FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
FREE INTERVIEW LESSON! The first session and consultation is FREE. Every student gets a free 45-60 minute lesson, assessment, and consultation before enrolling in the academy for the semester. Our instructors will introduce new students to our methods, custom curriculum approach, policies, discuss the student's goals, and make recommendations. We want students to feel confident that one of our instructors is the best fit to both teach them and help them meet their goals as a student and musician. Our teachers do not overbook ourselves. We keep a waiting list. We are looking for students who are a good fit to learn from one of our instructors and who are also interested in participating in our community performance program. After working with the student for about 30 minutes our instructors spend the last 15 minutes discussing enrollment and showing students how we use TeacherZone.com as a convenient scheduling, learning, and billing platform. PRICING/TUITION: Our music & arts academy operates in three semesters. The Fall Semester (18 weeks), Spring Semester (18 weeks), and Summer Semester (10 weeks). 90% of the curriculum and sheet music we use is included in our rates. Student binders and access to our learning management software via teacherzone.com are included. Our tuition rates reflect our diversity of performance experience, instruction experience, education, proven custom curriculum, and our ability to teach multiple instruments, genres, and styles (classical, jazz, blues, rock, pop, country, Christian, broadway) Pricing is based on length, frequency of the lessons, the option to enroll in the performance program, and lesson location. We offer lessons in your home for your convenience. Discounts are available for homeschooling families, single income families, families enrolling 3 or more students, and students taking weekday lessons before 3pm. Scholarship funds may be available based on enrollment and donations for families in need.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
We offer a free 45-60 minute interview lesson, consultation, and assessment. We want to be confident our instructor is both a good fit to teach the student, and that the student is a good fit for our studio and performance program. The student should feel comfortable with their teacher's personality and talent level. We ask a lot of questions to best understand why each student wants lessons and what the end goals are for them, so we can tailor a teaching plan specific to their learning style and goals as a musician. After the free lesson and consultation, students ready to enroll choose a lesson length, time slot, and tuition package. They leave the free introductory lesson with exercises to begin practicing.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
The founder Shannon Bengford studied privately with multiple degreed piano instructors for 14 yrs. He holds his BA in Music from Luther College (2001) with an emphasis on classical piano and composition. Since 1999 Shannon has been performing professionally. Shannon was primarily classically trained but has taken courses in jazz and improvisation and worked privately with a professional jazz player and dance accompanist while in college. Shannon was hired to improvise for dance classes for 3 years in college and is an expert at improvisation and soloing. Shannon has directed and performed in choirs and for musical theater. He also has composed incidental music for various theater productions in Chicago and scored electronic music for an amateur documentary film. His composition work was nominated for a Jeff Award in Chicago. All of our current teachers that work for Shannon at FMAA have various musical degrees/musical education and have either taken lessons and/or gone through training with Shannon. They are very familiar with the studio's goals, customized curriculum approach, and vision.