study is ultimately determined collectively by the teacher and student based on the specific goals of the student. For example, some piano players may prefer to play exclusively by ear and prioritize technical development and learning repertoire over notation reading and music theory.

Given that every student is unique, there is no concrete timeline that it takes to reach certain milestones as a piano player. One’s progress is directly linked to a number of factors, which includes the following: the amount of time dedicated to practising, the efficacy of the curriculum being studied, and the quality of instruction. With that said, most musicians agree that consistency is more important than quantity when it comes to practising. Even 20 or 30 minutes every day will lead to consistent progress that will keep motivation levels high and lead to long-term dedication. The other important thing to consider is studying with an experienced instructor. Proper music teachers will save you a lot of time and ensure that you overcome your obstacles quickly.

While some students will find success without having a piano at home to practice, it is strongly advised to purchase a piano in order to facilitate consistent practice.

Acoustic pianos can be rather large investments depending on an individual’s financial circumstances. Thankfully, digital pianos have improved significantly over recent years and become much more affordable.

Although many consumers have gotten used to purchasing products from large retailers such as Amazon, Costco, or Walmart, it is strongly advised to purchase a piano through a specialized piano retailer or showroom for a variety of reasons.

Firstly, shopping for a piano can be quite daunting as there are hundreds of manufacturers and models to choose from. Working with an experienced piano salesperson can help ensure that you get to choose a piano that is an appropriate fit for your needs, budget, and goals.

With three showrooms across the GTA, Merriam Pianos is the largest piano retailer in all of Canada. Unlike other music retailers, we do not sell every type of instrument. We pride ourselves on being fully dedicated to pianos. If you are looking for the perfect piano that fits your needs, contact us today to be connected to one of our piano experts.

There are a number of music schools located in the Greater Toronto Area and hundreds of piano teachers operating privately out of their homes. While there are pros and cons to both approaches, there are some important benefits that come along with studying at an established music lesson studio.

For instance, Merriam of School of Music provides more than just music education. Our students are given access to state-of-the-art facilities that include professional concert stages, recording studios, and rehearsal spaces. Beyond that, students have access to an extensive list of extracurricular music programs such as ensemble playing, songwriting, and music production.

With three conveniently located music campuses in the GTA (Toronto, Oakville/Mississauga, Vaughan), Merriam Music is proud to bring its celebrated curriculum to over 3500 students each and every week. Enrol with Merriam Music to become part of the largest music education community in Canada.

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