What is Ridley Academy?

Ridley Academy is more than an online piano course—it’s a movement. We exist to help you discover the wonder of music, regardless of your background. Through our carefully crafted curriculum and heartfelt guidance, you’ll learn to create music that stirs the soul. Ridley Academy gives you the structure to succeed and the freedom to explore, all in quick, engaging lessons that fit even the busiest schedule.

What is the Ridley Method?

The Ridley Method is rooted in the belief that anyone can make beautiful music when they understand how music works. We don’t rush you through or leave you alone; we build a solid foundation—one concept at a time—while nurturing your creativity. Each lesson has a simple, clear purpose, teaching you why something matters before showing you how. With only 10–15 minutes of focused practice each day, you’ll be amazed at the progress you can make.

What Makes Us Unique?

At Ridley Academy, you aren’t just pressing keys—you’re connecting with your heart through music. Stephen Ridley’s passion for teaching shines through every video. He invites you into his world, sharing personal stories, performance secrets and practical insights that you won’t find anywhere else. Our community is warm, encouraging and full of people just like you who are discovering the joy of music together. You’ll feel supported, inspired and challenged to grow in every step of your journey.

The Stephen Ridley Approach

Stephen Ridley approaches piano with infectious enthusiasm. He believes music should be a conversation with your own emotions—a chance to laugh, cry and celebrate through sound. His lessons are filled with energy and authenticity: you’ll hear about his own musical adventures and learn why every chord, scale and song matters. Stephen’s guidance will ignite your passion, helping you play not only with your hands but with your whole being.

Why most people fail on piano, and how we do it differently?

Too many people give up on the piano because they feel disconnected—either from the material or from their teacher. Lessons can feel cold, boring, mechanical or overwhelming. At Ridley Academy, we do the opposite. We teach with heart. Our program combines clear structure with imaginative storytelling. We make complex ideas simple, and simple ideas exciting. By understanding music at a deeper level, you’ll gain confidence to improvise, compose and perform. With a passionate mentor cheering you on and a supportive community at your side, your piano journey becomes a source of joy and accomplishment—not frustration. We believe that this is the way learning music is meant to be.

How long do I need to practise?

Stephen's method requires 10-15 minutes of focused practise, most days. Instead of trying to navigate doing many things at once, which leads to confusion, and frustrating practise that yields low results, all Ridley Academy courses are based on doing one thing at a time. This makes practise much easier, and much faster!

Do I need a piano to do this program?

You can do this piano with keyboards or pianos of any shape and size. If you would like to use a keyboard, Stephen recommends getting a keyboard with at least 61 keys, a sustain pedal, and ideally weighted keys (this allows for a more joyful playing experience, as the keys are more responsive to your 'touch', giving your expressive control).

Within our products, we show you how to find pianos and keyboards inexpensively, and even give a list of recommendations for every price point.

What is the delivery policy of Ridley Academy?

 When you join Ridley Academy, your access is instant. As soon as your payment is confirmed, you’ll receive an email with your login details and you can start your lessons right away. No waiting, no shipping — just music.

Does this course work for children/adults/seniors?

We have taught students from 5 years old to 96 years old, in over 40 countries. Quite simply, you need fingers, an internet connection, and the ability to watch highly-entertaining, short, simple tutorials. This is perfect for short-attention spans and busy schedules. 

Will this work for me if I have disabilities? 

Again, here at Ridley Academy, we have successful students with a variety of disabilities, ranging from dyslexia and autism, through to carpel tunnel syndrome, arthritis, missing body parts, and various kinds of degenerative diseases. Stephen's philosophy is to focus not on what you can't do, but instead to focus on working with what you can do. If you would like to ask specific questions relating to your personal situation, you can email us with full confidentiality at [email protected] and we see what we can do.

What are Ridley Academy terms of Service?

By enrolling in Ridley Academy, you agree to use the content for personal learning only, not to share or resell our materials, and to respect the intellectual property of the lessons and music provided. Full details are in our [Terms of Service] page.

What is the privacy policy of Ridley Academy?

At Ridley Academy, we respect your privacy and will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to anyone — ever. Your data is stored securely and used only for the purposes you’ve agreed to: delivering your lessons, processing your payments, and providing support.

We collect basic information such as your name, email address, billing details, and course activity when you enroll, so we can create your account, send you access links, and personalize your learning experience. If you choose to pay via Klarna, Afterpay, or Affirm, some of your payment and identification details will be shared securely with those providers to process your order in line with their own privacy policies. 

All transactions are encrypted using industry-standard SSL technology, and we use trusted, PCI-compliant payment processors to keep your financial details safe. We store only what’s necessary to serve you and comply with legal requirements, and you can request a copy, correction, or deletion of your data at any time by emailing [email protected] 

From time to time, we may send you helpful updates about new courses, events, or offers — but only if you’ve opted in. You can unsubscribe at any time with one click.

We believe your learning journey should be inspiring and worry-free — and that includes protecting your personal information with the same care and passion we put into teaching piano.

What is the Ridley Academy refund policy?

At Ridley Academy, we want you to feel the same excitement and certainty about learning piano as we do when we sit down at the keys. That's why we have our Success Guarantee. 

Your enrollment is a commitment. Refunds are conditional.1-Year Success Guarantee

If, after completing 100% of the program, including the final video, you see no measurable progress, you may request a refund within 12 months of original purchase.

To qualify, you must:
1.Complete the full course, including all levels and exercises.

2.Submit the final video as instructed in Level 10 – “Get Certified.”

3.Cooperate with the Instructor during the review process, allowing the Instructor to assess progress and provide any necessary feedback or additional guidance.

If, after completing these steps, the student still feels that the course has not helped them improve as a pianist, they may request a refund by submitting a written explanation detailing:

•⁠ ⁠Why the course did not meet their expectations, and

•⁠ ⁠In what ways the program did not help them become a better pianist.

Refunds beyond 12 months are not permitted under any circumstances.

IMPORTANT: Life events (e.g. illness, job changes, relocation, loss of a person) do not necessarily qualify for refunds. By enrolling, you accept this and waive any refunds.

If your purchase was made through a financing company, such as but not limited to Affirm, Afterpay, or others, your refund eligibility is determined by the terms and conditions set forth by the financing provider at the time you agreed to their payment plan. Therefore, their policies supersede Ridley Academy’s internal refund policy when financing is used. For any questions or clarifications, please contact [email protected]

For more information, contact [email protected] or call : +1(213)375-53-80,10:00 am - 4:30 pm EST, Mon - Fri.

 How to contact Ridley Academy?

The best way to contact us is to simply drop us an email at [email protected] and we'll route your query to the correct terminal and aim to get back to you within 24 hours Mon - Fri.

Dispute and Chargeback Policy

At Ridley Academy, we are committed to providing transparent and fair support to all our students. We understand that issues or misunderstandings may arise, and we encourage all students to contact us first so we can assist directly and resolve any concerns promptly.

Before filing a dispute or chargeback:
Students are required to reach out to our support team at [email protected]
to discuss any issues related to their payment, course access, or refund request. In most cases, our support team can resolve the matter quickly without the need for third-party involvement.

Once a dispute or chargeback is initiated:
Please note that once a student files a dispute or chargeback with their payment provider or financing company, Ridley Academy is no longer able to issue a refund directly. The dispute process is then managed entirely by the payment processor or financing company, and all communication must go through them until a decision is reached.

If the dispute or chargeback is resolved in Ridley Academy’s favor, the decision is considered final, and no additional refunds will be issued for that transaction.

Important:
Initiating a dispute without first contacting Ridley Academy may delay resolution and can negatively impact both parties. Disputes and chargebacks also carry financial and reputational costs to our business. For this reason, we kindly ask that students give us the opportunity to resolve the matter directly and amicably before pursuing a formal claim.

For any questions or concerns regarding payments or refund eligibility, please contact us at [email protected]