Garden Oaks Piano

FAQ

What ages do you teach?

Primarily ages 7 and above, exceptions made on a case by case basis. Anecdotally the fastest learners are closer to 10.

What method/genre do you use?

It largely depends on the goals of the student/parent. Most students enjoy a mix of progressively more complex pop arrangements, and generic classical songs. (After a period of five finger songs and basic chords/scales.) For specifics feel free to contact me.

What sets you apart?

1000+ hours of experience giving lessons. 

Around 9/10 students I teach stick with it for two years or more.

I have a higher degree of patience, and adaptability than most. If a student is not responding to a song/method over weeks, I will try something else to identify musical interests/strengths. I'm good at finding music that students actually want to learn which takes time and effort.

Rarely are two students taught the exact same way outside of introductory lessons.  This patience and adaptability is especially important for neurodivergent students for whom confidence and motivation is key.

Why In Home Lessons?

I have taught in my own home on occasion, but many families prefer the convenience of me coming to them.  Another benefit is that students feel more at home (obviously) which can make them more comfortable in an endeavor they may otherwise feel anxious about. 

Ideal Piano Room/Keyboard

Relatively secluded from TVs/siblings, well lit, free from decorations/distractions. Nothing should be on the piano that is not related to piano. 

Piano bench should be a bench. (No wheels, armrests, back, rotation etc.) A stool or kitchen chair is fine in the short term. 

Air Purifiers can be great for white noise.

Keyboard Recommendations:

Tier 1: Acoustic piano >$1000 + $200/year in tunings

Tier 2: Roland FRP ~$700

Tier 3: Yamaha/Casio from Guitar Center $300-$600 Off brand pianos from Wal Mart/Amazon can be adequate, but are generally less reliable, and harder to resell in the future.

Tier 4: Pawn/Nextdoor/Facebook Marketplace $100-$200 Look for weighted keys, included pedal, stand, and music stand. Buying accessories later defeats the purpose of buying used.

Tier 5: Toys (Fine for the first week or so)

Pricing/Frequency

30 minutes twice a week $35 per lesson

30 minutes once a week $45 per lesson

45 minutes once a week $55 per lesson

55 minutes once a week $60 per lesson 

(Hour long lessons can be tough especially for young students.)

Accommodations made if needed for motivated students/parents

Once or twice a week

Twice a week offers significant benefits especially for beginners and younger students. That doesn’t mean it’s a good fit for everyone. 

Benefits of once a week:

Burnout: If a student is taking lessons for their parents' sake, and doesn't personally desire them, two lessons a week may just burn them out. 

Scheduling: Students and parents also have generally busy schedules nowadays. Finding two consistent times at home in a week may be difficult. 

Cost: If this is a boundary I can make accommodations. 

Benefits of twice a week:

Minimal backtracking if a student goes six days with inadequate practice time, they will lose a lot of ground, especially at a young age. That ground then has to be made up at the next lesson which can take up nearly the entire lesson time. Progress stagnates, the child gets bored or discouraged and they practice even less, developing an apathy or negative association to piano. 

Anecdotally a second lesson per week can more than double the rate of progress due to a sense of constant forward momentum. Stagnation reinforces itself, but so does progress.

Bad habits: The alternative is that a student does practice adequately in the six days between lessons but inevitably learns a less than ideal fingering, wrong notes, or off timing, etc. These bad habits must then be unlearned which can take more time. (practicing with mistakes is still superior to not practicing.)

Reality: Once a week piano lessons aren't really once a week. Cancellations are common, and it’s not unusual for 6 days between lessons to become 13 or 20 days between lessons. This can be a major detriment to progress early on. If a once a week lesson is canceled, I usually try to reschedule it, so we don’t lose progress. If a twice a week student cancels it’s less of an issue.