About Me

     Cana Kashima is known for her sharp intuition and creative approach in both performing and teaching. An active performer and pedagogue, she received two Associate of Arts Degrees in Music and Humanities studying under Manami Kawamura, her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance Degree from the University of California Irvine, studying under Dr. Lorna Griffitt and her Master of Arts in Piano Pedagogy Degree at the Cal State Fullerton-School of Music, where she studies with Alison Edwards; in addition, Cana pursued a post-baccalaureate certificate in Performance Science for Musicians with Dr. Robert Watson.

        During her studies, she performed nationally and internationally, attended masterclasses with Alan Chow, Maria Razumovskaya, Wayne Weng, Corey Hamm, and Irina Krivonos, to name a few. Winning the Grand Prize in the Fullerton College Piano Ensemble Competition and MIMA Young Artist Piano Solo Competition, Cana continues to expand her experience and knowledge by training to become an licensed coach for the Association of Body Mapping Education.

As a researcher and author in the context of her graduate studies, Cana created an award-winning presentation on Piano Sight-Playing Stress Mitigation Strategies, which was presented at the 2025 National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy in Chicago. Her work will be published through the NCKP Proceedings volume in early 2026.

         As a member of the Music Teachers National Association and having a wide range of levels and ages in her studio from children to adults, she prepares her students for recitals, the MTAC Certificate of Merit program, RCM, and various competitions. Cana serves as an official board member for Piano Teachers Musical Guild in Japan as the Marketing Director. At all levels of development at the piano, she loves helping students to make new discoveries, to grow in their artistry and to reach their goals.