testimonials
“Nightingale offers a well-rounded approach to teaching piano. She pushed me to hone my technical and performance skills at an advanced level, as well as gain a solid grasp of music theory and history. I was part of a piano quartet that won a statewide competition! She also encouraged me to explore a broad range of musical styles, from baroque and romantic era pieces to ragtime and adaptations of Disney classics. I recommend her to students of all skill levels and ages!” - Sherry Zhang
"The ability to teach a music instrument well is incredibly difficult - it requires substantial patience, masterful communication and expert knowledge and experience. Nightingale has all of these in excess coupled with a deep passion for music. There is no one better from who to learn how to be a musician and appreciate the music." - J. Wong
“Being Ms. Nightingale’s student since third grade has had a resounding impact on my life. Not only have I excelled my piano skills under her guidance, but I have also learned invaluable lessons such as focus, commitment, time management, and responsibility as I continued piano throughout my childhood. During high school, my days got extremely busy, taking numerous honors and AP classes whilst being a varsity athlete, a programmer, and being part of a competitive robotics team as well as being a musician. However, as her student, I was able to foster my passion and talent for the piano while being so busy every day. If I had a different teacher I don’t think I would’ve been able to continue piano simply because I don’t think other teachers would have been able to teach and enforce these invaluable skills. She is an amazing teacher with not just the piano but also with life, and I am truly grateful and blessed to have been her student.” - John Wang
"I took piano lessons with Nightingale for over ten years. For many years I didn't like playing piano or practicing, so I appreciate her patience and dedication to teaching me. Looking back, I think I would've missed out if I hadn't learned to play piano. Through my piano lessons, I learned to appreciate the sounds of the piano and the color, character, and emotions that can be carried through music. At the piano studio, recitals, and other events, I met students who faced the piano sincerely and I was blown away by their sounds, so I wondered how we created such different sounds when we played the same instrument. Today I think it is more nerve wracking to play the piano than to listen to someone else play, but it is still a gift to play the piano. -A.L."
“When I began lessons with Nightingale, I struggled to pick it up; but, during my 8 years of lessons, I learned much more than just how to play piano. Nightingale does teach proper piano technique and phrasing, but that is just the beginning of it. She teaches music theory, gives (great) performance advice, and will help you with whatever you want to learn. But most notably, she provides many insightful life lessons, the most important one for me being discipline. All in all, I have learned a lot from her and highly recommend her as a piano teacher.” - Irene Lee
“I, like many other kids, grew up playing the piano, not because I particularly wanted to, but because my parents decided one day that I should. But there came a point in my life when I was on the verge of quitting piano, because, to be completely honest, my parents were the only reason I kept playing. But for whatever reason, I decided to keep playing. Retrospectively, sticking through with piano all the way to the end was one of the best decisions I made. Maybe it was because I was too young or too naive, but I couldn't see how blessed I was to not only have the ability to play piano and share music with others, but also have a teacher like Ms. Nightingale. Beyond the stage frights or busy weekends memorizing a piece for a recital, there was a joy that came from being able to share my own music with others - whether that be at my school, church, or even just for my family and friends. Although I don't plan to pursue music in college, I am beyond thankful for all of the opportunities, joys, and lessons I learned through my time with piano and Ms. Nightingale. I hope that everyone has the opportunity to experience the same.” - Kevin Z.
“Nightingale Ngo is an incredible piano instructor combining a well-structured teaching approach with patience, discipline, and enthusiasm. The lessons she instills in her students are broadly applicable beyond just piano, cultivating mental resilience, determination, constant achievable (even if minor) improvements, and pursuing passions (Nightingale once let me play Final Fantasy instead of Bach). While I personally did not enjoy Piano Federation or her seasonal concerts due to fear of terrible performances (and I did have many), preparation and practice for these events ultimately helped me become better prepared for much larger conferences and talks I give today, by overcoming stage-fright and anxiety. I was notoriously not Nightingale’s best or most talented student, but I still immensely enjoyed the lessons, songs, and music. I fully recommend Nightingale for piano lessons.” – Dr. C. Wilson
“I have fond memories of the years that my daughter, Sherry, spent in Nightingale’s piano studio. Sherry has become a music lover and successful professional. The piano provided her an outlet to express her emotions and escape from academic stress. The many hours of piano training also helped her appreciate the virtues of discipline and patience. Nightingale does a great job at tailoring her lessons to each student's skill level and interests. Students develop strong playing technique while also learning music theory and history. In addition to solo pieces, Sherry had the opportunity to perform duos and quartets with her friends. Nightingale also encourages students to participate in community events and music competitions. Her students enjoyed their lessons and still love to play piano many years later.” - Chi Zhang
“I studied with Nightingale for 4 years and I couldn’t be more thankful to have had her as my piano teacher. I often struggled with anxiety related to piano performance, but she was always supportive by encouraging me to be the best I could be. I look back at my time in Nightingale’s studio fondly because she taught me a lot—not only how to be a better pianist, but also how to be confident and believe in myself and my own efforts.” - J.Z.
“Piano lessons with Nightingale Ngo is as fun as it is educational. I wasn’t the best when it came to practicing, but I learned a lot and enjoyed my time as her student. We had random weekly questions (about my dream treehouse or discovering a new species) and chats filled with music puns. After years of learning under Nightingale, it was easy to communicate with her and it made piano so much more exciting. While she was lenient on which pieces I played (unless it was for Federation since that list was limited) and struck up easy conversations, she stressed the need for the foundations: scales, theory, and technique. So don’t think you're off the hook if you don’t practice! Joking aside, Nightingale helped me develop confidence and become more responsible in more than just piano. It took time and effort, but her studio brought me to the person I am today.” - Nicole F.
“Nightingale helped shape my music at the critical time of my development as a kid. The thing I liked most about her is her strong emphasis on technique, which made me better in all areas of my playing. She even introduced me to piano competitions—something I had never considered. It opened up a whole world of accountability and potential and further developed me into the musician I am today.” - C. Chang
“When my wife and I decided to have our daughters take piano lessons, we searched for a piano teacher by visiting every student recital possible. In other words, we had planned to gauge the teacher’s effectiveness by how well their students played. Aware of our search, my cubicle neighbor invited my wife and I to his daughter’s recital. We were blown away by the performances.
Every one of Ms. Nightingale’s students performed superbly. Her high school students performed known concerto pieces from Bach and Beethoven to John Williams flawlessly. My wife, an experienced music teacher, and I had found our teacher. We knew that are certain factors responsible for a teacher’s success.
First is the love of the subject matter. I remember once teasing that with a name like “Nightingale”, she had no choice but to become a musician. She assured me that she had plenty of choices and that she chose music. She has been involved in music from the time she was a little girl and, in college, majored in music. She now has a master’s degree in the subject.
Second is one’s ability to make the subject fun. Ms. Nightingale has successfully differentiated her instruction to accommodate all of her students’ skill and interest levels. It is not unusual to find popular modern music played happily at her students’ recitals. It is also not unusual to find several of her students playing pieces that they had composed themselves. Clearly her students are motivated.
Third is the focus on students’ improvement. Her students are encouraged to practice and keep logs of their sessions. Of course, they are rewarded for obtaining certain goals and objectives. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that at-home sessions includes music theory, a component that is also measured and recognized. In the final analysis, her students are knowledgeable music theologians as was well as skilled musicians.
What my wife and I heard at the recital on that fateful day indicated that Ms. Nightingale was a great teacher, and I am very happy with the results achieved with my daughters. She is a competent and results oriented teacher who is adept in Vygotsky’s scaffolding and differentiated instruction. One only needs to look at the countless local and state awards won by her students as affirmation. I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend Ms. Nightingale for any music pedagogical endeavor she pursues. - Mario A. Thomas, Jr.”