Payam Music Opens First Washington, DC Metro School with New Bethesda Location at 8311 Wisconsin Avenue

The school reimagining how children learn piano expands to the Washington, DC area with new leadership and star-studded backing

BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Payam Music, the innovative piano school on a mission to change how students learn music, opened its first Washington, DC metro location in Bethesda, Maryland earlier this year—marking the company's tenth school nationwide. The school provides personalized piano lessons where students develop creativity, focus, and a lasting passion for music through direct human connection, without screens or AI.

Located at 8311 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite A5, the Bethesda location opening comes on the heels of major news for the music school: Payam Music has partnered with celebrated composer Hans Zimmer and closed a new round of funding from a group of top technology and media executives, including entrepreneur Mark Cuban, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Cloudflare Co-founder, President & Co-Chair Michelle Zatlyn, and Dropbox CEO Drew Houston. Code.org founder Hadi Partovi has also joined the company as CEO. The investment and new leadership will help fuel Payam Music's continued expansion of brick-and-mortar piano schools across the country.

Inspired by the psychology of language acquisition, Payam Music's proprietary method allows students to play real songs from their very first lesson. The unique alphanumeric notation emphasizes engagement and accelerated learning, rather than a sheet music-first approach. Nearly all students (96%) reach diploma-level skills (the 'black belt' in piano) within four years, a result unmatched by traditional instruction. In 2025, Payam Music students in Washington state claimed four of five top state honors in the PTA Reflections competition–as well as the national #1 winner.

"I love that Payam Music makes playing the piano immediately accessible, and prioritizes playing songs you know and love," says Katie LaCour, School Director of the Bethesda location. "The best learning environments aren't only about knowledge and skills, they're about relationships with great teachers, an encouraging and motivational atmosphere, and connecting what you know to what you don't know yet. Payam Music does all of this!"

Although two-thirds of American adults have played a musical instrument at some point in their lives, many no longer do and regret it. And while an estimated $3.8 billion is spent annually on piano lessons, 80-85% of students quit within their first year. Without a national standard or centralized training, most piano instruction remains inconsistent and isolated. Payam Music is changing this with a patent-pending approach that triples learning speed in a positive environment where teachers are empowered to personalize learning for each student. In the first meeting, teachers conduct a "genre assessment" to identify each student's individual musical preferences and tailor lessons accordingly. In turn, students are motivated to practice because they get to play songs they know and love. Each student learns the same skills and techniques, but lessons are based on the type of music they like–not only classical music from a prescribed songbook.

"We're building a movement that challenges the traditional model of music education," notes Payam Khastkhodaei, founder of Payam Music. "Our methodology creates an environment where learning feels like play, and success is a natural result of students falling in love with piano."

With new funding and leadership in place, Payam Music is accelerating its plans to open schools across the country. Enrollment for 1:1 in-person lessons in Bethesda are now open at payammusic.com, with waitlists available for additional locations opening soon nationwide.

To sign up for the waitlist or for a free lesson, visit https://www.payammusic.com/locations.

About Payam Music

Payam Music was founded by Payam Khastkhodaei, a former graduate student who studied developmental psychology in pediatrics, after rediscovering his love for piano, developed a groundbreaking teaching methodology.  Payam Music's mission is to deliver the highest quality piano education through a new curriculum taught by exceptional teachers in schools and online. The school's innovative methodology enables students to fall in love with piano while achieving results that far exceed traditional methods.

With a growing network of schools and online lessons, Payam Music is poised to disrupt the piano education landscape.

Media Contact:

The Key PR for Payam Music

payammusic@thekeypr.com

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SOURCE Payam Music