Teaching Philosophy

At Luton Piano Academy, our mission isn’t to create the 'perfect' musician but to nurture each student’s unique musical journey. We take a personalized approach, adapting to individual strengths, skills, and interests. By building fundamental skills gradually, we encourage creativity, curiosity, and fun throughout the learning process. We approach the physical and mental challenges of mastering an instrument with a balanced, joyful mindset, making each lesson an opportunity for growth and discovery.

Three Keys to Cultivating a Music Lover

  • MUSICAL EXPOSURE

    Piano offers an incredibly rich and diverse tradition. Students are exposed to Jazz and Classical styles and also encouraged to pursue their own interests.


    Periods in Music History

    Composers and Performers

    Classical and Jazz Styles

    Understanding Emotion in Music

  • PIANO SKILLS

    There is a reason that many composers sit at a piano to compose. The piano lends us the full range of the orchestra at our fingertips. It is an ideal instrument to learn musical scales, chords and theory.


    Reading Music

    Music Theory

    Ear Training

    Piano Technique

  • FREE FORM CREATIVITY

    ​Freedom and creativity are what make music. We build up joy in expression with performance tips. Improvisation and composition are incorporated to help students make music truly their own.


    Performance Skills

    Composition

    Improvisation

    Self-Guided Exploration

Our Services

“My daughter has cerebral palsy, and the teacher figured out a way for her to angle her arm so she had the strength required to play the notes and position so she could play the chord. He is calm and reassuring. He picked additional music to keep her interested and motivated. Strongly recommend!”

— Wendy Lilly, St. Augustine

Our Teachers

HARRY LUTON

Founder of Luton Piano Academy | State Finalist, Classical Piano

Harry founded Luton Piano Academy in 2020, out of his deep love of music and passion for teaching and service. He has wide experience working with young students as well as adult learners. He believes that anyone can learn to be an artist at the piano; we all have the freedom to surprise ourselves with our own creativity and expression. 

​Harry was drawn to visual art and music early on. He received scholarship to attend Interlochen Arts Camp and excelled at the prestigious New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, earning second place in the 2002 state LMTA Rally Competition. Continuing his musical pursuits in college, he studied under renowned piano maestro German Diez at Bard College and later at the Greenwich House Music School in Manhattan.

​​​Harry has a diversity of educational experience beyond piano instruction, from teaching ESL to elementary school students, to honing cognitive skills in high schoolers, to tutoring college age students on the autism spectrum and leading yoga and meditation classes for adults.

He believes in a well-rounded approach to learning music that encourages engagement and fun while gradually building mastery.

SARA ZENG

Singer, Songwriter, & Pianist

Sara Zeng, a singer, songwriter, and pianist of 23 years, has always held a passion for the stage and performing. Her piano performances led her to begin competing in pageants where she won the title of Miss Florida in 2017 and competed in the Miss America Competition in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Sara received her Bachelor of Music Education from Florida State University and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Florida with a Master's degree in Music Education.

Sara holds a Florida State Educator's certificate in K-12 music and drama with 5 years of experience teaching elementary music and middle school guitar, chorus, and theatre in Volusia and Flagler County. She currently serves on the board of non-profit organization, Kids Rock the Nation, where she continues to share her love of music and performing with the community.

ANDREW CARROLL

Award Winning Pianist, Composer, Arranger & Educator

Andrew Carroll is an award winning pianist, composer, arranger and educator. He has shared the stage with many of the greats in the music industry including Maria Schnieder, Jeff Ballard, Steve Smith, Jeremy Pelt, Burt Bacharach, Steve Miller, Jane Monheit, Elliot Mason, Carl Fischer, Ingrid Jensen, Steve Davis, Ralph Lalama, Gary Smulyan among many others.

Andrew has recorded two albums as a leader, “Alliterations,” and soon to be released, “Speaking of Gravity,” which features nine original compositions and arrangements. “Alliterations” reached over forty thousand listeners across the country and received acclaim in Jazz Times as well as several other music publications. The subsequent record release tour sold out several theaters and jazz clubs across Upstate New York. “Speaking of Gravity” was recorded in Udine, Italy and features Jeff Ballard on drums and Danny Ziemann on double bass.

Andrew has spent many years involved with collegiate jazz communities around the country, most recently graduating with his Master’s Degree from the Eastman School of Music. At Eastman he was part of the Eastman Jazz Ensemble and New Jazz Ensemble as well as many small student groups. He studied studio and film composition with Dave Rivello, Mark Watters, Jeff Beal and Christine Jensen, giving him opportunities to write for and conduct various chamber ensembles. Andrew has taught applied piano lessons and directed jazz ensembles at Binghamton University, Le Moyne College and Cayuga Community College.

Andrew is currently working full time as a performer, recording artist and educator. He most recently started touring with vocalist/songwriter Mary Fahl who performs in select venues and opera houses across the country.

MARIE GERNI

Singer, Pianist, & Choral Accompanist

Marie was born and raised in southeastern Virginia. She begged her parents for a piano at the age of eight and it was then she began her classical studies. Her love of music continued to grow, and she was selected as the student director and accompanist for her high school choirs. She completed her High School Diploma from the National Guild of Piano Teachers, earned scholarships in competitions from the Peninsula Music Teachers Association, and attended Elon University in North Carolina majoring in Music Performance with a minor in Piano Pedagogy on a partial piano Scholarship.

While raising her children, Marie continued her musical endeavors by acting as an accompanist and singing with her church choir and singing with the Virginia Symphony. In her spare time, she loves traveling and spending time with family. She and her husband Chris can always be found outdoors – at the beach, on a bike ride, or playing tennis and pickleball. Marie feels it is an absolute joy and privilege to help others develop a lifetime love and appreciation for music.

VIVID MA

Classical Pianist, Teacher, & Content Creator | Digital Marketer

Vivid has a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from the Butler School of Music (Austin, Texas) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance from the University of Toronto (Toronto, Ontario) with a certificate in Piano Pedagogy. After starting her musical journey at the age of 8, she fell in love with the expressive possibilities of the piano and now pursues a full time career as a pianist, teacher, and content creator.

Known for her captivating stage presence and temperament, Vivid draws in her audience with convincing yet personalized interpretations of her repertoire. Her favourite classical composers are the late romantics, including Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. In addition to being a soloist, she is passionate about collaborating in a variety of chamber settings ranging from playing with large symphony ensembles, small chamber groups, to eight-hand piano works.

Vivid delivers online-only piano and theory lessons, supported by over seven years of dedicated teaching experience.

RANDOLPH SCHERP

Pianist, Composer, Musicologist

A native of Calgary, Randolph was brought up with a cosmopolitan outlook, which has helped him to sympathise with, and feel at home in different cultures and traditions. His father, who loved to play the Blue Danube, was an amateur musician that taught him the rudiments of music, while his mother loved to play records of classics, such as Puccini and Schubert. Originally Randolph intended to become a geologist like his father, but at the decisive moment opted for music. He then studied composition with George Walker in Montclair, NJ, and the piano with Hans-Dieter Meyer-Moortgat in Germany and Charles Asche in Santa Barbara, CA.

Randolph has published a book of original compositions and edited chamber music by Beethoven's contemporary in Vienna, Anton Eberl. He was the season pianist for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Opera in 2023. His current interests in music include music pedagogy from classical times, discovering forgotten masters, and repopularising classical music in public perception. Randolph likes to read ancient history and appreciates all things wild and natural. He cherishes family and is proud of his daughters' achievements as educators and artists.

Our Teachers at the Piano

Harry Luton, owner of Luton Piano Academy, performs Chopin's Revolutionary Etude, Op. 10 No. 12.

Sara Zeng performs at Sounds of the Suncoast, a Sarasota Music Festival.

Andrew Carroll performs his own composition, Audrey’s Arabesque.

Vivid Ma performs Liszt’s Après une lecture du Dante at the University of Texas at Austin.