Scheduling

The two tuition plans function differently with regards to cancellations:
The Per Lesson Plan:
One absence is permitted per monthly billing cycle. Additional absences during the same month will be billed, however students may avoid this charge by attending a make-up lesson. Please note that make-up lesson opportunities are based on the teacher’s availability and cannot be guaranteed.
The School Year Plan:
Absences will not effect tuition rate. The teacher works two unpaid weeks during the school year to account for potential illness, snow days, or other cancellations. For this reason, the teacher is not obligated to make-up missed or cancelled lessons. Any make-up lessons will be granted based on the teacher’s availability and cannot be guaranteed.
Lesson times are based on the teacher’s availability. Currently, lessons are offered Monday through Friday starting in the early afternoon and continuing through the late evening. The busiest hours typically fall right after school or work, around 4-6pm. If there are no lesson times that fits your schedule, you will be put on the waiting list and notified once an appropriate time slot is available.
Because my studio is full with a waiting list of eager students, I can only guarantee one time slot per person. It’s best to assume that any schedule changes you make will end up being permanent.
All students are scheduled on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, I’m unable to accommodate part-time students at the moment. Without a consistent schedule, I would end up with gaps in my calendar which are then very hard to fill. My studio is quite full, with a waiting list for certain days and times, so I think it would be a bit unfair to those students to essentially “throw away” a prime lesson opportunity every other week. I’ll also mention that research shows weekly lessons increase the chances that you’ll make more progress on piano and will stick with the instrument for longer than with biweekly lessons. As any musician will tell you, consistency is key!
The studio closes during extended breaks on the school district calendar. Typically there are four breaks per school year: Thanksgiving break, December/New Years break, Winter break in February, and Spring break in April. The dates for these breaks are posted on the student portal calendar at the beginning of each school year.
Studio recesses are always a week long. This ensures that each student will have the opportunity to take the same number of lessons regardless of which day of they are scheduled. We do not break for the shorter holidays like MLK Day or Memorial Day, so please plan accordingly and get in touch if you need to reschedule your lesson.
Lessons continue as scheduled even if there’s a snow day. Students should contact the teacher to make arrangements as necessary. Weather conditions can change significantly from the morning the school issues a closure to the evening hours when most lessons are scheduled, so there is no “one-size-fits-all” policy for snow days.

Tuition & Payment

Your invoice will be emailed to you at the beginning of the month. There are three ways to pay:
1. Click “Pay Now” button of your invoice at the bottom to checkout through PayPal.
2. Sign up for auto-payments. Simply login to your student portal account, open your settings, click “add credit card,” and check the auto-pay box when submitting your information.
3. Pay in-person with cash or check.
Lessons are invoiced monthly. The bill will be sent to the primary invoice recipient listed on the student’s account. Payment is due by the month’s end. Custom invoices are available by request for those who may wish to pay school year tuition in full.
Yes, if the budget is too tight for 60-minute lessons and you feel more comfortable taking 45, or you regret not opting for longer lessons, you may switch at the beginning of the month. As long as you continue to take lessons for the duration of the school year, you will receive the school year rate. Please keep in mind, we may need to pick a new meeting time to accommodate this change.
No, the school year plan has a special discounted rate based on a single bulk price. Students must pay the full tuition amount to be eligible for this rate.

Lessons & Practice

Our trial lesson will be a relaxed, no-pressure environment where we can discuss your goals and get to know each other better. I’ll also guide you through a few simple exercises in order to assess your musical proficiency and demonstrate my approach. If family members or other guests are in attendance, I may ask for their participation in a few “ice-breaker” games or other fun musical activities. Depending on your level of experience, I would also encourage you to perform any music you may have prepared.
You don’t necessarily need to own a keyboard or piano, but you will still need daily access to one while you take lessons. I often encourage people to reach out through social media to see if anyone has a keyboard they wouldn’t mind lending out. Advancements in manufacturing and technology have made high quality keyboards fairly easy to find at reasonable prices, which means a lot of people own one but aren’t using it! Just be sure whatever keyboard you borrow is full size (88 keys), and weighted. Anything less will be detrimental to your practice.
If acoustic pianos are more your style, try contacting a local music venue, community center, or place of worship to see if they would allow you to practice there. I did this for years back when I was living the “starving artist” life. Often times, the pianos in these public spaces are better maintained than those in private homes. You might even draw in an occasional audience as well. It’s a win-win!
You should practice however long it takes to complete the assignments in your lesson notes. If you find that the work on your practice sheet is more than you can manage in one sitting, pick a song or activity to work on for that day and move onto a different one tomorrow. It’s more important that you practice thoroughly and correctly than to cut corners trying to practice everything in one sitting. If you follow the teacher’s prep steps and practice efficiently, you probably won’t need to spend as much time at the bench anyway!
That being said, the “quality over quantity” mantra will only get you so far when comes to practice time. If you want to make progress, you need to practice as frequently as possible. Keyboard music is more complex than that of other instruments, so we have to rely on muscle memory a bit more than most other musicians would. Out of the three main types of memory– visual, auditory, and kinesthetic– the kinesthetic memory is the most fleeting. That means your muscle memory needs regular maintenance, or else those notes will start to slip away from you! The more frequently you sit down to practice, the stronger your muscle memory it will be. Think of it like going to the gym. If you want to see results, you need to do it on a consistent basis.

Parents

Generally speaking, I believe students adapt to the private lesson environment best after having completed kindergarten, at about five to six years of age. By this time, children are quite comfortable following directions and understand how to behave appropriately in an educational setting. For children younger than five years, group music classes can be a wonderful option. Programs like Kindermusik and Music Together cater to preschool children with hands-on and exploratory learning opportunities. These programs have age-appropriate classrooms full of various instruments, noise-makers, and props. Most private music teachers don’t have such abundant resources for the under-five demographic.
With that being said, I have had some special cases when students have started as young as 4. For kids who are struggling to adapt to the school environment, piano lessons can be a positive educational experience during which they can learn at their own pace without the pressures of a group. There are many different reasons why I might accept students younger than five, but I can’t make that judgement without meeting them first. If you’re unsure whether or not your child is ready to start, contact me to schedule a free trial lesson.
My experience working with special needs students is limited, however I’ve had the opportunity to teach students with ADHD, high-functioning autism, and language processing delays. While I don’t have formal training in special education, I’m fortunate enough to have a special education professional in the family that I can, and often do, consult with. I find that keeping an open line of communication with the student’s parent can help make piano lessons a positive and productive experience for almost any student.
Many parents want to know if their child has the kind of talent that’s worth the investment of private lessons. However, musical ability is mostly dependent on diligent practice rather than innate ability. Everyone has the capacity for music. Just like any other skill, it can be developed with training and practice. In fact, a recent study showed that children from musical families in which one or both parents was a musician or had studied music, were no more successful at piano lessons than their non-musical counterparts.
Sometimes after hearing a great performer, we can’t help but think they may be genetically predisposed to play piano, but the truth is no one is able to sound talented without putting in real time and effort. In short, everyone has the capacity for music. Just like any other skill, it can be developed with training and practice.
The best way you can help your child is to be supportive and help them set manageable goals. Studying piano can feel very demanding at times, as it requires continuous effort, patience, and self-discipline. Many children encounter these challenges for the very first time when they start taking lessons. Much like sticking to an exercise plan is easier when done with a friend, sitting with your child while he or she practices can make a significant impact on his or her progress and attitude toward the piano. Regardless of your musical knowledge and background, being mentally and physically present during your child’s lessons and at-home practice time is shown to improve their chances of success. Before you and your child sit down to practice, set clear and distinct practice goals. Making a plan in advance will help your child practice more efficiently and can help them avoid many of the frustrations that piano students commonly face. If you are unsure about how to set appropriate practice goals for your child you are welcome to contact me.