What are my options and cost for lessons?

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For piano:

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$35 for 30 min

$50 for 45 min

$65 for 60 min

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For voice: 

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$45 for 30 min

$60 for 45 min

$75 for 60 min

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Which is right for me?

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For the most part, beginners and intermediates  are best served with 30 minute lessons.
For late intermediate and advancing students, either 45 minute or 1 hour lessons are more appropriate.

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What's the best age to start?

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Well that can be an elusive question.

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For piano, you could say the "best" average age for a young beginner is seven years old, but many students start as young as four and five and have a wonderful experience, while others ought to wait until they are a little more mature.

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For voice, I teach children no younger than eight. That being said, for those students who are pre-adolescence, expectations must be realistic. Learning to "belt" is not something I encourage in my young singers because doing so can cause damage to the growing vocal cords. Once the vocal cords fully mature in the late teenage years, a greater variety of styles and tones can be explored. But, matching pitch, learning solfege, and developing a beautiful "kid-friendly" tone are all wonderful goals for the young singer.

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Are there performance opportunities?

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Yes! I hold two yearly online recitals available for any students who wish to participate. I encourage students to perform in at least one. Performing is a crucial part of a musician's development, and the more often you do it, the easier it is.

 

Recitals are free to participate. Other performance opportunities may open up throughout the year (festivals, community events, volunteering, etc), and I arrange for my students to participate in those as interest warrants.

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Where do you hold your lessons?

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Right now, I am teaching all lessons online. Although the pandemic is not new, I still wish to maintain a safe distance in order to stop the spread. I have an online set-up at home that allows for productive and engaged learning. 

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Do I need to practice?

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Yes.

Without practice, progress is nearly impossible. Learning an instrument (voice included) requires the same level of attention and consistency as learning to read a book. It’s hard to imagine if your student wanted to learn to read but only wanted to practice reading once a week. Becoming proficient at an instrument offers an immeasurable benefit to your life: enjoyment and fun that extends into old age, it teaches goal-setting, it provides social opportunities, a way to bring joy to others. And in order to reap those benefits,  dedication and work is essential.
 

Ok, but how much practice?

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Ideally, you should practice every day. That seems daunting in these busy and activity-filled times we live in, but again, like reading a book, it's better to do a little on a consistent basis than to pile it on the day before the lesson. Every day is ideal, but 5 days a week is an excellent benchmark.

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Beginners: 10-20+ min/Five days a week

Intermediate: 15-45+ min/Five+ days a week

Advanced**: 45-60+ min/Five+ days a week

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I can also honestly say that the students who establish a daily (or at least very consistent) practice routine are the ones who enjoy it the most. They find little difficulty in staying motivated, because they tangibly see how fast they are making progress. Even though it can feel like hard work sometimes, the students who practice the most actually have the most fun at their instruments!

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**Many of my advanced students in high school find it the most difficult to make time, so 20 very concentrated minutes on the busy days can do wonders.

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What if I need to cancel?

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**I ask for at least some kind of advanced notice, when possible**

If your student is sick and missing school, then please notify me that morning. If I am notified in the morning, you will not be charged. It's ok to miss for sickness if you notify me immediately.

If you know a lesson will be missed for a vacation or planned event, I ask for notice at least the week before. When advanced notice is given, you will not be charged.

If advanced notice is not given under those circumstances, I will ask that a half payment of that lesson is paid at the next lesson (emergencies and extenuating circumstances aside; this is a system based on the Honor Code)

--> With "no call, no shows," you will be charged full price for that missed lesson. <--