FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Currently my introductory rate is $65 per lesson for a block of 8 lessons your first eight weeks. After the first eight weeks, it is a month-to-month contract. I do ask that, out of common courtesy, that when a person knows they want to discontinue lessons, they let me know one month in advance. This gives me time to plan. Payment is based on tuition: Meaning all lessons for the month must be paid for on the first of each month. I accept Zelle or cash to begin with. After you have been with me for three months, I accept check. Tuition Increases: After one year of being with me, my rate goes up to $75 per one hour lesson. The $65 is a introductory rate. And after that, once that first rate increase has happened, I usually don't raise my rates for about 5-8 years. For instance, I held my rate at $65 only because of Covid, and then letting everyone settle into life after society opened back up. But for my qualifications and experience, one year after students have been with me, I do need to bring it up to the low end of where my other concert violinists colleagues are. Especially since I only take on a hand full of students so that I can maintain my high level of performance during the year as a concert violinist. This is not what I do 40 hours a week. I never take on more than 10 students at a time. Because I keep my students close and my circle so small, it is probably why it is not too often that I have openings. With George being in his 90's and taking two lessons a week currently, I anticipate that I have two openings coming up since he is going into an assisted living home - so am planning for that event. When George goes into the Assisted Living home, to fill his slot, I will either take on one other student who is coming twice a week, or two other students who are attending once a week. But I won't start the new student in at George's rate, $75. I will start them in at $65 just like I stated. If you have gotten this far in researching me, I hope you can tell by now that I am personable and try to think of both myself and my students. Absence policy: I will help you make up two lessons per six months. After that, there are no refunds. This is to encourage attendance. It honestly becomes too much for me if students are spreading my schedule out with reschedules. I finally had to stop doing that for my own sanity if I am to be able to also be a concert violinist and making it to gigs on time. Thanks for understanding that.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
We start off with one trial lesson. That lesson is $65. This lesson happens only after we have met on FaceTime and you are curious to see what I am like as a teacher even more than what you learned on FaceTime. If you think, after our first lesson, that we are a good fit, then we graduate from there into my Policy and Procedure (which by that point we will have discussed and you will already be familiar).
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I continue to get coaching on violin from time to time in order to keep myself motivated, I attend summer seminars on teaching. One of my coaches has been Abram Shtern in hollywood. He was the premier teacher in Russia back when the Iron Curtain existed. He taught some of the best violinists in the world. As a way to self improve, I studied with him and made a CD for my own personal fun. It was a sad day when he passed away. The world lost one of the true greats. It is important to have mentors and projects to work on that are separate from my concert schedule and teaching. It keeps me forward thinking, forward moving, and always growing musically and in my spirit.