About La Playa Music
Create Music & Play Piano
Co-Founders - Owners - Instructors
About Us!
La Playa Music School is based on the belief that our customers' needs are paramount. Our entire team is committed to meeting those needs. As a result, a high percentage of our business is from repeat customers and referrals.
We would welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and deliver the best industry service.
La Playa Music School is a privately owned music school established in San Francisco in 2010.
Co-Founders / Owners / Instructors:
Alex Balmaceda & Martina Ayala, Ed.D.
Alex playing at the San Francisco Botanical Garden
Alex Balmaceda
LPMS - Music Director
In addition to being the co-founder of La Playa Music School Alex has over twenty years of teaching experience with private lessons, small and large groups. He has taught at many private music schools as well as college level classes in Los Angeles and the East and Northern Bay area.
Alex teaches beginning through advanced Piano, Guitar, Bass, Ukulele, Percussion, and Drums. He enjoys introducing students to music fundamentals, modern harmony, theory, and most importantly creating and making music. He has vast experience as a pianist playing and teaching classical, blues, jazz, rock, pop, R&B, and improvisation.
His musical training began over thirty years ago. He is a graduate of the Southern California Conservatory of Music, Jamie Faunt Creative Music Courses, and the world renowned Dick Grove School of Music in Van Nuys, California.
He grew up playing in garage bands to working bands at several major Los Angeles venues (Spruce Goose, House of Blues, the Troubadour, etc.) as well as recording and writing music for film and live performance.
Martina Ayala, Ed.D.
LPMS - Program Director
Dr. Ayala is co-founder and Program Director of La Playa Music School; she has over 30 years of experience as an educator, school administrator, and scholar/activist. She has taught music, art education, early childhood education and human development among other subjects in diverse settings in private and public schools, non-profits, and colleges.
Dr. Ayala is an experienced educator, artist, performer, filmmaker and dancer. She is a contributor to a local radio program and is producing educational programming for television and radio through “Martina La Latina Productions.” Currently she is developing an international and multicultural multilingual curriculum for distribution and implementation in Northern and Southern California schools.