FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
My rates are based on an hourly schedule, as some of my students chose to take double lessons at certain times, like when they are preparing for an audition or for an upcoming performance. However, while my lessons are based on a one-hour time slot, I am not 100% bound by a clock as we might run a few minutes shorter or a bit longer at no cost to the student if I feel they need some more time during that session to master a particular skill or song and I don't want him/her to walk away without achieving some appropriate level of success. If you are a parent looking for piano lessons for a younger child (approx. 10 and under), please reach out to me regarding half-hour lessons, as these students tend to have shorter attention spans and I want this to be an incredibly fun learning experience and not a frustrating one.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
Our first lesson together is a way for both the prospective new student and I to get to know each other. We'll chat about his/her musical goals and aspirations, short term issues s/he would like to address and long-term goals and objectives. We'll talk about past experiences performing and taking lessons and discuss what worked and what didn't work for him/her so that history doesn't (or does) repeat itself. If this is a voice lesson, then we'll sing. All my singing lessons always start with about 15 - 20 minutes of warm-up exercises that I've created for my students; we never sing without first warming up. Then I'll ask him/her to sing something that best showcases his/her talent. This way I can better assess what I feel we need to work on and how I can best help this new student to reach his/her goals. It is ALWAYS about the student! If these are piano lessons, for beginners we'll jump right in and learn the proper way to play piano: what is music, what is a staff, what is a note, what do these numbers mean, etc. Students will learn to read music while learning to play so that then learn the proper way to play piano from the very start, which will help him/her immensely if they move to other instruments or voice in the future. At the end of the first lesson, we'll chat and see if this is something that they want to continue with, and if so we'll schedule follow-up lessons.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have had the great good fortune to study with some amazing teachers and professors during my secondary and college years. Professionals who were masters of their craft in the areas of jazz, classical, contemporary and computer music. Additionally, I have been a professional musician for over 40 years with extensive experience performing, directing and accompanying many professional performers and Broadway stars. I am a hands-on person, not someone who just came out of college with a brand new degree and now real-world experience with battle scars and stories to prove it. I use my extensive experiences to help my students to create their own.