*The school reimagining how children learn piano brings * its award-winning approach to Silicon Valley

, /PRNewswire/ – Today, Payam Music, the innovative piano school on a mission to change how students learn music, will open its first Bay Area location in Los Altos, California—ushering in an evolution for music education in Silicon Valley. The school provides personalized piano lessons where students develop creativity, focus, and a lasting passion for music through direct human connection—without screens or AI.

Payam Music’s proprietary alphanumeric methodology

Student playing the piano

The Los Altos school will be Payam Music’s fourth in the country, marking the first of several planned Bay Area locations. Locations focus on family-friendly neighborhoods that value music education, with plans to open more schools across the country in the next year.

Inspired by the psychology of language acquisition, Payam Music’s proprietary method allows students to play real songs from their very first lesson. The unique alphanumeric notation emphasizes engagement and accelerated learning, rather than a sheet music-first approach. Nearly all students (96%) reach diploma-level skills (the ‘black belt’ in piano) within four years, a result unmatched by traditional instruction. In 2025, Payam Music students in Washington state claimed four of five top state honors in the PTA Reflections competition–as well as the national #1 winner–out of 300,000 competing students.

Although two-thirds of American adults have played a musical instrument at some point in their lives, many no longer do and regret it. And while an estimated $3.8 billion is spent annually on piano lessons, 80-85% of students quit within their first year. Without a national standard or centralized training, most piano instruction remains inconsistent and isolated. Payam Music is changing this with a patent-pending approach that triples learning speed in a positive environment where teachers are empowered to personalize learning for each student. In the first meeting, teachers conduct a “genre assessment” to identify each student’s individual musical preferences, and tailor lessons accordingly. In turn, students are motivated to practice because they get to play songs they know and love. Each student learns the same skills and techniques, but lessons are based on the type of music they like–not only classical music from a prescribed songbook.

“We’re building a movement that challenges the traditional model of music education,” says Payam Music founder, Payam Khastkhodaei. “Our methodology creates an environment where learning feels like play, and success is a natural result of students falling in love with piano.”

With ambitious plans to open additional schools in the Bay Area and nationwide, Payam Music is leading the charge to make world-class piano education more widely available and bring its innovative method to new students and communities. Enrollment for 1:1, in-person lessons at the Los Altos location is open at payammusic.com, with waitlists already available for planned Bay Area studios set to open next year, in: Burlingame/Hillsborough, Fremont, Lafayette, Palo Alto, Piedmont, Pleasanton/San Ramon, San Francisco, and Saratoga/Cupertino.

To sign up for the waitlist or for a free lesson, visit https://www.payammusic.com/.

About Payam Music

Payam Music was founded by Payam Khastkhodaei, a former medical student who, after rediscovering his love for piano, developed a groundbreaking teaching methodology. Payam Music’s mission is to deliver the highest quality piano education through a new curriculum taught by exceptional teachers in schools and online. The school’s innovative methodology enables students to fall in love with the piano while achieving results that far exceed traditional methods.

With a growing network of schools and online lessons, Payam Music is poised to fundamentally change the way students learn how to play piano.

**Media Contact: **The Key PR for Payam Music [email protected]

SOURCE Payam Music