In 2026, sdpa students took all three top spots in the Under-18 division at the MTAC Southern Regional, the largest competition stage in Southern California.
2026 Chopin Festival, SDPA faculty and their students won 17 of the 35 prizes.
A strong foundation, not speed, is what makes a student progress fastest. This article explains why sdpa sometimes takes a step back before moving forward, and gives three questions parents can ask to check whether their child's playing is built to last.
Chetan Tierra explains how he prepares students for competitions, from managing the emotional weight of a subjective judging process to a three-draft system for bringing a piece to a truly professional level. Learn his tunnel-and-lightposts approach to memory security, and why he tells students to forget competitions exist for half the year.
Chetan Tierra breaks down his SMART practicing system and shows how the metronome, used the right way, can turn slow, patient repetition into fast, lasting technical growth. Learn the method behind his own path from a Juilliard rejection to the Van Cliburn Competition, including the "advanced metronome work" that helped him conquer one of the hardest pieces of his career.
