Pianist Academy

“Next Level Pianist Academy (NLPA) is meeting and exceeding my expectations. I initially subscribed to NLPA because I believed it to be a way to associate with others that share an interest in playing the piano and improving their skills. Personally, I do not have a group, or even one person, in my sphere that shares my love (some would call it an obsession) of learning, playing and making music on the piano. Through participating in the Zoom Workshops and practice sessions, I am getting to know the other members; and it is great to be a part of this group with people that are so willing to share their piano playing, challenges, and successes. And Charles' coaching during these Zoom sessions is invaluable, especially given his depth of knowledge and ability to answer everyone’s questions. However, I found that the “icing-on-the-cake” to being an NLPA member is total access to the online courses. Although I have not taken all of the offerings, I highly recommend Mastering Your Practice: Learn More in Less Time. For me, this course is simply a gold mine for making my practice sessions more effective and efficient. And what I really appreciate is that the material is based on research. It is a “must-take” course. It certainly has changed and improved my practice sessions. I am really happy I joined NLPA.”

Jane Epstein

“I’ve been playing piano (self-taught) since I was a child and after retiring, decided to take music more seriously and seek out lessons and draw information from the now widely available internet resources. I first found Charles’ Pianist Academy Live Youtube feeds and was immediately attracted to his style of teaching. No matter what piece is being discussed, Charles provides information and guidance relevant to players of all levels. The Live Youtube sessions are fascinating and I found myself quickly devouring everything he had to offer. Fortuitously, Charles created the Next Level Piano Academy that gives me access to all of his courses, a private community of like-minded piano players and personal feedback directly from Charles! The live workshop sessions are the best perk of belonging to NLPA – they are similar to the youtube livestreams, but so much better with real-time feedback from Charles and interaction with other players of all levels. I learn something new and applicable to my playing in every Workshop session and the newest course (Mastering your practice) includes Science-based methods for how to learn faster. I highly recommend NLPA to anyone wanting to learn more and improve their piano playing.”

June E

“The Next Level Pianist Academy by Charles Szczepanek is probably one of the most innovative and enjoyable web sites for Pianists that has been created so far. It exposes pianists of all levels and interests to the world of piano playing, practicing & creating. My favorite part of the Next Level Pianist Academy was being exposed to other pianists of different levels. One is able to communicate about struggles and achievements that they have encountered in piano playing and practicing and even asking Charles as well as other pianists about techniques and piano pieces of similar musical interests. This is not a website that information is downloaded to and you read the information. It is an ever growing webpage that poses questions, problems and even solutions to everyday learning techniques by other pianists of varying levels as well as having access to Charles’ wealth of Professional piano teaching knowledge. It is the next best thing to taking private lessons directly with Charles himself. And to get the full experience would be to also take online lessons privately with Charles as well as joining The Next Level Pianist Academy. One would think that would be enough, but there are also expert/professional courses, of varying levels, from Charles Szczepanek that are extremely helpful and enjoyable to watch and rewatch over and over again. One in particular is the ‘Mastering Your Practice’ is probably the most innovative and interesting way to experience the most important and least talked about logistics of learning how to grow as a musician, how to not only practice, but how to practice efficiently. Just watching the videos is very much like having Charles as a ‘private’ teacher at one’s disposal to help and assist with one of the more controversial aspects of learning piano, proper practicing. As a retired Voice Teacher/High School Musical Theatre Teacher, I wish this type of thing was available for my students years ago. I probably would have used these courses and online Masterclasses’ to assist my students in their learning efforts, especially the Mastering Your Practice and the Masterclass Videos that are at ones disposal.”

Joseph DiMarco Retired Music/Theatre/Voice Teacher

“I see Charles as that rare combination of world-class pianist and excellent communicator and music educator. Any time I have presented a musical or pianistic question to Charles, he has always answered it a manner that exceeded anything I might have expected. He has a knack for getting to the heart of the issue and suggesting a solution that works. His experience and knowledge always shine through. He has a collection of great courses that he's always adding to and he hosts informative online workshops that I look forward to participating in. I appreciate the insights I have gained interacting with him and with the NLPA community so much I can say without reservation, that Next Level Pianist Academy has been one of the most valuable investments I have made for myself as a pianist.”

Eric Nyman

“Charles has been my music teacher for three years. He is not only a gifted pianist and composer but also an exceptional teacher. But, thanks to Charles, I have now found that there is something even better than having lessons once a week – Next Level Pianist Academy (NLPA). Since becoming a member at the launch of NLPA in May 2025, it has become a valuable part of my musical journey. What really sets NLPA apart is the community and support. Whether you need skilled feedback on a piece you are working on, help with technique, or just some encouragement, Charles and a welcoming group of fellow aspiring musicians are there to provide that assistance, both online and in live Zoom calls every week. NLPA is an incredible space to learn and feel inspired.”

Louise Bailey

“In 3 months of NLPA, I have made friends across the globe. We all have a devoted interest in improving our skills. Charles is excellent at answering questions on the portal in a timely manner. He has made personal videos for me on polyrhythms and another on rubato and the feeling and texture in Skyfall which I was working on. His insights are invaluable and I have found having access to all the courses is just an incredible opportunity for growth. It’s value can’t be overstated.”

Becky Schuckenbrock

“Since I joined Charles Szczepanek’s Pianist Academy, I have made a lot of progress in a short period of time. The personal feedback on my recordings helps me understand exactly what to work on, and the live workshops are a great opportunity to ask questions and discuss things with other members. Charles is always super professional and makes learning both clear and enjoyable.”

Nico Meurer