Liz Luceris
About
Hello! I’m Liz — a music teacher, pedagogue, and professional composer with nearly 20 years of teaching experience.
Pedagogy is my signature. I hold two ARCT diplomas from the Royal Conservatory of Music — one in Piano Performance and one in Piano Pedagogy — which means I’m formally trained not only in playing at the highest level, but in the art and science of teaching itself. Beyond teaching students, I also train and mentor piano teachers.
My academic background includes a Master of Music in Scoring for Film, TV, and Video Games from Berklee College of Music, a Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria, and a double BA in Musicology and Linguistics from the University of Alberta. As a performer, I’ve appeared as a concerto soloist with orchestra (Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Mozart’s K. 488), and I work professionally as a media composer.
I teach piano, piano pedagogy (for teachers), music theory, music history, composition, and visual media scoring — including RCM exam preparation and post-secondary audition prep. Lessons are available in English or Mandarin.
Teaching Style
Most teachers teach the way they were taught. I teach the way the student learns — because that’s what pedagogy training is for.
Every student hears, processes, and connects to music differently. My linguistics background and two decades in the studio have taught me to diagnose quickly: why a passage isn’t working, why a concept isn’t landing, and what this particular student needs to move forward. With beginners, I build solid fundamentals (ear, rhythm, reading, healthy technique) through discovery rather than drill. With advancing students, I bring in the “why” — harmony, structure, style — so they become thinking musicians, not just note-players. For RCM exam and audition candidates, I’m thorough and strategic: I know the requirements inside and out.
For fellow teachers: if you can play well but were never taught how to teach, I offer pedagogy mentorship — the practical craft of running a studio, diagnosing student problems, and teaching students who don’t learn the way you did.
My goal is simple: when you leave a lesson, you understand your music better than when you came in — and you want to come back to the piano on your own.
Curriculum
I don’t subscribe to a single rigid method — my pedagogy training means I select and adapt materials to fit each student’s level, learning style, and goals.
Piano: For students on the Royal Conservatory of Music path, I work with the RCM Celebration Series (repertoire, etudes, ear training, and sight reading) from preparatory levels through ARCT. For beginners, I choose from established method series based on the student’s age and temperament, with ear training and musicianship built in from day one.
Theory & Composition: I teach theory and composition the Berklee way — contemporary, practical, and rooted in how music actually works in the real world. Rather than treating theory as abstract rules on paper, my students learn harmony, voice leading, and arranging as living tools for writing and understanding music, from jazz and pop harmony through orchestration and writing for film and media. (For students who need RCM theory exams, I’m fully equipped to prepare those as well.)
Audition & Portfolio Prep: I prepare students for post-secondary music program auditions and composition portfolio submissions — repertoire selection, portfolio curation, and the strategic side of presenting yourself as an applicant. Having come through UVic, UAlberta, and Berklee myself, I know what admissions panels are listening for.
Pedagogy Mentorship: For piano teachers, I work from real studio scenarios rather than a textbook — diagnosing student problems, lesson planning, repertoire selection, and the practical craft of teaching students who don’t learn the way you did.
Credentials & Affiliations
- Master of Music, Scoring for Film, Television, and Video Games — Berklee College of Music
- ARCT in Piano Performance — The Royal Conservatory of Music
- ARCT in Piano Pedagogy — The Royal Conservatory of Music
- Bachelor of Music — University of Victoria
- BA in Musicology and Linguistics (double major) — University of Alberta
- Member, BCRMTA (British Columbia Music Teachers' Association)
- Member, Screen Composers Guild of Canada (SCGC)
- Member, SOCAN
- Nearly 20 years of teaching experience, including school and private studio settings
