Fees and Tuition:
I began teaching small group and sibling buddy lessons in 2014 and suddenly my retention rate jumped and my students were making astounding progress and having more fun during lessons. As part of a world-wide network of teachers trying to change the way piano is taught, I started an amazing journey into ensemble playing and group teaching. All beginning students are enrolled in an age appropriate small group lesson at a cost of $32.00 per lesson. Each lesson lasts one hour. You are charged based on the number of lessons that month: 4 or 5. There are no make-up lessons but the group format allows for a student to miss an occasional lesson and continue to succeed.
Students enrolled in a private 45 minute lesson are charged a flat fee per month: $180.00 and the fifth week is used as a make up lesson or is free.
Another great option: More advanced students who have a sibling, friend, or music buddy also enrolled in lessons have the option of an extended lesson at the 45 minute rate, provided the lessons are back to back. Lessons overlap, providing an extra 15 minutes per student at no extra cost. This is a great way for families with 2 or more students to get extra lesson time at a HUGE discount. Lessons are 75 minutes and cost is $170 per month per student. Students have the advantage of private one on one instruction, classical music listening lab so they can choose their favorite classical pieces and an ear training and music theory lab. Because my studio is set up with learning centers, they work the entire time they're in the studio and go home more confident and prepared to practice.
Buddy lessons take a great deal more planning for me as a teacher but those students advance much faster than students who are limited to a 45 minute single lesson.
Tuition includes supplementary material such as more advanced theory and improvisation lessons. There is a small charge for the initial notebook for these materials and the organizers. Parents and Students are responsible for paying for music and method books when needed. See below for costs regarding method books.
The purpose for my website is primarily for teaching purposes. The password protected pages have instructional videos which help to reinforce technique, theory, and improvisation taught in lessons. Check the link before reading the rest of this page for more details.
Please check out the details.
Most students benefit from a 45 minute lesson. It is virtually impossible to teach classically and also include improvisation, ear training, music theory and its practical application at the keyboard, reading lead sheets, and composing in a 30 minute lesson. It is strongly recommended that all students have a 45 minute lesson after the first year.
Students, 4- 12 yrs of age: Suggested practice is age plus two minutes 5-6 days each week.. Can be done in two or more separate sessions per day. Consistent practice builds muscle memory. Practicing twice a week for 30-45 minutes does not yield the same results. A child's attention span is typically two minutes longer than their numerical age. Keep that mind when setting practice goals.
Students, 13-15 yrs of age:
Suggested practice, a minimum 30-45 minutes per day, 5 - 6 days a week. These students always need 45 minute lessons.
Students in this group who are excelling at a fast rate, those with a year or more of lessons, and students in junior high and older, need a minimum of 45 minutes for each weekly lesson. It is impossible to teach classical piano, improvisation, ear training and music theory in a 30 minute lesson. Again, there are ways to provide a 40 minute lesson at the 30 minute price and students involved with a piano buddy almost always excel much faster than other students...even some with longer lessons.
When a student is not progressing adequately due to starting lessons later than their peers, not practicing, having to move, or inadequate lesson time, they become discouraged and embarrassed and inevitably quit. Most of these students will become adults who can no longer "find Middle C." There is usually a small window for learning with older students and they lose interest if they don't quickly progress. Those students in this age group can benefit from one hour lessons during summer months when they have more time to practice.
if I approach you regarding increasing the length of your child's lesson, please give it serious consideration. I tailor lessons based on the interests of my students. However, with children and teens, I teach with the intent that each will choose music as a career, provided I can spend adequate time with them on a regular basis. Career decisions are made years later and it is a tragedy when parents pay for years of lessons and the older student preparing for college suddenly realizes they want a career in music... only to realize that no university will accept them because their prior instruction was inadequate.
Adult Lessons: Often when adults take piano lessons, their goal is for their own personal enjoyment. Frequently, the responsibilities of adulthood and career make practicing sporadic. Adult lessons are tailored specifically to the goals of the student. I find that most adults need a 45 minute lesson.
Supplementary materials:
Included in the cost of lessons is the production and printing cost for supplementary materials for improvisation, ear training and advanced theory lessons. These materials need to be in a hardbound three ring binder with dividers for organizing each section. I will gladly assist in suggesting ways to organize my current student's notebooks. If materials have to be replaced because they are damaged and unfit for use, a fee of $1.00 per page will be charged to reprint them. Printing costs money and valuable time. Protect your supplementary materials.
Lending Library: I provide a lending library where students are able to sample supplementary material without the parents having to purchase an entire book. I have a license to print most of this music and will do it at the price it cost me to print it if there are special selections the students wish to keep.
Piano Method Books, Sheet Music, Classical Music
Method Books for beginning to intermediate students will be purchased by me when materials are needed and these fees are to be paid when materials are dispersed to the students. Costs usually range from $20 to $30 per year. Some classical music for more advanced students is now in the public domain. When these are available at no cost, I will give students the link to the website where they can be downloaded and printed at home. If I have to print them, there will be an additional fee for these materials. In the past, students have purchased countless books with multiple selections from a composer but might only play one or two selections from the entire book. These books were and are extremely expensive. I work hard to find music at the lowest cost for students. Please work with me to make certain students have what they need when they come to lessons and please protect materials once they've been printed. I still have music from when I was in junior high school. Materials such as this can last a lifetime.
I have multiple sources for teaching materials ranging from classical, contemporary, jazz and other popular genres.
My latest resource for great music for beginning to intermediate students comes from Andrea and Trevor Dow out of Canada. I pay a monthly fee for approximately 50 pages of new music that arrives in my inbox each month. I am licensed to reprint this music at no charge for students who are a part of my studio. I charge students what it costs me to print this music when they have tried the entire book and decide they want the book. I also provide a lending library of music at no extra charge for students to enjoy samples from a book for a couple of lessons before the parents purchase the book.
In addition to method books, new students are provided an organizational notebook for protection of their daily practice schedule and supplementary materials. To be paid when dispersed to the student.
I began teaching small group and sibling buddy lessons in 2014 and suddenly my retention rate jumped and my students were making astounding progress and having more fun during lessons. As part of a world-wide network of teachers trying to change the way piano is taught, I started an amazing journey into ensemble playing and group teaching. All beginning students are enrolled in an age appropriate small group lesson at a cost of $32.00 per lesson. Each lesson lasts one hour. You are charged based on the number of lessons that month: 4 or 5. There are no make-up lessons but the group format allows for a student to miss an occasional lesson and continue to succeed.
Students enrolled in a private 45 minute lesson are charged a flat fee per month: $180.00 and the fifth week is used as a make up lesson or is free.
Another great option: More advanced students who have a sibling, friend, or music buddy also enrolled in lessons have the option of an extended lesson at the 45 minute rate, provided the lessons are back to back. Lessons overlap, providing an extra 15 minutes per student at no extra cost. This is a great way for families with 2 or more students to get extra lesson time at a HUGE discount. Lessons are 75 minutes and cost is $170 per month per student. Students have the advantage of private one on one instruction, classical music listening lab so they can choose their favorite classical pieces and an ear training and music theory lab. Because my studio is set up with learning centers, they work the entire time they're in the studio and go home more confident and prepared to practice.
Buddy lessons take a great deal more planning for me as a teacher but those students advance much faster than students who are limited to a 45 minute single lesson.
Tuition includes supplementary material such as more advanced theory and improvisation lessons. There is a small charge for the initial notebook for these materials and the organizers. Parents and Students are responsible for paying for music and method books when needed. See below for costs regarding method books.
The purpose for my website is primarily for teaching purposes. The password protected pages have instructional videos which help to reinforce technique, theory, and improvisation taught in lessons. Check the link before reading the rest of this page for more details.
Please check out the details.
Most students benefit from a 45 minute lesson. It is virtually impossible to teach classically and also include improvisation, ear training, music theory and its practical application at the keyboard, reading lead sheets, and composing in a 30 minute lesson. It is strongly recommended that all students have a 45 minute lesson after the first year.
Students, 4- 12 yrs of age: Suggested practice is age plus two minutes 5-6 days each week.. Can be done in two or more separate sessions per day. Consistent practice builds muscle memory. Practicing twice a week for 30-45 minutes does not yield the same results. A child's attention span is typically two minutes longer than their numerical age. Keep that mind when setting practice goals.
Students, 13-15 yrs of age:
Suggested practice, a minimum 30-45 minutes per day, 5 - 6 days a week. These students always need 45 minute lessons.
Students in this group who are excelling at a fast rate, those with a year or more of lessons, and students in junior high and older, need a minimum of 45 minutes for each weekly lesson. It is impossible to teach classical piano, improvisation, ear training and music theory in a 30 minute lesson. Again, there are ways to provide a 40 minute lesson at the 30 minute price and students involved with a piano buddy almost always excel much faster than other students...even some with longer lessons.
When a student is not progressing adequately due to starting lessons later than their peers, not practicing, having to move, or inadequate lesson time, they become discouraged and embarrassed and inevitably quit. Most of these students will become adults who can no longer "find Middle C." There is usually a small window for learning with older students and they lose interest if they don't quickly progress. Those students in this age group can benefit from one hour lessons during summer months when they have more time to practice.
if I approach you regarding increasing the length of your child's lesson, please give it serious consideration. I tailor lessons based on the interests of my students. However, with children and teens, I teach with the intent that each will choose music as a career, provided I can spend adequate time with them on a regular basis. Career decisions are made years later and it is a tragedy when parents pay for years of lessons and the older student preparing for college suddenly realizes they want a career in music... only to realize that no university will accept them because their prior instruction was inadequate.
Adult Lessons: Often when adults take piano lessons, their goal is for their own personal enjoyment. Frequently, the responsibilities of adulthood and career make practicing sporadic. Adult lessons are tailored specifically to the goals of the student. I find that most adults need a 45 minute lesson.
Supplementary materials:
Included in the cost of lessons is the production and printing cost for supplementary materials for improvisation, ear training and advanced theory lessons. These materials need to be in a hardbound three ring binder with dividers for organizing each section. I will gladly assist in suggesting ways to organize my current student's notebooks. If materials have to be replaced because they are damaged and unfit for use, a fee of $1.00 per page will be charged to reprint them. Printing costs money and valuable time. Protect your supplementary materials.
Lending Library: I provide a lending library where students are able to sample supplementary material without the parents having to purchase an entire book. I have a license to print most of this music and will do it at the price it cost me to print it if there are special selections the students wish to keep.
Piano Method Books, Sheet Music, Classical Music
Method Books for beginning to intermediate students will be purchased by me when materials are needed and these fees are to be paid when materials are dispersed to the students. Costs usually range from $20 to $30 per year. Some classical music for more advanced students is now in the public domain. When these are available at no cost, I will give students the link to the website where they can be downloaded and printed at home. If I have to print them, there will be an additional fee for these materials. In the past, students have purchased countless books with multiple selections from a composer but might only play one or two selections from the entire book. These books were and are extremely expensive. I work hard to find music at the lowest cost for students. Please work with me to make certain students have what they need when they come to lessons and please protect materials once they've been printed. I still have music from when I was in junior high school. Materials such as this can last a lifetime.
I have multiple sources for teaching materials ranging from classical, contemporary, jazz and other popular genres.
My latest resource for great music for beginning to intermediate students comes from Andrea and Trevor Dow out of Canada. I pay a monthly fee for approximately 50 pages of new music that arrives in my inbox each month. I am licensed to reprint this music at no charge for students who are a part of my studio. I charge students what it costs me to print this music when they have tried the entire book and decide they want the book. I also provide a lending library of music at no extra charge for students to enjoy samples from a book for a couple of lessons before the parents purchase the book.
In addition to method books, new students are provided an organizational notebook for protection of their daily practice schedule and supplementary materials. To be paid when dispersed to the student.