Kat Downs

Our 12 year old son is very happy taking piano lessons with Kat. He is also learning a lot and playing more at home

Kathryn is very patient, my grandson likes her so much,

Katheryn has a wonderful personality when working with adult students. She makes you feel comfortable and she is very complimentary.

She helped me prepare a duet piece and that was just what I needed.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about what I want from lessons again, so when I read Kat's bio she felt like a good fit for me. We had an excellent first lesson! I appreciate that Kat seeks to understand the cognitive learning process of each of her students and spends time listening and asking questions in order to understand where her students are in terms of their skills and knowledge of what they're interested in. I felt she tailored the lesson for me and for my individual needs. Equally important, I really like her and we had fun. I'm excited to be taking lessons again.

Kathryn is great. Her positive approach really builds confidence and makes you look forward to the next session.

My first lesson with Kathryn was fantastic. As an adult student, I was a bit embarrassed by knowing absolutely nothing about piano, and Kathryn would have none of it! She was wonderfully disarming, positive, and really knew how to structure the lesson so that I'd walk out motivated. I'm thrilled to continue lessons with her on the piano.

Doing great so far!

She was a very patient, knowledgeable & encouraging teacher. I would highly recommend her.

Kat is absolutely the best! She takes all of the intimidation factor out of things and is an excellent instructor. I'm an adult student, returning after decades away from the piano, and feel so good about my progress thanks to Kat's approach. No matter how I feel going in, I leave our sessions feeling confident and excited to learn more. She is a gifted musician and instructor!

Great instructor! My daughter loves her.

My 5 y o just had her first lesson with Kathryn and I was so impressed with how engaging and patient Kathryn was. They covered quite a bit considering my child is completely new to playing music. As soon as we walked out of the room, my daughter said "I can't wait for my next piano lesson!"

She is very good with a returning older adult who hasn't played for years - patient and has a good way of explaining things.

Kat is #1.

Absolutely enjoyed my first experience with Kathryn! She seemed very in touch with understanding the learning styles of students which I find to be a gift that most people do not have. I am looking forward to working with Kat, and am confident I will gain the piano instructions that I am looking for.

Great lesson! My 8 year old loved his first lesson with Kathryn

Kat is the best! I'm 29 yrs old and never played the piano. I was really shy about taking lessons at such an old age and she made me feel super comfortable and she is great at figuring out how you specifically learn. She is super friendly and really great teacher.

Kat is a terrific teacher! I can highly recommend her without any reservation whatsoever. I was brand new to the piano, with only minimal Middle/High School experience, and she's helped me build a very solid foundation. She has a wide variety of musical knowledge and teaching experience, and uses this combination to help find areas to focus on and develop. She's also in a rock band and the position on her business card is Piano Destroyer, which is probably one of the coolest titles I've ever heard. If you're considering learning the piano for the first time, or want to develop your talent to a rock-star level, take Kat's lessons!

What a great piano teacher! Very friendly. Highly recommended, especially anyone who has young kids.

We just met Kathryn and both my son and myself thought she was great. We both feel confident she may be the one! More to come at a later day!

Kat is a great teacher! She explained things so clearly and made my first lesson so much fun and brought me confidence! Thanks Kat!

Great instructor

Kat is great. She has a great balance if direct teaching and allowing the student to problem-solve and figure it out for themselves. She is lighthearted and supportive. I'm really enjoying my lessons with her!

Kat Cares! Kat is a very caring and professional teacher who puts great effort into making learning piano fun & easy... Highly Recommend :)

Patience & Skill Level Kathryn consistently displays a compassion and patience in the lesson time. Her skill level is obviously very high, and I have found that often reduces the level of patience in those who take on teaching piano. Kathryn is a model of great care in this respect and the progress in her students shows it.

Kat rocks Kat is a wonderful piano teacher. She is superbly talented and is able to translate her passion and knowledge into something tangible and meaningful for her students. She teaches piano theory but also leverages tactics she knows well to better entice her students to practice and perform. Kat is also super personable and fun to be around. She is also very flexible; pretty much the ideal piano teacher!

Outstanding! Hands down, my child loves working with Ms. Downs! She is patient, caring, and always constructive with her feedback. She is a reliable and pleasant instructor and I strongly recommend her to my friends!

Fun & Versatile Teacher Kat is a fantastic music teacher... unlike any I've ever had before. Her knowledge of music is impressive, especially over a range of very different styles. She is patient, encouraging, and very passionate about what she does. Most of all, she's really fun! Highly recommended!

Great Teacher!! Kat is a great teacher that makes learning music really easy! I would recommend her to anyone!

So much fun! Kat is great to work with. She always makes lessons fun, even if I haven't practiced enough. I always walk away excited that I'm learning to play piano!

Considerate teaching style Starting taking piano lesson at 74 !! Friends said "nuts." But I've got guts, and the teacher got patience and consideration - finding pieces that really interest me. Who knows, I'm just about mastering one piece by Chopin and one by Schumann.

Piano Teacher Review Both my children have been taking private piano lessons from Kat for about a year now. I chose Kat, because of her patience and personal attention. I grew up forced to learn instruments and as a result, did not enjoy it. I wanted the opposite for my children. Kat has been able to make piano fun and interesting. She gives her full attention to my sons and chooses songs for them that are tailored to their needs and uses books just right for them to play from. I would recommend Kat if you want your child to explore and deepen their knowledge of music for life.

Kathryn is a great teacher. She is patient with her students, and likes to have fun. She is extremely talented and has so much to share with her students.

An Amazing Musician Kat Downs is an incredibly talented artist in several areas of music. She also a compassionate, generous and deeply dedicated teacher. Classically trained and educated Kathryn sings, composes, plays several instruments - including keyboard and flute & even does excellent sound design. Her work with Wily West Productions, a cutting edge theatre company in San Francisco, is nothing short of phenomenal. Kathryn has created incidental music for several original plays, working with a variety of directors, to deliver "just the right music" they need for their shows. She has composed countless pieces of music in a vast array of styles from classic waltzes to rockin' mania. She has been a musical director for us delivering several surprise performances from her expert coaching - not only from the actors/singer but from members of the band. Kathryn has also crafted/created unique and compelling foley sounds for us live - and also for recordings that greatly enhanced our productions. But wait! There's more! Kathryn has an awesome rock band, Sit Kitty Sit, that has toured across the country and regularly performs at some of the hottest musical spots in San Francisco. Kathryn is an amazing music coach, not just because she knows her stuff, but because she is a naturally sweet and nurturing person who deeply cares about the people she is working with - plus she has a wicked sense of humor. So, whether you need some music written, or you want to learn to play an instrument, or polish that sonata, or rip up that rock tune - look no further than Kathryn Downs - she is spectacularly awesome. Your outlook on music and what is possible will never be the same!

Creative Yet Classic Kathryn has a classically trained background and music degree that can help provide a great foundation for study. She also writes and creates her own music, which means she can provide great instruction on music theory and improvisation, too. Great combination of classic and creative.

Talented, fun, effective I always look forward to the time I get to spend with Kat doing music. She's incredibly talented, both as a teacher and a performer, which makes me want to get better, too. She tailors her approach, so I feel like I'm learning the kinds of things I started for in the first place. And it's great to have someone so knowledgable about music theory to help me with that side of things as well. I can't wait until my toddler is a little older so he can start lessons with her, too. Highly recommended!

Lovemyteacher Kathryn is the best teacher! She rules! I am a waaaayyyy better player thanks to her. She is so nice and funny. And her tattoos rock! I love her! Thank the good Lord that she is a Patient lady cause I know I'm not the best player But she takes everything slow for me so I can understand. :)

Great Kat is a great teacher. She has taught me about reading notes and has helped me in reading while playing. I am grateful for her help and positive attitude.

Kat is awesome Kat is a fantastic teacher. Having never taken any music lessons before, I was a bit nervous going into it, but Kat's enthusiasm, patience, knowledge, and depth of experience have made this a truly enjoyable experience. She is a classically trained musician who plays in a rock band - she really knows her stuff and keeps the lessons fresh, fun, and relevant. Also as an adult taking lessons for the first time, she has made sure the lessons stay challenging and engaging. I plan to keep taking lessons from Kat for the foreseeable future.