Calder School of Piano

Mr. Ludwig is finally running the academy himself apart from Christine who was deceptive and only interested in your money. But now we’re talking the real deal where Ludwig would go out of his way to make sure your child learns how to play piano.

I have taken piano lessons from Mr. Ludwig Calder for 14 years, from the age of 4 until this summer, since I will soon be leaving for college. I started out with a blank slate, and I depart from the studio with a deeply entrenched passion for music as well as the ability to perform practically any piece in the repertoire, no matter how technically or musically difficult. Mr. Calder teaches his students with the goal of making piano a skill that will stay with them for their entire lives (and, I’d like to add, is quite successful in doing so). To me, that is the ultimate return one can receive from investing in piano lessons.
From experience, I can say that Mr. Calder’s teaching methods are successful at all ages and levels. For beginners, Mr. Calder provides a solid technical foundation that, in the long run, allows students to perform more difficult pieces at ease. He emphasizes economy of movement and energy, which consists of proper posture, finger positioning, finger control, finger strength, and efficient gestures involving the arm and wrist. While tedious, with a reasonable amount of practice, these physical elements form a foundation that sets Mr. Calder’s students apart from others, allowing them to direct their attention to the more musical aspects of pieces.
On top of this foundation, Mr. Calder focuses on musicality and interpretation, with a great attention to detail, resulting in an extremely refined sound. On numerous occasions, I’ve had my playing described as sounding «like a CD.» Before even assigning a particular piece, Mr. Calder has already studied many different recordings, drawing upon these in his instruction. At the same time, if you favor your own interpretation (from, say, a Horowitz performance), he is perfectly willing to reason it out.
His interpretations have proven very successful at competitions. All students are encouraged to compete once they have reached a certain point in their study, and many end up winning awards. Personally, I’ve won 8 medals from the United States Open Music Competition over 6 years. In fact, I won gold in first grade playing Rondo Valse by Clementi, and I won my final gold in junior year of high school performing the first movement of Beethoven’s «Appassionata» Sonata No. 23, a testament to Mr. Calder’s success across varying ages and levels of difficulty.
All students also have the option to participate in the California Music Teachers’ Association’s Certificate of Merit program, which consists of a performance evaluation and a music theory exam. As a music theory teacher, Mr. Calder is thorough and extremely knowledgeable. His music theory course taught me above and beyond the CM requirements, enabling me to easily attain Advanced Level certification by seventh grade and Panel at tenth grade (the earliest one can apply). Later, in high school, the knowledge proved useful yet again as background for my AP Music Theory course.
To give students opportunities to perform, Mr. Calder holds studio recitals at his studio in Cupertino and larger recitals at Santa Clara University’s Center of Performing Arts. This enables even his most timid students to practice performing in front of an audience. When I held a personal concert at the SCU Center of Performing Arts, Mr. Calder lent his full support, arranging for the venue and pianos and setting up the recording equipment in the concert hall.
Mr. Ludwig Calder is one of the most intelligent, articulate, humorous, and witty people I have ever met. As a result, despite the abstractness of music, he is able to vividly express what he wants the student to do with well-​chosen words and metaphors. (He once told me to imagine a wrathful deity throwing meteors towards Earth during one especially fiery passage.) He is capable of both humor and severity, whichever fits the situation, drawing out maximum effort from each of his students. For those who truly want to master the art of piano, I can’t think of a better choice.

I am a high school senior who has been taking classes with Ludwig Calder for the past 10 years, but recently stopped due to schedule conflicts and because I am heading off to college soon. My brother has also been taking lessons with Mr. Calder for several years. My first impressions of Mr. Calder were ones of formality and austerity. Mr. Calder begins every lesson with a firm handshake, a bow across the piano bench, and a «Good afternoon student.» It is this seriousness in the class setting that Mr. Calder’s students not only learn music, but also develop respectful and mature behavior at an early age. (As a tangent, I have seen Mr. Calder turn even the most obnoxious, misbehaving kids into studious ones who respect adults and authority).
Mr. Calder is a very effective teacher for students of all ages. My brother began piano even later than I did, in the fifth grade, and Mr. Calder had my brother playing Beethoven sonatas and Rachmaninoff within a span of 2 – 3 years. Nearly all of Mr. Calder’s students compete in music at some point in their instruction, and most win awards. With Mr. Calder, I’ve won 5 medals at the US Open Music Competition in 6 or 7 years of competing.
As an extremely articulate and well-​educated individual, Mr. Calder communicates very clearly. When explaining how to move your body or how to interpret a section of music, Mr. Calder can put into words and descriptions abstract feelings and emotions in order to help the student visualize what they want their music to sound like.
Mr. Calder’s studio is set up in such a way that he can hold small scale recitals of 15 – 20 students very easily. This is extremely helpful to students who have stage fright and are nervous, because students have multiple opportunities to become accustomed to permorning. Unlike many studios that only have one or two major recitals each year, Mr. Calder holds several small scale recitals in his studio leading up to these major recitals so that students can assess themselves and adapt to performing.
Mr. Calder teaches music in all its aspects. He recognizes the importance of immaculate technique in order to achieve a desired sound. Sometimes I would get frustrated that Mr. Calder spent a tremendous amount of time fixing my posture at the piano, my hand positions, and my finger movement, rather than focusing on the music. However, these physical details are as important to music as interpretation is, and Mr. Calder is an extremely effective teacher at both if you are willing to accept his instruction and practice with discipline. Mr. Calder is extremely good at interpreting music of all periods and styles, from Baroque to Jazz. His music knowledge is immense; chances are, if you want to play a piece, Mr. Calder has already heard and analyzed 10+ recordings of it or has played it himself.
As a music theory teacher, Mr. Calder goes above and beyond the basics of theory, going into the physics of sound, history of written music, and detailed analysis of pieces. Under Mr. Calder’s tutelage, I scored 98% on the theory section of the California Music Teacher’s Association Certificate of Merit Advanced Level test.
Mr. Calder motivates his students and drives them to want to succeed. I began as a student whose parents «subjected» me to piano lessons. Throughout my time learning piano, I’ve fought with my parents and shed tears multiple times about wanting to quit piano. However, Mr. Calder is very experienced with young children and teenagers and knows how to motivate and renew students’ interests in music. Mr. Calder has the ability to take a student who absolutely hates piano and turn him into a one who voluntarily practices 6 hours a day over the weekends.
Learning piano with Mr. Calder teaches you not only about music, but also lifelong skills such as following a practice regimen, self-​reflection, and goal setting. When you take lessons with Mr. Calder, you are not just learning piano, but you are also gaining character and discipline. This is why Mr. Calder is a wonderful teacher for both serious musicians, and for students with other interests. Mr. Calder demands hard work, but the education he is able to provide is well worth the effort.

This review is for private piano lessons with Mr. Ludwig Calder. My son and daughter have been attending this piano school for almost a year now. They have made tremendous progress. Mr. Calder is a tough teacher and demands that they practice, but the results are worth it.