Cultivate Music Studio

Cultivate Music Studio emphasizes the growth of the whole person and strives to make music relevant to the life of each individual student. CMS serves students of all ages and abilities, including individuals with special needs, adult beginners and preschool-aged children.

In addition to studying traditional repertoire and technique, students are encouraged to direct their own musical pursuits. Students will help choose repertoire based on their specific preferences (yes, even video game music) and develop their own musical tastes. Students will also develop real-world piano skills such as composing, improvising and playing by ear.

Selena, the founder of CMS, has a bachelor's degree in music from Santa Clara University. She has been teaching piano since 2008 to students of all ages and abilities. She is a member of the Music Teachers' Association of California and the Music Teachers National Association. She is also a licensed Musikgarten instructor and offers the first and only Musikgarten classes available in the South SF Bay Area. Additionally, she is the only certified Occupational Octaves PianoTM instructor on the West Coast and works extensively with individuals with a wide range of special needs as well as those who are typically mainstreamed and those who are gifted.

Selena continues to pursue personal musical growth and maintains a passion for teaching and practicing piano, voice, and cello. Outside the studio, she has worked as the Program Coordinator and Music Specialist at a nonprofit inclusion school, where she has taught private and group music classes to children with a wide range of special needs.