Piano lessons for curious minds, at any age.

Welcome to Darryl's Piano. Lessons are structured around your own goals — whether that's picking up piano as a fun new hobby or preparing seriously for Royal Conservatory of Music exams. As a trained musician (B.Mus., Wilfrid Laurier; M.Mus., Memorial University) with over 15 years of teaching experience, I bring what I've learned from years of study, performance and collaboration into every lesson. Suitable for ages 7 and up, beginner through advanced.

What lessons include

Instruction in reading music, theory, technique, ear-training, improvisation and composition — tailored to your own pace and interests. All students are invited to a virtual December recital and a live June recital each year. Those preparing for Royal Conservatory exams are supported every step of the way, though most students simply play for the joy of it.

Recent recordings

I'm currently recording Bach's Goldberg Variations, and working on original compositions alongside it.

See all compositions and performances →

The studio

The studio now has a beautiful Estonia 5'6" baby grand for lessons. Darryl's Piano was also named among the Best of Guelph piano instructors in 2024. As a musician who has experienced performance injury myself, I also share what I've learned about injury prevention with my students — for education alongside your lessons, not in place of professional medical care.

Why study with me?

Piano lessons are a real investment of time and money, and with so many teachers out there it can be hard to know who's the right fit. Here are eleven qualities I bring to every lesson.

If you have questions or would like to set up a free trial lesson, I'd be happy to chat.

About Darryl

My interest in piano started at age five, when a door-to-door salesman showed off a digital keyboard's riffs and tunes. My parents signed me up for lessons soon after. I studied with Caron Chilton in Guelph through Grade 8 Royal Conservatory of Music, competing regularly in the Kiwanis Music Festival, then with Anya Laurence and Andreas Thiel in Kitchener before entering the Music Programme at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2001.

At WLU I completed a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance under Dr. James Parker and Professor Anya Alexeyev, majoring in Music History alongside performance and working as a music critic for the campus newspaper. A year abroad in Heidelberg, Germany followed, where I studied German, accompanied a local voice studio and sang in choirs.

Back in Canada, I spent three years immersed in choral music: an apprenticeship with Dr. Lee Willingham at WLU, then a Master of Music in Choral Conducting under Dr. Douglas Dunsmore at Memorial University of Newfoundland, completed in 2010. In St. John's I kept a busy schedule as an accompanist — collaborating with the Philharmonic Choir of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, the choirs of Shallaway, and the group The River Connected, who were featured on CBC Radio 2 during Sound Symposium 2010 — while running a studio of 18 piano students and serving as Music Director at St. Michael's Anglican Church.

Back in Southern Ontario, I've performed as a soloist and chamber musician at the St. Andrew's Music at Noon series, the Wellington County Museum Concert Series, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society.

Like many professional musicians, I've also dealt with performance injury directly. Working with specialists in the Dorothy Taubman Method, Alexander Technique, Body Mapping and Biofeedback gave me a far better understanding of anatomy and movement — and the ability to help my students avoid what I went through. My aim as a teacher is to foster a genuine love of music, tuned to each student's own needs: developing a musical ear, basic theory, creativity, and repertoire that actually excites them. Favourite composers: Rachmaninoff, Chopin, and Iron Maiden.

Your lessons

Have you always wanted to learn that piece — a folk tune, the latest pop hit, a film theme? Whatever your level, we'll find a version you can actually play; for beginners I often write out simplified arrangements so you get the satisfaction of playing something you love right away.

A typical lesson might mix note-reading drills, an original rhythm clapped out on a whiteboard, basic chord progressions for jamming with friends, sight-reading practice, an improvised duet, ear-training on chord types, scales, or memory work on a piece you're proud of — all at your own pace, in a supportive environment. My two priorities: that you enjoy discovering the piano, and that you grow as a well-rounded musician.

For students with more experience, I draw on university-level training in performance and conducting, years as a professional accompanist, and my own recovery from performance injury. Royal Conservatory exam preparation is available for those who want it — most students simply learn for the joy of it.

Compositions

Original pieces, arrangements, and recordings — several with free or sample scores below.

Testimonials

Payment

All new students receive a free trial lesson.

Cash, cheque and e-transfer are all accepted. Beginning students typically do well with one 30-minute lesson per week. Rates are subject to change.

Daytime students

Lessons between 1 and 3:30pm can be paid pay-as-you-go — by the lesson, week or month — with flexibility on timing and frequency.

Semester students

Lessons between 3:30 and 9pm, the studio's busiest hours, run on 3-month semesters: Winter (January–March), Spring (April–June), and Fall (September–November). July, August and December are pay-as-you-go for everyone.

Contact

Darryl Cremasco, M.Mus.