WHERE DO YOU TEACH?
My home studio in East Irondequoit (near Donuts Delite) and on the road in the City of Rochester (Highland Ave / Park Ave) and Pittsford (Bushnell's Basin). Registration is closed for the 2023-2024 school year. I schedule my existing students first then add new travel spots. Sign up today so we can start talking about your lessons!
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Click here to visit the 2023-2024 prices and policies.
The first lesson is free. I consider this an interview for you so you can be sure I'm a good fit for your student or your style. It's also an interview for me to assess whether your student is ready for lessons and what skills they bring with them. Before I begin lessons with any student, I like to have a meeting in person or on the phone to discuss your student, their previous musical experiences, what they accel at in school, their learning style, etc. These things are vitally important to their success as a music student and if I can start out with a little picture of who they are, it helps me to shape the lessons to their unique needs. The first lesson serves as a trial lesson - both for me and for your student. A good fit of personality and readiness is just as important as the student's comfort and happiness during lesson time.
IS THE FIRST LESSON REALLY FREE? LIKE $0.00 FREE?
Yes!
WHAT INSTRUMENTS DO YOU TEACH?
Piano, ukulele, and voice and occasionally other instruments by request. Clarinet, anyone?
IS MY KIDDO OLD ENOUGH TO START LESSONS? AM I TOO OLD?
A lot of parents ask me what age is appropriate to start piano lessons. While this subject is of much debate among piano teachers, the answer is: it depends. Every student is unique. I strive to make all my lessons age appropriate, especially those for younger students. Much of those early lessons will look like 30 minutes of play time from the outside, but they are stacked from top to bottom with tonal and rhythm exercises, movement exploration, and so much more. If you aren't sure if your student is ready for formal piano lessons, please contact me and we can set up a time to meet and discuss the needs of your child.
And it goes without saying - it's never too late to start lessons! I have students from age 5 to 50+.
DO I NEED TO BUY BOOKS?
I provide the first set of student books for beginner piano students. After that, I'll purchase the next levels for you (up to $25) and add it to your invoice. I get *AWESOME* teacher discounts so let me do the buying for you and I'll pass along the savings - you pay what I pay! Expect to spend about $25-50 a year on lesson books - depending on your student and how voracious an appetite they have for music!
WHOA. MY KID HAS LIKE 75 BOOKS - OKAY 4 BOOKS. HOW DO I KNOW WHAT THEY SHOULD PRACTICE?
Included in the books I purchase is a practice log. This log has everything they need to do for the week. It'll have page numbers, notes about stuff they should pay attention to, and any unfinished theory they should do for homework.
You'll also receive a homework summary by email each week so if you're more of a tech family than a paper family, we've got you covered.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD MY KID (OR MYSELF) BE PRACTICING?
Kids working on My First Piano Adventures (Steps on the Staff, Skips on the Staff, and Primer) should aim for about 15 minutes a day 3-4 days a week.
Students working on Faber Level 1 and up should be working towards 30 minutes a day 4 or 5 days a week. This practice can include assigned pieces, scales, theory worksheets, iPad assignments, and listening to their pieces.
Adults should aim for 30-45 minutes a day 5 days a week. You'll get the most bang for your buck if you stick with it!
HELP! I CAN'T GET MY KID TO PRACTICE WITHOUT THREATS OF BODILY HARM!
When in doubt, try the sprinkle method. Sprinkle the practicing throughout the day not only reduces the practice battle that sometimes happens, but also lets kids take a break and come back to the piano with a clear mind. Make it fun, play silly games from the books, make a music video and send it to me, put on a mini concert for every stuffed animal. If it still feels like you're pulling teeth to get them to sit - let me know. A lot of practice problems can be resolved in the studio. Help me help you!
Quality is more important than quantity. Sure hours can be spent noodling, but effective practice is a skill I want to teach our students. Here are some top tips for beating the practice battle from a few bloggers and writers I love:
Creating A Practice Nest - 5 Ways Parents Can Improve Home Practice
Eat Popsicles and Make Piano Practice Progress
How to Create Peaceful Piano Practice and End Practice Wars For Good
Getting Kids to Practice Without Tears or Tantrums
All students will receive their very own practice kit to help encourage independent practice. The kits include dice, a score board, a mood board, and more for making practice fun and interesting every time.
OKAY - WE PRACTICED. BUT IT SOUNDS TERRIBLE!
Yup. You sounded pretty bad when you were seven, too! Just kidding - kind of. Make sure their hands are in the right position (there is almost always a hand position picture at the top of the page. Or I have written in the starting position.) If they still don't know where to start - please text me a picture of the piece and I'll get back to you with a picture of where their hands should be. Promise!
If their hands are in the right spot, make sure they're counting all the beats correctly. Try asking them some questions from this handy"Shout It From The Kitchen Guide" PDF.
When in doubt - send me a message! Include a picture or video of the section in question and I'll do my best to get back to you. I'm your piano teacher all week long, not just during your 30 minute lesson. When you need backup to prove to your kiddo that they really should be using their fingers and not their toes to play Jingle Bells, I'll be there to stand ground with you.
DO YOU OFFER ANY RECITALS OR PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES?
Yes! Every winter we have the Jingle Jam where students can come play a few holiday songs they love and hang out with their friends from the studio for a while. At the end of the school year we'll hold a slightly longer slightly more formal recital where students play their favorite songs from the year that were an accomplishment for them. Neither of these recitals requires fancy clothes. In fact - the summer recital ended in a water balloon - water gun - ice cream Sundae extravaganza last year so that tells you what you need to know about how "formal" we're talking.
I strongly believe that positive performance experiences should be developmentally appropriate. By having low-key performances that don't require fancy dresses or best manners, students find performance accessible, less stressful, and even FUN. These are the keys to loving to play later in life and I believe that my studio's recital style serves that end very well.
I'm always looking for new performance opportunities for our students so if you have any connections to a group of people or a location that would like to have us - send me an email!
OK - THIS ALL SOUNDS GREAT. WHEN CAN I SIGN UP MY KID? OR MYSELF?
1) Summer Session (June - August) - A more relaxed schedule with bi-weekly lessons and flexible scheduling available.
2) Full School Year (September - June) - The real deal! While there is no formal commitment to a whole year, if you want to have lessons during the school year this is the session for you. I do not often have new spots that become available during the school year so please do not wait to sign up. Start in September and see how it goes. If it doesn't work out for you - no harm done! I'm a very small operation so I need to protect my schedule. I am flexible but there are some things I can't change - like the number of hours in a Thursday afternoon for example!
3) Bring a Friend Lessons - Attend a lesson with a current student to see what it's all about. This counts as the first lesson so it's free! We even have a referral program for bringing in new families where you get $10 off your invoice for each new family that signs up for lessons and pays their first invoice. How about that! Free lessons and friends you know at the studio? Cool!
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.
You'll get an email with a login and password. Change the password to something you can remember. You'll use this log in to pay your invoices, schedule your lessons, and so much more. Save it as a bookmark or as an icon on your phone's home screen.
HMMM... I'M NOT CONVINCED. I NEED MORE ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE THAT YOUR STUDIO IS WHERE IT'S AT!
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