Frequently Asked Questions

How often are lessons?

Piano lessons are once a week. You will have a fixed lesson day and time for your weekly lessons during the 9-month studio calendar. (September-May) Summer lessons have a more varied schedule, which is explained in detail in early spring.

What is the length of weekly lessons?

Lesson lengths vary depending on student age and level. Most lessons are 45 or 60 minutes in length. For some first year beginners or very young beginners, an option of 30 minute lessons is available at the teacher's discretion.

What is the structure of a weekly lesson?

In 45 minute lessons, we spend 30 minutes one-on-one teacher and student. Time is spent going over the weekly practicing assignment, playing games or doing activities for new or review concepts, and going over the next week's practicing assignment. The last 15 minutes students work independently on lab assignments. This is typically theory, ear training, or ipad app practice. Extra practice time on a digital piano with headphones is also available during this time.

In 60 minute lessons the structure is the same, but with 45 minutes one-on-one teacher and student.

What are group lessons?

Group lessons, or piano parties as I like to call them, are very popular with students! Scheduled once per quarter, students come in scheduled groups with other students in their age/level range. Group lessons typically include students performing for each other, group games that focus on theory concepts, aural skills reinforcement, and music history.

What types of performance opportunities are offered?

There are typically two studio recitals per year. The fall/winter recital date can vary. We always have a spring recital towards the end of the year to showcase students' yearly progress and present studio awards. Students also get the chance to perform for their peers in quarterly group lessons. We also provide many other performance opportunities in local music association recitals, which happen at intervals throughout the year. Additional performance events such as solo festival, judged recitals, and competitions are also available and determined by individual students and the teacher.

What types of achievement programs are offered?

Most beginning students participate in my in-studio achievement program Keyboard Gymnastics. This is a program that works through achievement levels in the areas of performance, theory, ear training, sight reading, technic, and ensemble (duet) playing. There are awards given for personal achievements in this program at the end of year recital.

Older and/or advancing students participate in achievement events for the same areas, but take place outside of the studio. Some of the events include NVMTA Skills Day (technique and sight reading), NVMTA Theory Mastery Day (theory), NFMC Jr Solo Festival, and various duet and ensemble opportunities. Competitions such as the NVMTA Bach/Baroque festival, Concerto festival, Piano Ensemble festival, and Sonata festival are also available and encouraged. These events usually include trophies, ribbons, and certificates as a result of participating. Participation in these events varies by student and is discussed by teacher and parents.

Do I have to practice at home? How much?

Yes, practice is necessary for learning an instrument. I see students just once a week for a short time. Most of their progress is made in daily time spent at the piano at home. If students don't practice to reinforce what they're learning in lessons, they will quickly become frustrated with their lack of progress. The beauty of individual private lessons is that we can individually tailor a practice plan that works best for each student. Typical practicing for beginners will take 10-20 minutes and should be done 4-5 days a week. Young beginners (ages 6 and under) will require a parent to supervise and be involved in practicing. The amount of practice time will lengthen as students progress in their piano playing abilities. A good rule of thumb is to practice each weekday. Weekly practice goals are discussed at lessons every week, and I provide a lot of fun incentives for practicing. I am also happy to share tips on effective practice routines with parents.

Do I need a piano for piano lessons?

Yes! The ideal piano setup is a well-tuned acoustic piano. Many digital pianos are also sufficient for beginning years of piano practicing. If you have a digital piano, it must have: a full 88 keyboard, weighted keys (they play louder when you press them harder, softer when you press lightly), and a damper pedal. A smaller keyboard setup can potentially be ok for your first 6-9 months of lessons, although it's not ideal.

What other materials do I need for piano lessons?

We will work together on getting you set up with the proper method books, and a piano binder. A metronome will also be needed at times, I am happy to recommend some inexpensive digital ones, or you can find an app as long as the device needed for the app is available at practice time. The best practice is to keep a piano bag with your books, binder, and any other materials in it so you're always prepared for your lesson (and you don't drop anything in a puddle!).

Hopefully this answers some questions you may have about the studio! Feel free to contact me to request a copy of my studio policy, which outlines the studio policies and pricing in greater detail.