My boys (7 and 8 y.o.) started taking piano classes with Ms. Martha and Mr. Michael in November of 2015 and still going strong despite my occasional warnings to the kids to cancel it if they don't practice at home on a daily basis and/or don't take it seriously since I'm not interested in wasting time / money that we work so hard to make. And every time both kids start screaming, "Noooo, don't cancel it! We love piano and we love our teachers!"
Ms. Marta and Mr. Michael take their teaching jobs very seriously, are very professional, very friendly and very patient with kids despite their good/not great days. They are flexible, sensitive and supportive to both, parents and children, if there is something going on in our lives that might affect weekly performance/attendance. They are honest and firm in their teaching but always very nice the way they get their message across. If my boys don't practice properly, the teachers can tell right away and point out areas they have to work on or ask questions why the performance is not on par and if there's anything that the kids need to talk about to get it off their chest. The teachers also make me (the parent) aware of trouble areas so I can keep an eye on the kids and remind them during our practices at home.
Even though Ms Marta and Mr. Michael teach at their home as most private teachers do, they have their 2 studios set up professionally in two separate rooms, not like one teacher we had back in October where he taught from the corner of his kitchen (with no space to turn around much less to comfortably sit down) and showered the boys with treats / goody bags at the end of each practice regardless of how well they performed.
My boys take their classes once a week at the same time (different rooms of the house) which saves us a lot of time and the kids stay focused rather than waiting for their turn and getting bored and distracted.
In February of 2016 we had our first recital with Ms. Marta and Mr. Michael which they hosted (free of charge) at UNLV Lee and Thomas Beam Music Center. It was such a great and emotional experience for all of us (boys, parents, even grandparents) to see all children and adults perform their 3-4 pieces by memory on stage with a grand piano! Some even sang and the whole recital was just beautiful. Honestly, a few of us broke down in tears and appreciated all the hard work even more that teachers put in to make it all happen on stage!
Lastly, my boys love to get recognition and boost of confidence when they have a chance to play their songs by memory for their classmates at school's music classes. Getting a credit and attention for all their hard work makes their day! Big thanks to Ms. Marta and Mr. Michael for all their hard work, incredible patience and dedication! You guys are amazing and we are so lucky we found you in Las Vegas!!!