Students of all ages are welcomed into a comfortable, fun place to learn about music
through the piano. If you know the language of music, your experience of
the world is different- broader, richer. 

About Me

My name is Catherine Griffing Morse. I teach piano in my home studio in the Rockridge District of Oakland, California.

I graduated from Mills College where I studied music, early child development and art history. I studied piano performance and pedagogy privately for thirty years, first with Eugenie Schutt and more recently with Margaret Elson. I have taught piano for over 25 years.

I teach a range of children and adults, from beginners to intermediates.

I have preschoolers learning the very beginning basics of music; older primary school students learning to read and play music at the piano; teenagers who are enjoying Debussy and Beethoven, and adult students playing Chopin, Mozart and Bach. Some of my students are also playing Beatles tunes and other popular music styles.

My studio environment is very comfortable and rich visually with books, art, and paintings- it’s an engaging place for all the senses. My teaching approach is based in classical music, but I want my students to feel comfortable with their music, not driven in any sense. I like to think of the time students spend in my studio as a time to learn what music and art are all about, what it is like to learn how to express yourself through an instrument- how does it make you FEEL? My main aim is to give my students a solid foundation in reading, technical skills and theory so that the door to the world of music will be opened to them.