Meet Japs Cunanan – Wiingy’s rising star piano tutor
By Wiingy on Apr 09, 2026
Updated Apr 09, 2026
In this article
Japs Cunanan · Piano Tutor · Toronto, Canada
Part of the Wiingy Tutor Spotlight Series – where we go beyond the profile page and introduce you to the real people behind your lessons.
Finding the right online piano tutor isn’t just about credentials. It’s about finding someone whose energy, philosophy, and personality actually match how you want to learn. That’s exactly why we launched our Tutor Spotlight Series – to pull back the curtain and let our tutors speak for themselves.
First up in our Rising Star category: Japs Cunanan, a Toronto-based pianist, live performer, and music educator with over 12 years of teaching experience. He sat down with us for a candid conversation about his teaching philosophy, his weirdly effective practice rule, and the time his students cried when he told them he was moving to Canada.
Who is Japs Cunanan?
Japs holds a Bachelor’s in Music Education from St. Paul University, Ottawa, Canada and brings something most tutors don’t have: he’s still actively performing. When he’s not teaching piano lessons on Wiingy, he’s on a stage somewhere in Toronto. That dual life as both educator and working musician gives his lessons a grounded, real-world quality that theory-only teachers simply can’t replicate.
His teaching philosophy is refreshingly simple: play the music you actually want to play. No grinding through exercises you hate. No waiting six months before you touch a song you love. Just efficient, focused learning built around your goals.
The interview
Beyond being a Wiingy tutor, who are you in real life?
“I’m a musician, I play a lot around the city. That’s really who I am at the core.”
Take us back to your first Wiingy lesson – were you calm or in full “please don’t let the WiFi crash” panic mode?
“The lesson itself? I was pretty calm, I’ve been teaching for a while, so that part wasn’t new. But before the lesson, there was a bit of ‘okay, I hope the camera setup works this time’ energy. Just making sure nothing goes wrong on the tech side. On the teaching side though, I was totally cool.”
What’s one small moment that made you feel like, “This is why I teach”?
“It happens more than a couple of times, actually. I love the feeling when a student has a visible reaction – you can see it in their eyes that they’ve actually understood what you taught them. That eureka moment? That’s exactly why I teach.”
“When you see it in their eyes that they’ve learned something, that eureka moment, that’s why you teach.” – Japs Cunanan
The rule of three: Japs’ top practice tip
When we asked Japs for his top tips for students who want to improve faster, he didn’t give a generic answer. He gave us a rule.
“Practice three times a day for three days in a row. Do that, and you’ll be able to accomplish whatever goal you’ve set for yourself.”
Simple, specific, and something you can start today. No complicated practice schedules, no hour-long sessions. Just three short focused practices, three days in a row. If you’re learning piano and feel stuck, this alone is worth trying.
What’s your trick for making boring topics interesting?
“It depends on the student, but I usually go with stories. I’ll just talk to them and try to relate a story to whatever topic we’re covering. It keeps things real.”
If your teaching journey was a movie, what would the title be?
“‘Born for This.’ I never really planned on teaching, but somehow I just know what the student needs, because I was a student myself. I have a natural inclination for it, and my students just get what I’m trying to teach.”
What kind of student were you – top scorer, last-minute procrastinator, or somewhere in between?
“Most of the time? A last-minute procrastinator. But I was also a top scorer – whenever I wanted to be.”
On AI and learning
We asked Japs whether AI is making students smarter or just faster at copying. His answer was more nuanced than you’d expect.
“I wish I had AI when I was a student – it would’ve made me faster at copying! Just kidding. Honestly, AI is a great tool because it can summarize topics and make research easier. But AI or not, a smart student is still going to be smart. It’s just a tool – there are no shortcuts to actually becoming smarter.”
For what it’s worth, he uses AI himself – mostly to recall what was covered in previous sessions, but lesson planning stays in his head. Twelve years of teaching will do that.
The story that says everything about him as a teacher
Every tutor has a story. This one is Japs’.
“I was teaching at a school once, and I told my students I was leaving because I was moving to Canada. They were the ones going, ‘Wait, what?! Why are you leaving us?’ Some of them actually cried.”
The reason? The replacement teacher apparently wasn’t very chill. When students cry because you’re leaving, you’re doing something right.
Rapid fire with Japs
| Strict or Chill? | Chill |
| Coffee first or Class first? | Coffee first |
| Planner or Improviser? | Improviser |
| Handwritten notes or Typed notes? | Handwritten |
| Googled something mid-class? | Yes |
| Early bird or Night owl? | Early bird |
| Homework: Essential or Optional? | Optional |
| Movie or Reading? | Movie |
| Life’s warning label? | “Do not touch.” |
10 seconds to convince you
We gave Japs exactly ten seconds to make his pitch. Here it is:
“Want to learn fast, efficient, no-nonsense – just the music you actually want to play? Then take a lesson with me.”
Ready to learn piano with Japs?
If you’re looking for an online piano tutor who meets you where you are, skips the fluff, and actually makes lessons fun – Japs is your person. Whether you’re a complete beginner or someone returning to the piano after years away, his approach is built around one thing: getting you playing music you love, faster.
Book a lesson with Japs Cunanan
Explore more tutor spotlights in our Rising Star series, or browse all Wiingy tutors to find your perfect match.
Apr 09, 2026
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