About Leila

I’m a pianist, vocalist, and music educator with over 17 years of professional teaching and performance experience. I work with students who want more than surface-level coaching, offering lessons grounded in classical technique, healthy musicianship, and thoughtful, individualized instruction.

My teaching focuses on building strong technical foundations while also cultivating musical curiosity, confidence, and a personal connection to the music. Repertoire and approach are always shaped around the student — their goals, learning style, and long-term development — so that progress feels both meaningful and sustainable.

Background & Training

I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Theory and Composition with an emphasis in Piano Performance from the University of California, Davis. I’ve studied with John McCarthy and Dr. Victoria Neve, and my training draws from classical pedagogy, musicianship-based learning, and practical performance experience.

I’ve taught privately for many years and previously taught and accompanied at Cantare Con Vivo, a nonprofit organization dedicated to accessible, inclusive music education. I’m fully credentialed in Orff Schulwerk Pedagogy as well as having completed the first level of my Kodály Certification.

My students have gone on to study at SOTA, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and to participate in advanced composition and performance programs.

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching integrates strong musicianship, literacy, and embodied learning. I help students build a clear, comfortable relationship with musical notation while also using kinesthetic strategies to support how music is understood and remembered. By engaging the body, ear, and intellect together — through interval recognition, spatial awareness, and physical mapping at the keyboard — students learn not only what the notes are, but how they function musically.

Equally important to me is the development of interpretation and artistic intent. Music communicates emotion, character, and story, and I help students learn to shape phrases with intention and imagination. Some students respond best to expressive imagery, while others benefit from precise, concrete guidance such as dynamics, articulation, and technical detail. I adapt my teaching to each student’s learning style, focusing on building musical confidence, clarity, and interpretive skills that translate comfortably beyond the lesson setting.

Closing

Whether you’re rebuilding your technique, deepening your musicianship, or reconnecting with music in a more serious way, lessons are designed to meet you where you are — and help you move forward with confidence.