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Diana R.
Jun 5, 2016
Mrs. Gorin is an excellent piano teacher all around. My two older daughters who are 15 and 13 have been taking lessons with her for two years. Their playing has progressed significantly since they started, both technically and from a musicality perspective. Mrs. Gorin has a very thorough approach to teaching piano that also includes theory, scales, chords, and developing a deep understanding of music. We feel that she is imparting not only the gift of play, but also of musical appreciation -- both of which we hope will stay with our daughters throughout their adult lives. We feel fortunate to have found Mrs. Gorin as our instructor!

Justine Weber, Parent & Student
August 30th, 2016
Mrs. Gorin has been teaching my two Sons as well as myself for about 2 1/2 years. Not only have my sons and myself grown and progressed exceptionally, most importantly, we have learned to love music. She has a natural ability of getting into the mind of every student and how they learn and develop their own passion for music. She has a natural ability integrating learning and creativity. Mrs. Gorin truly facilities children in bringing music alive. What I appreciate most as a parent and a student is how she expects consistent progress in a structured manner, yet she is patient.

Grace Davidson
June 25th, 2916
Ms. Gorin taught my two daughters for almost 4 years. My elder daughter started when she was 10, and my younger daughter started at 6. She is a wonderful teacher, and she maximizes the time she gets with the students - down to the minute! She covered technique, theory, appreciation, and musicality in every lesson, and prepared them for a very high performance standard. She was understanding of our busy schedules, while still requiring a commitment from the family to adhere to practice and lesson time. If you want your child to get the best possible musical and piano instruction, and advance rapidly, you cannot go wrong with Ms. Gorin.

Bart and Margreet Verheij:
June 2014
"A trusted friend recommended Mrs Gorin to us for piano lessons, as a very experienced, high quality piano teacher. For practical reasons, Mrs Gorin proposed to do the majority of lessons using Skype, and although we were initially a bit skeptical about that, her lessons have proven very valuable. Our son made an impressive progress in his technical and melodic skills, and kept enjoying playing the piano; due to her warm, kind and passionate personality. She chooses musical pieces carefully to improve specific skills, and pays attention to musical theory and composers. She adjusts her lessons to the pupil's wishes and abilities, stimulating excellence."

Maarten Verheij, 13 year old student from Holland:
"Dear Mrs Gorin, Today I received the piano book you sent me. I want to thank you a lot about that. Also, I received your letter in the front of the book. It is a really nice letter, and I am very happy with it. I wanted to say just how grateful I am having you as my teacher. You are always so nice and kind; it really cheers me up after our lesson. You learned me a lot, but especially how to play beautifully. You learned me the word 'intonation', which is a very important aspect of playing the piano. Also, you gave me a lot of very good tips about playing forte and piano. Thank you again for always being so kind and for learning me so much. Bye, Maarten Verheij"

Ricardo Fiallos, a parent (February 2014)
This is Ricardo Fiallos, father of Richard who took lessons at your school in Mountain View about 10 years ago. I just wanted to let you know that Richard is still doing music--he is majoring in piano performance at UOP in Stockton. A Sister-in-law took a video of him last Thursday when he performed several pieces at the school and when I saw the video, i couldn't help but remember the great music school you ran and how helpful you and Mrs. Starodub were in his development. Thank you so much for all you did, including the scholarship he received back then. You are an amazing teacher. I saw that you moved to Nevada, I wish you the very best! They are lucky to have you.

Lionel P.
September 22, 2013
"Our daughter Rachel has been playing piano for 10 years. In our opinion Rufina Gorin is the most thorough piano teacher our daughter has had the privilege to take lessons from. Rachel made tremendous progress in her 10 months of study with Mrs. Gorin. Mrs. Gorin chose appropriate classical repertoire with an emphasis on correct technique. She provided Rachel with great support in the preparation for performances and competitions, including how to interact with the audience and judges and how to mentally prepare for a performance with attention to detail in even how Rachel should dress. Rachel’s lessons went beyond just technical execution of music and included discussions about mental preparation and meditation. She also spent time with Rachel listening and critiquing music performances outside of Rachel’s scheduled lesson time. Rachel received excellent preparation and coaching for her college auditions. Mrs. Gorin made time in her schedule to attend Rachel’s college audition recording session. Mrs. Gorin took the extra step in corresponding with the professor Rachel would have at her college. She helped Rachel work on piano pieces that her piano professor has continued to work with her on. This gave Rachel a seamless transition to her lessons in college. She currently has two music professors and both are thrilled with her piano skills and the speed of progress that Rachel has demonstrated as an incoming freshman. We can only give Rufina Gorin our highest recommendation as a piano instructor. She is an outstanding teacher and supports her music students beyond just the time spent with them during their lessons."

Deanne W
July 30, 2013
"Our 8 year old daughter has been studying piano with Mrs Gorin for 1 year and the progress shown during this time is fantastic. Mrs Gorin demands a fair amount of work from her students but is very kind and flexible allowing children to learn in their own way. Mrs Gorin has an innate sense of when and how to push a child to get desired results without undue frustration and argument. She pushes and reacts to progress (both good and bad) in a measured, thoughtful and consistent way. Expectations are very clear to the student and are consistently reinforced all year, not just right before a performance. As a result Carly both loves and respects Mrs Gorin, looks forward to her lessons and gains positive reinforcement from her own progress, not just parents and teachers' sometimes empty compliments. Carly knows that a compliment from Mrs Gorin is something to be earned and treasured. I highly recommend Mrs Gorin if you are truly interested in learning piano."

Grace D.
July 30, 2013
"My two children started learning piano with Ms. Gorin almost two years ago at the ages of 10 and 6. They play beautifully and are getting consistently better. Each lesson incorporates technique, theory, music appreciation/exposure and examination and refinement of their current pieces. Working with Ms. Gorin is teaching my children to be well rounded musicians, not simply to play piano."

Debbie Hansen:
“We are so happy to have Rufina Gorin as Annika's piano instructor for our daughter, Annika Hansen. Annika has been playing piano for many years but casually. Rufina has taken Annika under her wing and shown her the classical side of piano. Last year Annika played three songs, with her music, at the Guild Auditions. This year, under Rufina's guidance, Annika played ten memorized songs, each played perfectly. Rufina has inspired Annika to play beyond her expectations. Often, I hear Annika go beyond what she is supposed to play for her lessons and plays popular music she downloads off the internet. Rufina has taught Annika confidence in her playing. Rufina is professional and treats each student with kindness and respect."

Carol Will ( August 1, 2011 ):
“I cannot imagine a better piano teacher than Rufina Gorin. She is passionate about teaching, loves children, and has an abundance of knowledge about piano technique and theory. We feel very fortunate to have found such a great teacher far from a major metropolitan area. My daughters always look forward to their lessons. One word of caution: she does have high standards given her background and will expect students to work hard--she is very ‘old school.'"

Grace Davidson ( May, 2012 ):
“Ms. Gorin consistently and patiently develops my two girls' (10 and 6) musical abilities. This includes the mechanics of playing the piano, and development of the musical ear, sensibility, and appreciation. After only 5 months, both girls are playing interesting, challenging music with confidence, beauty, and style. She caters her instruction to the abilities of each individual, while still achieving the highest objectives at an engaging pace. The children are not overwhelmed, but they are challenged."

Carly's Mom (2013):
"Our 8 year old daughter has been studying piano with Mrs Gorin for 1 year and the progress shown during this time is fantastic. Mrs Gorin demands a fair amount of work from her students but is very kind and flexible allowing children to learn in their own way. Mrs Gorin has an innate sense of when and how to push a child to get desired results without undue frustration and argument. She pushes and reacts to progress (both good and bad) in a measured, thoughtful and consistent way. Expectations are very clear to the student and are consistently reinforced all year, not just right before a performance. As a result Carly both loves and respects Mrs Gorin, looks forward to her lessons and gains positive reinforcement from her own progress, not just parents and teachers' sometimes empty compliments. Carly knows that a compliment from Mrs Gorin is something to be earned and treasured. I highly recommend Mrs Gorin if you are truly interested in learning piano. Thanks, Deanne."

Nathaniel Rothrock, student (July 2013):
"Thank you so much for all your effort and hard work. The Bay Area is certainly a more musical place thanks to you."

For Rufina Gorin's Piano Instructions (May 5, 2012)
5/5 stars
"Rufina Gorin is an exceptional piano teacher. My two girls have been taking lessons with Rufina for two years and it's amazing how much they've progressed with her. Rufina had opened her own music school in the Bay Area many years ago before relocating here in Incline Village. Teaching countless numbers of students has given her enormous perspective and enables her to relate to both of my girls even though they have very different learning styles. In addition to being a wonderful teacher for music theory and technique, she possesses an abundance of patience and really wants to instill a love of music in her students. Both of my girls have participated in the Guild Auditions each year since Rufina is a member and it's nice to have a national standard for their progress. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Rufina for those who are looking for a very professional and highly qualified teacher. We are lucky to have someone like her in Incline Village."

Philip Hubbard, a Stanford Professor
"In a modest strip mall off El Camino in Mountain View lies a hidden gem of the world of children's music education in California..."
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