Student of the Week - Christine Potter
We are very proud to announce Christine Potter as this week’s Student of the Week!
“When I joined Ridley Academy, I only had two years of piano lessons way back in fourth and fifth grades, and I was only comfortable playing in the key of C. But throw in a few sharps or a few flats, and I was out of there. I also remember as a child it was grueling memorizing scales over and over with no rhyme or reason and playing stupid songs I didn’t know!
“My goal was to be able to play any songs no matter what key they were written in. I also wanted to be able to play popular songs, not whatever the teacher was making me play. So, I decided to enroll in Ridley Academy with the hopes of being able to achieve this.
“Thanks to Stephen’s amazing and brilliant teaching method and his Piano Masterclass, I’m understanding music theory and all the scales, and, most importantly, I’m believing in myself.
“Remember in The Wizard of Oz, the Cowardly Lion? He said, ‘I do believe, I do believe, I do, I do, I...
Student of the Week - Ha Phan
Ha Phan is this week’s Student of the Week! 
“A little about me: although my parents are Chinese, I was born and raised in Vietnam. My Vietnamese name is Ha Phan, and my Chinese name is Meixia Pan. When I got older, I moved to France to study, and after I got married, I moved to the United States, where I began a new chapter of my life. I initially worked as a computer programmer, but I eventually realized my true calling was education. I changed careers and became a teacher, earning teaching certifications in Computers and French. I have also been blessed with three children and two grandchildren, who bring me great joy. Family has always been an important part of my life. “Music has been one of my lifelong passions, and I have loved singing and playing the piano since childhood. Now, at the age of 70, my dream of making music is finally coming true!“One day, while watching a Chinese television drama, I saw an advertisement for Ridley Academy. I was so excited that I immediately enrol...
Student of the Week - Sarah Orr
Sarah Orr is this week’s Student of the Week! 
“I have loved the sound of the piano for such a long time. I took 2 years of lessons in high school and didn’t get very far with it. Piano felt so unachievable — until I came across Ridley Academy and felt incredibly inspired. It was the day before my birthday, so I decided to treat myself and purchase the program. It had been years since I’d played! “Ridley Academy has given me both the confidence and hope that I can play the piano again. Sharing my videos in the Ridley Academy Facebook Community has really been a huge step for me and it has built the confidence needed to also share my videos with friends — which is something I never did before. The encouragement and support really keep me going when I start to feel stuck. “I’ve realized it’s not just about discipline. With the right teaching methods, I know I can go far and the Ridley teaching method makes such a huge difference. I now feel free to let my creativity soar with ...
Student of the Week - Faye Forges
Faye Forges is this week’s Student of the Week! 
“I first saw an ad for Ridley Academy in March of 2023, and I decided to join the next Masterclass Webinar to learn more about it. I have always loved music, and I knew how to read music and play the piano a bit, but I didn’t think I was good enough. I thought I had already reached my peak level of mediocrity. I knew I would still play— but likely just for myself. “When I joined the webinar and heard Stephen’s enthusiasm about how he developed a way to reach higher levels of playing, I couldn’t help but become excited too. My husband Paul watched the last half of the webinar with me, and I remember him saying, ‘You really want this, don’t you?’ I actually became a little teary-eyed as I said ‘yes’. I hadn’t even realized how much I wanted more music in my life until then. Paul smiled at me, grabbed his wallet, handed me a card, and said, ‘Here´. Money was tight for us then, but I wanted to take a chance at improving my piano skills one m...
Student of the Week - Jennifer Pierce
We are proud to announce Jennifer Pierce as this week’s Student of the Week!
“When I met Stephen and found out about Ridley Academy, I was at probably the lowest point in my life. I had fled a terrible marriage as a domestic abuse survivor and found myself in bed for about 4 years due to a car accident I was in. On top of that, I had found out I have a disease that causes hearing loss, and eventually I would be permanently deaf. But despite all of that, my love of music just couldn’t die. “I was hopeless and looking for something—anything. I came across an ad on Facebook about Ridley Academy. Stephen said, ‘Have you ever wanted to learn how to play the piano?’ I was like, ‘YES!’ So I signed up to join his webinar.“I had felt for a long time that my life was over — every day in bed and in pain. But I didn’t want that to be my life anymore… So, I watched the clock count down second by second — until Boom! I was there on the webinar with Stephen and all his positivity. All his pizazz. All...
Student of the Week - Jana Wae
We are pleased to announce Jana Wae as this week’s Student of the Week!
“When I saw Stephen jump onto a piano stool in an Instagram ad that appeared on my screen, something inside me was triggered. I immediately wanted more of the inspiration that his playful, positive energy gave me. From that moment on, a journey of inspiration began — one that has had a very positive impact on my life.“The piano had fascinated me ever since I was a child, and even after the piano lessons I took back then, the instrument always gave me so much personally. It was something that connected with me on a deeper level.“So, at some point during the pandemic, I decided I wanted to give Ridley Academy a try because being able to play the piano freely and creatively had always been a very deep, yet seemingly distant, dream of mine. “Ridley Academy gave me back a hope that I thought I had lost. It has helped me grow personally and has greatly refined my playing. I have become more courageous, more expressive,...
Student of the Week - Tyler Cantos
We are very proud to announce Tyler Cantos as this week’s Student of the Week!
“When I first found Ridley Academy, I’d been playing piano for around 20 years, but I’d never taken lessons. I only learned through watching YouTube videos and always wanted to really learn from the beginning. I attended one of the live calls Stephen did and decided to just take the plunge.
“I knew some of the basics, like chords, before enrolling. — but I didn’t know how to practice with them. The biggest thing that has helped me grow from Ridley Academy has been learning how to practice. The Ridley Method has helped me increase my speed, improve my finger dexterity, and learn music quicker.
“My confidence has improved from posting videos within the Ridley Academy community. Getting feedback on my posts has helped me improve and build confidence playing in front of others.
“I am particularly proud of how much my speed with learning songs has improved. I used to try to speed through learning songs, and it woul...
Student of the Week - Ellen Nasser
We are excited to announce that Ellen Nasser is this week’s Student of the Week!
“I enrolled in Ridley Academy because I wanted to take my music to the next level and wanted to combine it with what I had learned studying at the Royal Conservatory of Music.
“My musical journey has definitely gained momentum since having the courage to create and post online through Ridley Academy. If I had waited until I was ‘good enough ’-the day would’ve never come.
“My confidence has definitely improved —especially from watching Stephen have such passion for what he does, and his ability to share it’s so graciously with the world.
“I’m definitely calmer and more relaxed around the piano now. It feels like the more I play, the more I want to play. And the more I play, the better I get and the more comfortable I feel. Ridley Academy has brought me to a place of exploration, creation, and healing.
“The staff at the academy have been incredibly encouraging and totally hands-on with any questions or concerns...
Student of the Week - Ashley Akey
We are very pleased to announce that Ashley Akey is this week’s Student of the Week!
“Ridley Academy has become such an important part of my musical journey.
“I’d wanted to play piano since I was about four years old. I would make up words and songs and sing them all over the house, and I wanted to be able to sit at a piano, play the music I heard in my head, and turn those words into actual songs
“Music stayed with me as I grew up. I learned other instruments, sang, performed, and created in different ways. More than anything, music became a way for me to connect with other people and better understand myself. When I couldn’t always find the right words to express how I felt, somehow I could find them through music.
“Life eventually took me in a very different direction. I joined the Marine Corps at 17 and served for more than 11 years before being medically retired in 2023. The Marines had been such a huge part of my adult life that when it ended, I felt like I had lost much more tha...
Student of the Week - Suzy Devey
We are very excited to announce Suzy Devey as this week’s Student of the Week!
“Here are some reflections for you! I decided to enroll with Ridley Academy to give myself the gift of music. I had heard some of Stephen’s songs, which I found incredibly emotionally connecting. This led me to a webinar with him, and I realized enrolling would be such a gift— to be able to play for other people without thinking too much and truly be myself on the piano. I wanted to really share something honest and expressive, and I wished to understand music on a deeper level, too.
"Personally, I truly wanted to overcome some barriers in my self-confidence — specifically with performing — and to get the belief that music was not only for the ones who had studied it inside and out. There are many barriers I overcame as a beginner, and now every time I go to sit at a piano, I have so much love for it. To me, I think that’s a sign of remarkable teaching— that during the steps of learning you can really become...
