for the joy of music
At Sarah Gettys Music Studio, we offer piano lessons, voice lessons, drum lessons, and guitar lessons to people of all ages and skill levels. Lessons are taught in-person at our physical location in Campbell, CA and anywhere in the world online.
Learn to play the music you love.
Here is my message for you: it’s never too late to learn, and now is the time to take action toward making your musical dreams a reality. We teach many genres and styles of music, including classical, jazz, R&B, pop, funk, blues, folk, new age, and rock music. We would be honored to support you.
your child can grow as a musician and have fun.
We believe in building foundational skills, technique, and knowledge in a friendly, supportive environment, while having a great time—because fun and play are not distractions, but when properly directed, fun and play enhance learning and focus. (also, psst—fun & play are not just for kids!)
photo by Monica Semergiu
meet the founder
Sarah Gettys currently teaches voice and piano in her year-long program, the Virtuoso Mentorship, which is designed to help musicians of all ages embody their highest excellence in technique, expression, and artistry.
After returning from music school in Iowa, and teaching in schools, community colleges, and universities for many years, she started this private music studio in 2015 with the support of her fellow alumni and colleagues Katie Linza, Mikki Boyd, Erin Fishler-Branam, and Brady Fishler.
By 2020, the size of the studio was expanding beyond her own personal teaching capacity, and she invited Thomas Gettys & Hannah Levy to join the teaching team.
“the life i love is making music with my friends.”
— willie nelson
meet hannah levy
Hannah teaches voice and piano lessons, and is accepting new students of all ages. Her warm and enthusiastic teaching style centers the joy of music, alongside cultivation of sustainable technique, knowledge of music theory, and authentic creative expression.
Though she has a special place in her heart for teenagers, she’s also excellent at supporting young students to have a positive musical beginning, and she loves working with adults, especially in the area of music and singing for stress relief.
Her musical background is quite diverse, ranging from jazz, funk, R&B, rock, pop, and musical theater and includes deep explorations of many different kinds of folk musics from around the world. She is trained in the Kodály method and Somatic Voicework, and holds a B.M. in Jazz Vocal Performance from the California Jazz Conservatory.
meet thomas gettys
Thomas teaches drums and piano, and is currently accepting new students of all ages. Thomas teaches like he plays - joyfully, supportively, and never sacrificing groove for flashiness.
In lessons, Thomas focuses on mastery of the basics and establishing a foundational, ever-deepening connection to rhythm and time on all instruments. He encourages his students to explore what excites them about music, drawing out their own curiosity and delight.
Thomas has played in a wide range of musical styles, including classical piano, indie folk, salsa, country, musical theater, psych rock, pop, jazz, and orchestral percussion. He studied piano and drums at the School for Music Vocations in Creston, Iowa, and taught at the San Francisco Waldorf School before moving to private teaching.
Meet Rowan Katz
Rowan (she/they/he) is thrilled to be a new voice educator at Sarah Gettys Studio! A vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist hailing from Los Angeles originally, Rowan has lived in New York City and Washington State, and now resides in the bay area. Touted as a powerhouse vocalist and performer, Rowan believes in using singing, writing, and vocal/musical performance as a way to dismantle shame and foster expression and connection. A true lover of folk music from all over the world, Rowan also comes from an extensive background in jazz, gospel, classical, and pop performance, which they have studied and performed for 16 years.
Rowan loves to work with students of all ages, and at all stages of vocal experience and engagement! They are especially nerdy about singing as a stress-relief/nervous system regulation tool, singing in community as a way of healing the world, and songwriting as a way of finding meaning and hope.
Rowan’s recent forays in the world of performance include "Songs of Truth: Holocaust Awareness Concert and Conversation" with the Golden Gate Symphony (Soloist), Free Key Choir (Soloist, Composer, Section Leader), HBO's "Scavengers Reign" (Vocalist), Noise Pop's "Summer of Music" Series (Featured Artist), and THEYFRIEND Performance Festival (Featured Artist).
For Dereck, music has always been a source of joy. It’s this sense of freedom, playfulness and enjoyment – and a deep desire to share it – that drives his work as a teacher.
Dereck first discovered his love of music as a young child when his elementary school music teacher introduced him to the violin. After a few years of violin, he began to explore the piano, which soon became his primary instrument. As a pianist, Dereck explored a wide range of musical styles and genres, and developed a particular soft spot for contemporary, pop, and musical theater. It was also through the piano that he discovered Sarah Gettys Studio, and began studying with Sarah at the age of 13.
After almost a decade under Sarah’s guidance, Dereck embodies the studio’s core value of playing for joy, and he is excited to share his experience and passion for music with his students. As an educator, Dereck brings a compassionate, gentle, and collaborative teaching style. He specializes in helping students explore the piano from a place of curiosity and fun, and uses his robust foundation of technical skills and theoretical knowledge as tools to help students enhance their creative expression. Dereck is particularly passionate about working with youth and teens, and has a unique skill for helping young students build a playful, stress-free (and even stress-relieving!) relationship with music.
Meet Dereck Orellana
Susanna has been playing guitar and writing songs since she was 12 years old, and has been performing professionally for the last 6 years as a lead singer and guitarist in her rock band, Sour Widows. She is a strong believer in the practice of ear training as a method to gain intuitive understanding of the guitar, as well as forming a personal relationship with the instrument. She is also enthusiastic about widely accessible guitar notation such as chord charts and tablature as a way to bolster self-motivated learning outside of the classroom; she believes that while theory can be a helpful tool to use as a map while exploring the world of music, prioritizing curiosity and learning basics that open the door to playing and writing are key to fostering passion and facilitating self expression as a musician.
Susanna is excited to offer lessons that center each student’s unique inspiration for honing musicianship, whether it is based in learning an instrument, songwriting, or a combination of both. As a musician whose relationship to her instrument has grown mainly through writing and experimentation, she understands the importance of following one’s own creative interests in order to build a foundation that supports individual artistic identity. She is honored to be of service to any student in their path of self discovery, and believes that we all have something special to offer as artists!
Susanna’s own journey with the guitar has been deeply influenced by artists such as folk and jazz legend Joni Mitchell and her many alternative tunings, 90’s slowcore/post-hardcore bands such as Duster and Unwound and their hallmark harmonic interplay, and contemporary Americana/folk rock guitarists such as Adrienne Lenker and Buck Meek of Big Thief and their raw dynamism and expressiveness.
Meet Susanna Thomson
subscribe to our newsletter for musical inspiration
studio celebrations, a “did you know?” blurb with fun facts about music history & listening, and practical musical tips to help you grow as a musician
photo by Angela Morris Media
On the first & third Tuesdays of every month, I send out a newsletter called “A Note from Sarah.”
It’s a personal message from me - I like to think of it as a giant boost of encouragement for you on your musical journey, and nourishment for your creative spirit.
Studio celebrations & highlights, because negativity bias is real and we’re mostly way too hard on ourselves, which makes it all the more important to celebrate successes and acknowledge positive outcomes, whether they’re yours or someone else’s
A “did you know?” blurb that includes music listening suggestions and music history insights to inspire you, activate flow, and awaken your mind to new possibilities (and also ‘cause it’s fun to learn about new music that you might not have heard before)
A practical musical tip to help you grow and develop as a musician. I’ve been teaching privately for a really long time now (almost two decades), I know what works and what doesn’t, and this section is about very practical tools and mindset shifts to help you get where you want to go musically. It’s also geared toward parents who want to support their children in their musical growth and development.
for more information, see the “ABOUT” tab at the top navigation
Or book your first free lesson below with Hannah (voice, piano) or Thomas (drums, piano). If you need help figuring out where to start, book a 20-minute phone call with Sarah and she will be happy to talk you through your options.