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.

FREE TRIAL LESSON

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

Top-Notch Teachers

HARRY LUTON

Pianist, Founder

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.

MICAH GILLIAM

Multi-Instrumentalist, Songwriter, Producer

Micah Gilliam is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, music producer, audio engineer, and performer with a remarkably diverse musical background. His musical influences span classical, rock, folk, blues, country, bluegrass, funk, new wave, glam rock, rockabilly, and electronic music, giving him a broad and versatile perspective on both performing and creating music.

Micah’s early training in classical music provided a strong foundation for his later work as a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the founder and owner of Boombox Recording Studio in St. Augustine and has decades of performance experience, including touring nationally with bands and sharing the stage with artists such as Shawn Colvin and Dan Tyminski. His original rock project, The Young Step, reflects his wide-ranging musical interests and creative approach.

As a teacher, Micah believes that the best way to help a student grow is to start with what they do well and build from there. His approach is highly individualized, taking into account each student’s strengths, interests, and musical goals. Rather than trying to fit every student into the same mold, he works to develop the qualities that make each musician unique.

With experience across so many musical styles, Micah has a particularly large musical “toolbox” to draw from. Whether a student is interested in rock, classical music, songwriting, improvisation, popular music, or something entirely different, he can help them develop their abilities in a way that feels authentic to them. His goal is to help each student discover what they do best—and develop those strengths into the skills and confidence they need to shine as a musician.

LISA LOCKHART

Operatic Soprano, Music Professor

Soprano Lisa Lockhart is a voice teacher and performer who helps singers of many ages build confidence, healthy technique, and expressive artistry. With more than 25 years of teaching experience, she works with students from young beginners to adults, supporting classical, musical theater, and contemporary styles in a welcoming and encouraging studio environment. Lisa brings both strong academic training and a genuine love of teaching to her work with students. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from The Boston Conservatory of Music and a Master’s in Music/Music Education from Columbia University Teachers College in New York City, where she also served as an adjunct vocal instructor. She is an adjunct vocal professor at Florida State College at Jacksonville and a longtime member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).

In addition to her teaching, Lisa brings extensive professional performance experience to the studio, giving students the benefit of guidance rooted in both training and real-world stage work. Her performance credits include the title characters in Gustav Holst’s Savitri, Aida, and Madama Butterfly, as well as principal roles in La bohème, Le nozze di Figaro, The Medium, Amahl and the Night Visitors, A Hand of Bridge, Gianni Schicchi, Trouble in Tahiti, Il Trovatore, Porgy and Bess, Die Fledermaus, Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Mikado, The Sound of Music, Caroline, or Change, and more.

Companies, venues and organizations include St. Petersburg Opera, First Coast Opera, Opera Amore, Bold City Opera (where she also sits on the board of directors), the Romanza Festivale, the St. Augustine Chamber Singers and St. Augustine Community Chorus (guest soloist), Mid-Ohio Civic Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Opera in the Heights, the Virginia Symphony, New York City Opera, Washington National Opera, New York Harlem Productions, ConcertOPERA Philadelphia, DiCapo Opera Theatre, the Opera Company of Brooklyn, the White House, the French and German embassies, Fieri International, the Urban Philharmonic Society, Pacific Opera, Annapolis Opera, New Rochelle Opera, the Natchez Music Festival, Long Island Masterworks, numerous European houses and others.

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.

ANNA LEKOVICH

Violinist, Orchestra Musician

Anna Lekovich is a violinist, chamber musician, and orchestra member with extensive experience performing and teaching classical violin. She received her musical education in Moldova, studying within the Russian tradition of classical music, which places a strong emphasis on technical development, musical expression, and disciplined study.

Anna has many years of experience teaching violin in Florida, working with students at a wide range of ages and levels. Her students have gone on to pursue advanced musical studies and earn successful placements in orchestras, reflecting the strong technical and musical foundation developed through her instruction.

Classical music is at the heart of Ann’s teaching and performing. She emphasizes solid technique, careful attention to musical detail, and the development of a thoughtful, expressive approach to the instrument. Her goal is to help each student develop both the skills and musical understanding needed to become a confident and accomplished violinist.

NATALYA GREEN

Piano Soloist, Collaborative Artist, Instructor

Natalya Green received her formal musical education at the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan in Tashkent, where she studied piano with renowned teachers including Stanislav Moshkov, Professor Anna Gringof, and Anna Grinberg. Before completing her conservatory studies, she began performing professionally as an orchestral pianist with the Alisher Navoi State Academic Grand Theatre, Uzbekistan’s national opera house. She worked as a concertmaster and accompanist at the Republican College of Variety and Circus Art in Tashkent, where young artists train in music, performance, dance, and circus arts.

After immigrating to the United States in 2006, Natalya settled in St. Augustine, where she quickly became involved in the local arts community. She has performed at the St. Augustine Art Association and has continued sharing her musical talents throughout the area with her teaching activity and performances. She has served as accompanist for the St. Augustine Youth Chorus for several years running.

Natalya brings a gentle touch combined with a traditional approach to piano instruction, emphasizing strong development of music fundamentals and understanding. She meets students where they are, encouraging them to listen actively and develop an expressive relationship with the music. Her teaching combines the discipline of her conservatory training with an individualized approach that helps students build confidence, independence, and a genuine appreciation for music.

EMILY CORSAUT

Pianist, Instructor

Emily fosters a lifelong passion for musical education, and she believes in the power of musical study to create lasting social connections and firm foundations for wellbeing. She combines her 14 years of piano study with a degree in psychology and a strong penchant for working with children and groups. With 8 years of teaching experience, Emily creates lessons that are engaging, supportive, and tailored to each student’s needs. She is passionate about making every student feel confident, motivated, and eager to sit at the piano and create music they’re proud of.

OLGA VIOTTI

Classical Vocalist, Pianist

Olga Viotti is a classically trained pianist, soprano, and music educator with extensive experience in performance and teaching. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music, summa cum laude, from Northern Kazakhstan State University, specializing in Choir and Music Education, following years of formal training in piano, choir, and music education.

Her performance background includes classical piano, soprano solo work, opera, orchestral performance, sacred music, and choral music. Olga has performed with the Amarillo High School Orchestra and as a pianist for Christmas and Easter concerts at First Presbyterian Church and First Baptist Church in Amarillo, Texas. During these performances, she had the opportunity to collaborate with Norman Goad, composer and organist, and his wife, Diana Goad, a second-chair violinist, in sacred and classical ensemble programs.

Olga's classical vocal experience includes performing with the Amarillo Opera House in productions of Madame Butterfly and Lucia di Lammermoor, as well as appearances with the Lone Star Ballet, Amarillo Civic Chorus, church choirs, and Ryazan Regional Philharmonic Hall. Her performance experience also gave her the opportunity to share the stage with accomplished opera artists including David Pershall, Eric Barry, Hanan Alattar, Saundra DeAthos, and Harold Meers.

While attending Santa Monica College in California, Olga continued her vocal studies with Diana Zaslov Kahn, whose mentorship had a lasting influence on her vocal training and musical development.

Today, Olga brings her classical training, performance experience, and love of music into her work as a piano and vocal instructor, helping students develop strong technique, musical expression, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for music. She is also a member of the St. Augustine Community Chorus and the St. Augustine Art Association (STAAA), continuing her active involvement in the local music and arts community.

Ample Studio Space

We take pride in offering a quality musical education, and an important part of that is providing excellent studio space and instruments. We have two baby grands (Young Chang and Hobart M Cable), a Yamaha upright grand, two high-end Yamaha digital pianos and an extensive library of piano music.

In addition to our two Studio Rooms, we hold lessons in our Performance Hall which has seating for thirty-five.