On a break from graduate school in 1988, I taught my first lessons in a tiny guitar shop in Saratoga Springs in upstate New York. In 1990, I moved back home to Gloucester and founded the Cape Ann Piano Studio. Since then I have been wholly dedicated to teaching children and adults how to play the piano. My goal as a teacher is to instill in my students a lifelong love of music; I want them to enjoy the gift of being able to play music their entire lives. Learning to play the piano—like any musical instrument—is a challenging and rewarding life experience. In every lesson I strive to nurture the growth and development of each student’s individual creativity and discoveries at the piano.
Covid Policy as of Oct. 1, 2022:
The holidays are coming!
l require that all students of all ages, age 5 and up, must be vaccinated and boosted twice (adults, both boosters).
I would also strongly recommend and greatly appreciate all having their bivalent booster (3rd booster) as well.
No masks are required at this time unless levels of cases increase due to surge. I may or may not wear a mask in the lesson. I reserve the right to change mask-wearing policies at any time.
If considering lessons for your child read below and visit Kids’ Lessons to learn more.
Adults
Is wanting to return to the piano or learning to play piano now on your bucket list? Read below and click here to see how I work with adult students.
What I bring to each lesson is
- patience and encouragement
- keen knowledge of repertoire, including classical, jazz, and popular styles
- enthusiasm and a sense of humor
- a lifelong passion and devotion to my profession as a teacher, mentor, coach for all my students, young, and the young at heart.
My goal as your child’s piano teacher is a rewarding and enjoyable experience learning to play the piano!
Want to give your child the gift of music? Learn more about getting started here.
Reviews
Click here for reviews from parents, students, and teachers about my program.
A student performs live at an Annual Spring recital.
CAPS Blog
Visit my Studio Blog to learn more about the benefits of piano lessons for children, how to practice, and more.
About Julie Cleveland
Click here to learn more about my background and experience.
Piano Lesson FAQ
Parents
Click here for my Piano Lesson FAQs for kids!
Adult Learners
Click here for more about my lessons for adults.
A recent review from a current adult student:
“I have taught high school, college and graduate school so have been through the wringer many times. The whole game is getting into the mind of your students to understand their source of confusion and how to break out of the circle. Julie Cleveland did that with me at our last lesson by understanding where I was coming from and why that was the wrong starting point. Highly analytical, she was able to point out why my previous practice pattern was not working and what to do instead. Example of very valuable teaching, not about just music, but about thought process and motivation skills.”
The Cape Ann Piano Studio is located just 2 minutes from Exit 53 (“Old” Exit 14) heading north to Gloucester on Route 133 (Essex Avenue). The studio is convenient to Gloucester, Essex, Manchester, and Rockport.
Learning to play the piano is both fun and hard.
Learning to play the piano—any musical instrument—is both challenging, and rewarding. Believe me, I know what it’s like to learn how to play the piano. How to make it “fun”? Practice. Consistent practice leads to success, and one small success leads to another. There’s such a wonderful feeling of accomplishment, and pride of achievement when a student has learned a piece of music, be it Old MacDonald or Beethoven’s Für Elise. And it doesn’t have to be “perfect.” For all students learning to play piano, ultimately, it’s the joy from expressing oneself through music, that’s where the “fun” comes in.
One of Julie Cleveland’s students performing at a Shalin Liu Piano Recitals concert in Rockport.
Cape Ann Piano Studio 