Calgary Seton - Piano Lessons

Eric Dylke

Eric's passion for music was ignited after hearing Nirvana's "Nevermind" album. He's never looked back since. Eric's vigurous love for 90's alt rock has lead him on a 20+ year career of teaching, recording and performing in various capacities.

Eric now brings that experience to L&M Seton as Lessons Coordinator. His mission is to facilitate the joy and benefits of music education to as many folks as he can. Welcome to the lesson centre!

Cathy Stephen (Violin, Piano)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Thursday, Saturday

Cathy started piano lessons at age 5 and violin at age 11. Cathy has an Associate of Music in piano and violin from the Western Board of Music. She has taught for over 35 years and can prepare students for exams and festivals.

Cathy offers lessons at $32 per half hour.

Esteban Herrera (Piano)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Esteban Herrera is an internationally renowned pianist and composer, known for his distinctive style and contributions to contemporary jazz. Based in Calgary, he has led several musical projects, most notably the Esteban Herrera Trio, which blends piano, double bass, and drums to create original contemporary world jazz.

Esteban holds a Bachelor's degree in Jazz Music Performance, a Bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences, and a technical degree in piano. With 13 albums released, he was nominated for the Juno Awards in 2022 and won a YYC Music Award in 2023, with another nomination for the YYC Music Awards in 2024. He is also a voting member of the Latin Grammys.

With a 30-year career as a professional pianist, Esteban excels not only as a performer but also as a composer, arranger, director, and producer of his own albums. His experience as a music teacher, mainly in piano, spans around 15 years. He has lived in various countries, including Spain, Germany, Mexico, and Canada, which has enriched his musical vision and style.

Esteban offers lessons at $32 per half hour.

Esther Gerasymenko (Piano)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

My name is Miss Esther. I am a musician with over thirteen years of dedication to the piano in the RCM program, the standard Canadian conservatory curriculum. My greatest hobby is composing my own songs and improvising jazz. I follow a modern approach to teaching, aiming to connect with my students based on their learning preferences, whether visual, auditory, or other. My goal for becoming your piano teacher is to teach you that music is a language of our souls, connecting us in ineffable ways: I prioritize enthusiasm and passion in my lessons, as well as walking on the learning journey with my students, inspiring them to play what they love. I am fluent in English and Russian, and am happy to ensure good quality lessons for students who prefer either language. In my classes you will see musical activities at the end of classes, awarded to my students who have shown hard work. Hands-on learning activities such as rhythm games, "Build a Piano", and memory activities will help enhance the students' understanding of basic musical terminology. My expectations for you as a teacher are to practice regularly, and attend lessons with good spirit. Learning an instrument is an acquired skill, and will take both motivation from you and from me, to ensure progressive success along your musical journey. I am looking forward to becoming your teacher!

Esther offers lessons at $31 per half hour.

Ryan Aguilar (Piano)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Monday, Friday, Saturday

For nearly half a century, Ryan has been immersed in music. At the tender age of six he began tinkering away on the piano and shortly after, picked up guitar, bass, ukulele, and vocals. His naturally gifted ear revealed an almost sixth sense for replicating the tunes he heard on his grandmother’s radio. He was insatiable. Soon, Ryan found himself at college for piano and vocals and then university, majoring in piano performance at Southwest Texas State. Since 1993 he has played in several quintessential Texan rock and country bands (Derringer, Sheila Marshall, The Triumphs) touring the southern US, Canada, and even into Mexico. Then in 2003, he felt nudged to give back all he gained on the stage—he began to teach others how to be rock stars. His personal mantra, ‘practice as joy’, sets the tone for each lesson. Watching students’ faces light up when a piece comes together is what continues to stoke the fires of his musical and teaching passion.

Ryan offers lessons at $31 per half hour.

Tracy Hayduk (Piano, Saxophone)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Tracy started learning music at a young age, and after progressing through private lessons and school music programs, she went on to study Jazz/Contemporary Music Performance at Mount Royal on saxophone and piano. Since then she has been teaching professionally, and for more than 20 years has been performing steadily in the local music scene with several bands as well as doing freelance and recording work.
She specializes in contemporary, rock, and jazz styles.

Tracy offers lessons at $31 per half hour.