East London music school headed by Andra Kruka offers instrumental and singing lessons as well as opportunities to gain performances experience
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Piano Piano translates from the Italian as “softly, softly” and pretty much sums up Andra Kruka’s approach to teaching children to make music.
As headteacher and founder of Piano Piano Studio, she’s spent nearly a decade in east London helping children develop their playing and singing skills as well as the joy of performing in public.
“I’m Latvian, from Riga, and I’m a classically trained pianist and harpist,” she said.
“My musical education was pretty strict and, when I came to the UK, I saw a huge difference in the mentality of the approach taken here – I really liked that it’s a lot more focused on the personal interests of the children.
“Nobody is trying to turn them into professional musicians on the spot.
“By the time I had finished studying piano and harp, I felt burnt out, which is the downside of the East European method of teaching music.
“There’s a lot of pressure.”
After coming to the UK, Andra initially took a different path, studying business and management from 2013 and then working in marketing.
creating Piano Piano Studio
“But I realised that I really missed music, so I started researching the structure of education here,” she said.
“Then I took my first steps into teaching and it’s grown from there.”
Today, Piano Piano Studio offers tuition in piano, guitar, violin, drums, singing, music theory and music production with lessons available in students’ homes or online.
“I always tried to find a balance between making sure the kids are engaged and delivering good results and that’s how I’ve developed the method we now use across all of our lessons,” said Andra.
“We give a questionnaire to the families as a basis for our journey with them – this is to identify the child’s interests, likes and dislikes, favourite movies,things like that, so we can tailor the lessons to each child individually.
“Unlike some music schools where each teacher has their own approach, we ensure all our tutors are consistent in the line they are taking and adapting to each child’s needs.
“That’s important because the kids are all different. Some are more visual, while others might learn by ear.
“Whether it’s by using different materials, exploring improvisation or using other techniques we can make sure every child is able to succeed.
“We might start the younger ones on the Associated Board Of The Royal Schools Of Music (ABRSM) or Trinity College exams, but think again when they get older.
“Instrumental practice might not be a priority later on, so we offer different options such as Rock School, where you can do keyboard certification with fun pieces and backing tracks.
“There’s always flexibility to find a personalised solution – parents might want their child to do the more traditional exams and we can find a compromise that keeps the pupil interested.
“I’m a teacher myself, but I’m also a methodologist, constantly researching different approaches and trialling new techniques to make sure we’re offering the best education possible.
“Having a shared approach like this with all the teachers also creates a community feel, even though the lessons themselves are one-to-one.”
showcase concerts
Bringing people together is important to Andra for a number of reasons.
Piano Piano Studio currently teaches just under 60 children and regularly puts on concerts aimed at both entertaining the youngsters and giving them a platform to get used to performing themselves.
Andra said: “We had our first concert in 2018 – it was just my students at that time and it was Disney-themed. I wanted to make sure it was relevant to the children so that they could have fun and dress up as their favourite characters
“It was a great experience, everyone enjoyed it, and since then we’ve organised several more including events at The Space on the Isle Of Dogs and through them at Crossrail Place Roof Garden in collaboration with Canary Wharf Group.
“Then we came up with a new concept when I saw a huge demand and interest from families.
“We now open up slots from external players as well alongside offering fun activities.
“Our next concert will be The Polar Express at The Space on December 14, 2025.
“There will be student and guest performances, face painting, balloon modelling, a magic show, games with the audience and a special guest.
“It’s a fun environment and it’s a chance for the children to get on stage in an easygoing environment.
“I feel that the earlier musicians do this and have a positive experience, the easier they will find performing.
“Learning an instrument can be a lonely activity, because you have to practise by yourself.
“Having these group gatherings where they can be with other children in the same boat and can see different levels as well is so important.
“We go from Twinkle Twinkle Little Star up to pieces for grades seven and eight.
“At the end we intend to have a performance by a professional pianist so that children can see what the instrument can do.
“These things can be inspirational. The children who perform get a certificate and receive applause.
“In some cases they might only have had a few lessons but they don’t have to wait years to touch a grand piano on stage.
“The concerts are big family events, and anyone can come, so, afterwards, we get loads of requests from the parents of new students.
“I believe we are all born to be musical and everyone can find their own way to express themselves through music.”
key details: Piano Piano Studio
Piano Piano Studio’s next concert – The Polar Express – is set to take place at The Space on the Isle Of dogs on December 14, 2025, from 11am.
Tickets cost £10 for adults and £8 for children.
These can be booked via email to admin@pianopiano.uk.
In-home lessons cost £52 per hour with a visiting teacher or £42 for online sessions.
However, Andra and the team work out an appropriate lesson length with parents which is often less that 60 minutes, especially for younger kids and beginners.
Find out more about lessons here
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