How will I know if you will be a good fit for me or my child?
Choosing a teacher for you or your child is an important decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. When it comes to finding a teacher for your child, it’s important to recognize that a teacher can have a profound effect on the student’s musical development, confidence and, of course, their lifelong relationship with music. So you need to know if the teacher will be a good fit. There are few reasons why parents and students have found me to be a good fit for them:
I place a great priority on providing students with a comprehensive set of skills that will help them to grow as musicians and to be able to have a life-long enjoyment of music. These skills include advanced technique (the technique that professional pianists are taught), theory (the “how” and “why” behind the music), improvisational ability, and musicality (control over phrasing, timing, articulation and dynamics that makes a musical performance imaginative and beautiful).
it’s also important for the teacher to know if a particular student is ready for lessons. Some students who are initially enrolled in violin and viola lessons find that they really would rather be pursuing a different interest (and that’s ok). A student will demonstrate readiness for lessons through their level of interest as well as their ability to spend the minimum practice time it takes to make the journey successful. Sometimes current circumstances in the student’s life will make it difficult to spend the time and energy that are necessary for ongoing practice, and it works out better for them to delay lessons for a few months or even years until their circumstances change.
For all these reasons, I always begin with just one “introductory” lesson. During this time, the student (and parent) can get an idea of overall expectations, along with a feel for how a lesson is taught. Assuming you are happy and want to move forward, we then continue with one month of additional lessons (4 private lessons). During this month, everyone will have a good idea how lessons are progressing and whether a regular practice schedule is possible. Based on this, we can choose whether or not to move ahead with ongoing lessons and commit to the remainder of the trimester.
Do you teach adult students?
Yes! Adults of all ages and abilities are encouraged. Currently, my oldest student is 69 years old.
all students receive a series of 60-minute weekly private lessons, scheduled on a trimester basis. Tuition for each three-month trimester includes 12 private lessons. Less frequent lessons can also be arranged, but there are no guaranteed slots for these, and lessons are charged on a per lesson basis (which is a higher rate). I encourage students to try weekly lessons as they give much better results for most people.
What is a typical lesson like?
Lessons are highly personalized and matched to the needs and goals of the student. A wide range of skills are learned through two broad and complementary approaches: improvisation and repertoire. Through this holistic approach, each student develops solid skills in musical expressiveness, musical hearing, theory, and technique. Lessons often begin with some exercises that help with both improvisation and repertoire. A student will become confident in improvisation as well as in reading and memorizing great pieces of music by the best composers. I give each student their assignments in a personal online practice app (accessible by any tablet, phone or computer) which the student will use throughout the week to document their practice time and progress. It will also allow students to hear audio recordings and/or videos created by me or others. During the lesson, the student will learn to practice in an efficient manner, so that they can make the most of their practice time throughout the week at home.
How often are lessons taught and for what duration?
For all students, including children and adults, lessons during the school year are taught weekly on a trimester basis from September through May. Each trimester’s tuition includes 12 weekly private lessons at my studio of 60 minutes each in duration (see calendar for exact weeks).
During the summer term, 8 private lessons are taught (there are 10 weeks available to choose from), also 60 minutes each.
While many piano studios offer 30-minute lessons, I believe that this is too little time to effectively move the student forward in his/her progress. Even children will appreciate the 60-minute lesson time as they will be able to do a variety of enjoyable activities that will make the time fly while improving their musicianship.
My teaching calendar can be viewed here: Calendar. For each three-month trimester there are a total of 12 weeks of private lessons, with no lessons during the major holiday breaks (including Thanksgiving, Winter break, and one week in the Spring).
Assuming lesson slots are available, students can begin their lessons any time during the month or trimester and only the remaining prorated balance of the tuition will be charged.
Drop-in lessons are also possible, when a time slot is available. These are 60-minute lessons, and are scheduled on an as-needed basis. However, there are no guarantees of availability, as tuition-based students are given priority for all available teaching slots.
What times and days of the week do you teach?
Currently, I teach weekdays from Monday through Thursday, and also on Saturdays. Most weekday lesson slots are in the afternoon from 1:30 to 8:30. Saturday lesson slots are between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Should parents attend their child’s lessons?
Parents (especially of younger children) are encouraged to attend and observe lessons so that they can better understand the goals of each lesson and how to support their child throughout the week. Experience has shown that students whose parents are involved with their weekly lessons and practice tend to do better than those students who do not have active parental support.
Do you offer make-up lessons?
Beginning with the Summer Term of 2019, my make-up policy is as follows:
All parents of full-time students as well as full-time adult students must commit to paying a complete trimester tuition (intended for 12 lessons) or the prorated equivalent if the student starts later than the beginning of the term, regardless of how many actual lessons they will be able to attend during the trimester. However, I will do my best to reschedule lessons that have to be missed due to a student’s or parent’s illness, or an important and unavoidable schedule conflict. I do try to be flexible with make-up lessons, but I cannot always guarantee that a make-up will be possible (depending on my schedule and the availability of extra time slots). The earlier I know, the better chance I will have to reschedule a missed lesson. Please note, however, that there will be no refunds or deductions from tuition for lessons missed by a student.
If I am ill or have an unavoidable conflict in my schedule that requires me to cancel a lesson, I will either schedule a make-up lesson with the student or deduct the appropriate amount from the final tuition payment (or from the following term’s tuition) if a make-up is not possible.
What kind of practice expectations do you have?
In order to truly experience the rewards of piano study, I encourage my students to spend quality practice time at home throughout the week. Notice my use of the adjective “quality” as opposed to something like “extensive” or “lengthy”. In general, spending 20 to 25 minutes of concentrated time each day with the goal of making a small breakthrough (being able to do something one couldn’t do the day before) is far better than spending an hour mindlessly playing music and not overcoming challenges. Of course total practice time does influence the rate of progress. But I believe it’s more important that practice time be frequent and strategic rather than lengthy in duration. For all my students, I ask them to practice a minimum of 5 days a week. It’s also best if the student can find a regular time (or times) each day to do his or her practice, so that it becomes a habit like brushing teeth.
All students are provided with encouragement, resources and feedback for this practice time, as this is when the essential growth in skills (and the enjoyment of playing) happens. Each student will receive a personal notebook with their exercises and music and is frequently given tips on making the most efficient (and enjoyable) use of their practice time. In addition, all my students are now utilising a practice tool, which works on all smart phones, tablets and computers. It tracks the student’s practice time and progress throughout the week, and provides instant access to my assignment notes and any audio or video recordings I provide for the student. This app has been shown to greatly increase the effectiveness of student’s practice time and helps keep them motivated!
By signing up here (click the box), you will be contacted by me so that I can find out about your specific goals for you or your child and let you know of any available lesson slots. In the event that my teaching schedule is full, you will be placed on a waiting list and contacted again upon the first availability.