RMAOA Russian Music Academy of America -- RMAOA Student's Testimonies

Testimonials

Read what other students and parents say about Elza Ritter!

Name: Ryan Ding for Frank
Date: 2006-05-11

A teacher could be too strict where a kid could lose interests quickly or too easy where a kid makes little progress. I think Ms. Elza balanced very well. My 5 year-old son had a very pleasant learning experience while at the same time progressed very well. Ms. Elza also supplement the Alfred’s series with extra learning materials tailored for my son’s skill at different stages. This greatly enriched the contents. Ms. Elza also put a lot of extra efforts in organizing frequent recitals and sending students out in participating piano competitions and/or performances. These give the students a lot of opportunities to perform and interact with each other. We attribute my son’s success to the extra contents and efforts that Ms. Elza put in and feel very grateful for that.

Name: Jane and Dan Tian for Shari Ti
Date: 2006-02-23

Recommended by one of our friends and the distinguishingly academic achievement, we decided to take the Mrs. Ritter's class eight months ago. Elza was amicable and charismatic and our daughter Shari immediately loved her. As times goes by, Elza's characteristics of conscientiousness and dedication has impressed us so much that, our daughter can play high lever music, we have fully committed to this program. The progress is amazing and we are absolutely pleased by the decision we made eight months ago.

Thank you very much Elza.

Name: Chao Yu
Date: 2007

Taking piano lesson with Ms. Ritter has been a wonderful experience and a delightful journey to my daughter Selvina and me. Ms. Ritter is a stunning teacher. I respect her high quality skills and her remarkable teaching methods. Selvina loves her lessons and take them very seriously. I value Ms. Ritter’s open and honest teaching style that has gently unfolded the mystic beauty of music to my daughter. Selvina’s understanding of music has enlightened and her taste for music has sharpened after learning piano from Ms. Ritter. From the very first lesson, a musical seed was planted in my daughter’ soul. Selvina lives in musical world now. She hears staccatos in raindrops; slurs in dancing trees; ritardandos in sunset and fermatas in her sister’s tears … Music has deeply rooted in her and that is what I have treasured from Ms. Elza the most. Thank you very much, Mrs. Elza Ritter.

Name: Michele E. Liu
Date: 2007

Mrs. Elza Ritter has been teaching our daughter, Michele, aged seven, since September 2005. We are always amazed and proud of Michele when we hear her practice and play at home and we delight in observing how she “feels” her music as she plays now. We are truly blessed and fortunate that Michele is receiving quality piano training from Mrs. Ritter, because Elza inspires Michele to discover and work towards her personal best! In addition to her piano lessons, Michele is also learning life-long lessons on how to be self-directed, goal-oriented, disciplined and self-motivated. As parents, we applaud Elza for her commitment, disciplined approach and high teaching standards. We are especially appreciative of Elza’s patience as she guides us in our role as “non-musically trained” parents so that we can be supportive and encouraging of Michele’s efforts. Elza’s recommendation to videotape Michele’s lessons has enhanced our understanding of her technical and artistic teaching objectives and as well as helped Michele’s progress tremendously. These videotaped sessions are invaluable because they serve as a wonderful resource and reference for Michele as she completes her daily practices. Elza consistently demonstrates her personal and professional artistic excellence as she shares this pursuit of excellence with her students, young and mature. Elza combines her piano teaching with a wonderful balance of music theory (which Michele loves), ear training, sight reading, technical abilities and artistic expression. Elza’s emphasis on the continual development and fine-tuning of technical abilities (posture, correct hand position, curved fingers, “fluid” elbows, etc.) and as well as artistic expressions is truly commendable. She uses wonderfully age-appropriate analogies and imagery to explain the nuances of new music pieces, so that Michele can “visualize” what the composer had in mind. In conclusion, our family is enjoying this “musical” journey together and regardless of the final outcome, we know that Michele will benefit from and achieve a lifelong love of learning and a commitment towards excellence in whatever she does. Thank you, Elza for teaching Michele and for encouraging her with your warmth and positive reinforcement and feedback. She really thinks you are the best!

Name: Marvin and Bing
Date: 2007

One and half years ago, we were looking for a piano teacher for our son, Jiaming, and daughter, Alice, after we moved to Gainesville, VA area. We interviewed several piano teachers, and felt that Mrs. Ritter would be an ideal teacher. We were so lucky that both kids were accepted by Mrs. Ritter. The more piano lessons we take, the more kids like the teacher. Mrs. Ritter does not just teach them play the notes right and rhythm correct, but technical with music, musical imaginations, feel and sense and the music itself. Jiaming had two piano teachers before, but he likes Mrs. Ritter most. Both Jiaming and Alice, feel piano lessons are fun and there is satisfaction in working hard. They are well trained, expressive, and serious about playing piano. Every month, Mrs. Ritter gives the kids a chance to perform a recital in the public. Mrs. Ritter also send kids to participate festivals and competitions. This is so important to train kids to perform in front of audiences, and gives many honors to the kids for their hard working.

Name: Kristiana and David Williams
Date: 2007

We have been so pleased with the instruction given to our children by Elza. She has so much patience and encourages them to strive to do their best. Elza's approach to the technical aspects of piano is very methodical and provides an excellent base to work from. The children have responded to the instruction and truly enjoy their weekly lessons.

Name: John Heffernan
Date: 0000

Elza is terrific! Because she is an highly accomplished musician in her own right, Elzas goal is to train musicians from the start. Her approach emphasizes proper technique, sound awareness, and music history and appreciation. As a result her students not only see progress on only see progress on a weekly basis, but more importantly are constantly building the skills needed to play to the fullness of their potential. Finally, Elza holds regular concerts, teaching her students stage presence and poise. In these ways Elza provides a continuation of the students overall education and the development of life skills, not ordinary piano lessons.

Name: Pat and Bob Jepsen
Date: 0000

We have had the privilege of knowing Elza Ritter since Jan 2002 when our daughter Lynn began taking piano lessons from her. Though Lynn had had 5 prior years of piano instruction, she was weak in the areas of reading music and expressive technique. Under Elza's direction, she has improved greatly in both of these areas. This has allowed Lynn to broaden her repertoire considerably. We also appreciate how Elza allows Lynn to select some of her own music, much of it being contemporary. Since Lynn is a teenager, allowing her this level of control has really helped to keep her interested and engaged. We highly recommend Elza for all levels of piano training and look forward to Lynn continuing with her for the next 4 years as she attends High School.

Name: Terri Phillips
Date: 0000

We consider ourselves very fortunate to have you as Matthew's first piano teacher. Not only have you taught him to read music and play the piano, you have also helped him to have a greater appreciation for music. With each lesson he becomes more and more enthusiastic! You are incredibly gifted in teaching children how to play the piano. Thank you for sharing your talent.

Name: Margaret Borychka
Date: 0000

Elza is an excellent teacher. She was very patient and considerate of Matthew's musical interests. She focused on technique and the quality of the student's playing so that each piece sounds beautiful. Matthew was most fortunate to have Elza as his teacher.

Name: Marley Saito
Date: 2007

Your teachings and encouragement helps me a lot to get my work done and play better. I dont know how to thank you and tell you that I appreciate you very much. I will do my best, in my practice.

Name: Linda Chan
Date: 0000

My only wish is that my children had started with Elza from the beginning. She has had to expend considerable time correcting bad habits learned from their previous teacher and teaching fundamentals that were completely neglected. Parents should realize that piano lessons are an investment, and it is important to take the time to find the right teacher. In the long run, that will save so much time, effort, and money for you as well as your children. With the benefit of hindsight, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of finding a qualified teacher for your child from the beginning of piano lessons.

Name: Sherry Zhu
Date: 0000

Mrs. Ritter is a thoughtful and dedicated piano teacher who easily wins the respect and confidence of the children she teaches. After six months of taking classes from Mrs. Ritter, my son Raynor has started taking interest in practicing and learning piano at home. He loves the pieces that Mrs. Ritter gives him to play. I also observed that Mrs. Ritter teaches with patience and she always adjusts the class contents depending on Raynor’s mood at the class time. At the same time she is also particular about correcting Raynor’s mistakes. Mrs. Ritter always gives surprise gifts to encourage Raynor. In addition to her teaching, I am aware of Mrs. Ritter's innovative approach to her programs, and her unique style of attracting students--the later is particularly apparent in the recitals she organizes once a month. I have also seen her conduct these recitals where she successfully entertains and interacts with such a very wide age group of students.

Name: Georgia and Sam Bachman
Date: 2006-03-03

Our 7 year old daughter, Dana, has been taking lessons with Elza Ritter for about 5 months and we are stunned by her progress as a new piano student. Mrs. Ritter’s ability to motivate students is impressive. She blends the theory and technique with fun, enjoyable music so that our daughter doesn’t realize how much classical training she is receiving. We appreciate her professionalism and the pride she takes in her teaching and our daughter appreciates her warmth and encouragement of her teaching style. On top of it all, her passion for music is conveyed in the constant offering of opportunities for her students to play and learn from others. We have found her to be a true gift!

Name: Annie Ong
Date: 2007-11-28

Ms Elza is a wonderful music teacher. She makes the students feel comfortable during piano lessons. Her teaching technique empowered my son (which was 6 years old) to take responsibility in learning music. Samuel’s piano skill has improved tremendously under her guidance and coaching.

Name: Ming Wei
Date: 2006-01-06

We are fortunate to have Elza as Alex and Matthew’s piano teacher. Elza not only teaches kids how to play piano as an instrument, but also teaches kids how to understand and enjoy the music. From Elza’s teaching, kids learn piano theory, rhythms, site reading, and much more. As a parent. I think it will be a lifetime benefit for the kids. Children love Elza’s piano lessons because she always picks the most enjoyable, beautiful music piece, while keeping the kids challenged. This way, kids enjoy playing, practicing, and learning new techniques. Elza interprets music masterpieces in the way that kids can understand. Elza is also a very responsible teacher. In every piano class, she gives clear instructions to both kids and parents as to how and what to practice at home.

Name: Lan Tran
Date: 2005-08-05

We are very fortunate to have Mrs. Ritter as Jean-Claude’s piano teacher. He has been playing for only a short period of time, but he plays very beautifully. I am so proud of Jean-Claude’s dedication to learn from such a great piano teacher. I especially like the way that you focus on his weakness of improper hand techniques. Correcting him from the start will make him play swiftly in the future. Jean-Claude is very appreciative of your teaching.

Name: Zhengmei Li
Date: 2005-08-04

It is my pleasure to have you as my son's first piano instructor. The Russian Music Academy is high in its reputation and I am very glad that Robert is a part of it now. Your instruction styles are very suitable for learning the piano during each step. Your love, patience, understanding, and dedication to pursue greatness in Robert's progress is greatly appreciated. I predict that with your immense passion for the arts of music, it will have a great influence throughout Robert's life.

Name: Sujin Testa
Date: 2005-08-01

Kailin enjoys her lessons with Elza Ritter. Mrs. Ritter does a terrific job teaching good technique and providing a solid foundation for future learning. We appreciate Elza’s patience and dedication to her students. You can tell that she really wants her students to learn in a way that is enjoyable and fun for them. I would recommend Elza to anyone considering learning piano regardless of their age or level.

Name: Rose Lin
Date: 2005-04-07

Thank you Elza for your great teaching and playing skills. You have given my son Walter confidence and interest in playing the piano. He enjoys the lessons and the recitals very much.

Name: Jaqueline Westenhoff
Date: 2005-03-14

Our daughter has been with Mrs. Ritter for about six months. During this time Margo has improved dramatically. Mrs. Ritter's combination of knowledge and talent - both for playing and teaching the piano has enabled our daughter to move forward at a brisk pace, while allowing her time to enjoy the process. Piano studies with Mrs. Ritter provide not only schooling: her own passion for the piano is an inspiration for her students. She encourages participation in festivals and competitions, which is a condidence building experience for her pupils. Our experience with Mrs. Ritter has been entirely satisfactory.

Name: Lee Fowler
Date: 2007

I am sure that everyone who has come in contact with Mrs. Ritter, recognizes that she is someone special; not only is she a gifted and talented teacher and pianist, but more importantly a kind and generous human being. My realization occurred when my daughter Nora was in the 5th grade at Terraset ES. (now South Lakes HS) and Mrs. Ritter was performing for the children's chorus program. I asked her after that program if she would teach my daughter, and she became one of her initial students. I desired the best for my daughter, and I found that in Elza. The years have past and Nora has moved on to other ventures, we will never forget the kindness first and the music second. To this day I still call Mrs. Ritter (Friend). My advice to any parent or aspiring musician seeking excellent instruction, look no further than that very talented lady from Russia with a heart of gold and terrific teaching methods.

Name: Dave Simpson
Date: 2005-03-31

Elza exhibits (and teaches) an excellent balance of technical skill and focus, with artistic (musical) expression. Most of my previous teachers have only excelled at one or the other--not both. More so than any of my previous teachers, Elza is very good at helping me isolate problems of both a technical (physical) and artistic (musical expressions) nature. She also helps me to quickly arrive at simple and effective solutions. Her emphasis on curved fingers, the development of clear, articulate finger action (particularly in Baroque and Classical music), and raised wrists, has greatly improved the clarity of my playing. (Dave is one of my post-college students)

Name: Feiming Chen and Jim Jiang
Date: 2005-03-21

Mrs. Ritter is teaching piano for our sons, Andrew and Dennis, for the past 3 years. I am very pleased that our sons are in good hands, learning music from her. Mrs. Ritter has a very strong musical background. She has been playing piano since age 4 and has a masters degree in piano pedagogy from a prestigious university in Moscow, Russia. Mrs. Ritter teaches music with involvement. She makes the student understand that it is just not playing the piano, it is to experience the rhythm of the music and relish the liveliness of music. She appreciates every single improvement in the learning curve of a student by giving gifts. This seems to be motivational and it works to keep them entertained. She is a strict and disciplined, yet kind and patient. She has devised clever tools for learning skills. All of her teaching techniques are easily adaptable to students of all ages, and are fun. She teaches based on a student's individual needs, rather than a single approach.

Name: Erika Olimpiew
Date: 2005-03-20

Elza is very thorough in teaching the best methods for piano techniques, like how the fingers should be curved, and how to relax the hand and elbows, so that the piano music sounds the best. Elza teaches a variety of music styles: classical and contemporary, solos and duets. She teaches expressive music techniques for each style, like how to vary the dynamics of a phrase so that it gives the correct mood for a piece. (Erika is one of my post-college level students)

Name: Chenou Zhou
Date: 2005-03-29

We are very lucky to have Elza as Kevin 's piano teacher from the very beginning. Elza is very patient. She emphasizes correct hand position and her teaching methods are tailored to Kevin's learning style and progress. Kevin started playing piano at 4, and Elza is able to keep Kevin interested. Ear training, music reading, and general fundamental theory is built into the piano lesson. Kevin is ways looking forward to Wednesday, because that is his Piano with Elza day!

Name: Linda Zang and Li Ning
Date: 2007

Elza, you are a great piano teacher as well as a great pianist. We still remember our first meeting with you last year, which was in your house. We watched and listened to a piano recital you organized at your home. We were so impressed by the beautiful songs played from both your students and you, which led us to be the new members of the Elza piano family. With a half year of hard work from our sons, Vincent and Mike, and you, we as parents can see big improvements in our sons piano skills. We feel that our sons also are appreciating music more than ever before. Great thanks to you, and we look forward to having them improve to the next level.

Name: Luz and Bill Blakney
Date: 2005-03-14

Initially, our son Adam was interested in piano, but a little reluctant to take lessons. However, after seeing one of the recitals of Mrs. Ritter's students, he was inspired to give it a try. Our son is a little bit shy. But from the first lesson, we could see that Mrs. Ritter had the personality to engage him and make feel very comfortable. She also challenges Adam, being patient, at the same time persistent on all aspects of his playing, especially the technical aspects of his playing, which didn't come as naturally to him as other areas. Overall, we have been very impressed with the well-rounded program the Mrs. Ritter offers, and the results that we have seen. The combination of her teaching skills and her ability to relate to our son have really combined to help Adam continuously progress and at the same time enjoy his piano playing.

Name: Chao Wei
Date: 2005-03-13

Mrs. Elza Ritter is an excellent piano teacher who instills the joy of music into her students. My daughter Christina , who is now 6, has been with Mrs. Ritter for about a year and she is already playing a multitude of high level songs. One thing that I particularly like about Mrs. Ritter's teaching style is the amount of parent involvement. For parents of especially young children, it is great to be integrated into the learning experience. The most exciting part for a parent is to watch their children develop so rapidly and with such great interest.

Name: Eric Yang
Date: 2005-03-13

We are quite happy with Sydney 's progress over the last four months or so, since she started taking piano lessons from Elza Ritter. We wanted to strike a good balance between making it an enjoyable experience for Sydney, as she starts her music education, and making meaningful progress along the way. We were quite relieved to see Sydney learning and having fun along the way. Elza is great and easy to work with, as she does a great job teaching Sydney the basics during the lessons, and ensuring that we do the right things in guiding and monitoring Sydney with her daily practices. We are quite happy with Sydney's progress, and look forward to working with Elza to guide Sydney further into the world of music.

Name: Jessie Shu
Date: 2005-02-07

Ive never seen a more talented teacher like Elza Ritter whom can mix piano learning and fun all-together so well for young kids. My five year old daughter Angela absolutely loves Elza and her class. Angela is excited about her weekly class and playing with Mrs. Ritter. She goes to practice at home on her own because she wants to play better and show it to Mrs. Ritter in the next class. Angela now enjoys playing, and it has become part of her everyday life. I hope that she can carry it on from the inspirations of Elza. I will be sending my son to Elza when he turns 4.

Name: Chris Chung
Date: 2005-02-06

Our son Colin has been taking lessons from Mrs. Ritter since July 2004. She is not only an accomplished pianist, but also very knowledgeable about how to teach students at different levels. She is patient and methodical. We are very thankful and pleased for having her to be our son's piano teacher.

Name: Li Wang
Date: 2005-02-00

We like Mrs. Ritter's piano class. It's designed at an appropriate pace for individual children. Mrs. Ritter pays great attention to the different aspects of children's music learning, like appreciation of melody, ear training, and hand positions. She fosters young children's interest in music through the beautiful notes on piano.

Name: Masako Saito
Date: 2007

My name is Masako Saito. It has been two years since my fifteen year old daughter became a student of Mrs. Ritter. Before going to RMAOA my daughter had a hard time reading music and accomplishing quality practicing. Mrs. Ritter patiently taught my daughter basic music theory, sight reading, and practice techniques. Additionally, she taught the tedious instructions on musical techniques and expressions. Now Marley has advanced to learning very advanced music. I greatly appreciate Mrs. Ritter's compassion and efforts to guide my daughter to improvement.

Name: Pei-lin Chiang
Date: 2005-03-12

I realized the difficulty in looking for an excellent piano for my two children, Arianna and Gloria. I feel so fortunate to have found such a great piano teacher in Mrs. Elza Ritter for my daughters. To me, a great piano teacher is not only having the ability to teach students to read and play music, but to enjoy music and to express the beauty of music thru the piano. Mrs. Ritter accomplishes that with my children in a very patient and talented way. I really enjoy when Arianna and Gloria practice piano at home. I can tell that they improve a lot every time they come back from Mrs. Ritter's piano class. They talk a lot about music now. They realize in they will succeed with practice. Thank you Mrs. Ritter.

Name: Sean Yu and Emily Xu
Date: 2005-02-24

Our children Austin and Grace started learning piano from Mrs. Ritter about 8 months ago, and neither had any experience with piano at the time. Now they have appeared in two Recitals with good understanding of music. Sometimes they would play a few segments of their favorite music before heading out to school. Hearing their beautiful music in the morning Is wonderful. Mrs. Ritter has done a superb job of teaching our children. She brings out the best children. She teaches them not to just read the notes and playing music, but feeling the music as well. She encourages them to perform on the piano with excitement and enthusiasm. She recognizes each child's need, and gives the children both challenges and confidence.

Name: Vipin and Savita Sethi
Date: 2005-02-22

Elza is not only a master of her craft, she is also a great teacher. Her style of teaching is to make the study of piano and playing music very engaging, fulfilling, and fun. She ensures that her students progress in what they are learning. Moreover, she is very flexible and works with the parents in case there is any need to reschedule any classes.

Name: Lily and Tie Xu
Date: 2005-02-18

We have been very thankful to have found such a great piano teacher as Mrs. Ritter, for our five year old daughter, Meimei. Elza Ritter was Meimei's first piano teacher and after six months she has progressed to playing an entire musical piece very smoothly with reading the notes by herself. As parents we were delightfully surprised at her great progress on both playing piano and music theory. We greatly appreciate Mrs. Ritter for her great professional teaching, practicing skills, and knowledge on piano. She is very kind and has a very patient attitude with our daughter, which builds up Meimei's confidence and self esteem, so that she wants to practice and play well.

Name: Kam Yeong
Date: 2005-02-15

You help students develop the habit to listen to music. Students are taught not to just hit the notes, but how to make beautiful music. I also like the fact that you go out of your way to always get gifts for the students during your trips or for their birthdays. It shows how much you care for them. I want to thank you for having Alison as a student. She is improving and enjoys your teaching her.