pianist, teacher – lessons, recitals, performance

Location – Murrieta CA

students from Murrieta, Temecula, Wildomar, Menifee, Winchester, French Valley, Lake Elsinore, Fallbrook, Sun City, and other Inland Empire cities

• Trial lesson (30 minutes): $45
  Trial lesson includes an actual first lesson, assessment of current level and music reading ability/fluency (if any), aural perception, and general student aptitude.

• Registration/Materials Fee (payable whenever lesson starts and every September thereafter, non-refundable):
  Individual — $45
  Family —— $85

• Monthly Tuition Fees
  4 private lessons / 30 minutes per week ……$170/month
  4 private lessons / 45 minutes per week ……$250/month
  4 private lessons / 1 hour per week ………….$330/month

• All fees reviewed every September.
• Tuition covers not only lesson time spent with the student, but also time spent in preparation for the student, including development of teaching materials, choosing appropriate repertoire, and planning for the student’s individualized course of study. I also spend much of my non-teaching time researching various teaching books and new methods, studying different music audition/testing requirements, practicing and learning new repertoire, accompanying, attending meetings, recitals, teacher conferences and other professional development courses.
• Tuition includes all lesson materials, printouts, books, and practice/achievement incentive awards. All students will be provided with carefully selected method books and sheet music that are appropriate for their level. Students are expected to bring all books to their lessons. Lost books will be charged replacement cost.
• Tuition also includes use of the studio’s lending library, for ‘one-off’ events such as music festivals and competitions, where the student needs to follow the syllabus and learn a particular set piece just for that event. All books and music borrowed for such purposes must be returned in their original condition. Printouts of music that is in the public domain and free of copyright may be used for teaching purposes. I also write and arrange teaching pieces and exercises on the Sibelius software; such pieces may NOT be photocopied and redistributed elsewhere and must be returned if you terminate lessons.
• Tuition does not include fees for recitals, competitions, auditions, or festivals.
• Tuition will be prorated if you start in the middle of the month.
• Tuition is paid monthly, by cash or check, at the first lesson of each month. Please be prompt.
• I maintain active membership in many professional music organizations locally and nationally. Students in my studio have a wide selection of opportunities to participate in recitals, auditions, evaluations, festivals and competitions, including: National Piano Guild Auditions, California Certificate of Merit, California Association of Professional Music Teachers Piano Auditions, California Association of Music Teachers Temecula Valley Branch Student Musicale Recitals, Temecula Valley Spring Music Festival, Temecula Young Artist Piano Competition, Steinway Society of Riverside Festival and Competition, Inland Empire Piano Competition, LA Young Pianist Competition, Glendale Piano Competition, Southern California Junior Bach Festival, Carnegie Hall Royal Conservatory The Achievement Program, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Graded Exams, American Protege International Piano Competition, and other selected opportunities for advanced students. Click here to find out more.

Click here to Register

Cancellations and Make-up Policy

• Be prompt to your lesson. If you are late to your lesson, you will only be given the remaining time.
• If you cancel a scheduled lesson for any reason, your monthly tuition remains the same. Provided advance notice (BEFORE the day of the lesson) is given, you may reschedule your lesson.
• If your lesson falls on a holiday, you may reschedule. There is no refund if you choose to cancel instead.
• Make up lessons can be in the form of longer lessons the following weeks, if scheduling allows. If you cancel your lesson on the day of the lesson, or forgot to show up, no make ups will be given, and there will be no refund or credit. If you cancel a make up lesson, no further make ups will be scheduled.
• Unless the teacher cancels a lesson, no student may adjust their monthly tuition by reason of reduced attendance that month, even with advance notice.
• Summer vacation: It is strongly recommended that students keep the momentum of their musical progress and continue to take lessons over the summer. Students who continue lessons in the summer can expect accelerated progress, as they have more time to practice and focus on piano study. Extended summer vacation without lessons should be avoided, as students need some time to get back to their practice routine, and often find themselves falling behind and loosing interest. If you take summer vacation, no tuition is due, but your time slot can not be guaranteed when you return.
• If you terminate lessons in the middle of the month, your unused tuition will not be refunded.
• If the teacher cancels a lesson, and rescheduling is not convenient for the student, credit will be given towards the following month’s tuition.

Studio Etiquette

1. Clean hands with a wet wipe when arriving at the studio. No exceptions. If they are extra dirty from playing sports or doing artwork, please wash them with soap in the bathroom.
2. Absolutely no touching the piano case, lid, legs, strings, or anywhere on or inside the piano!
3. Siblings can stay in the room if they can remain quiet. No playing with toys, running around, or touching the piano. No playing under the piano. No wandering around the rest of the house. Children younger than 6 must have adult supervision.
4. No talking on the cell phone during lessons, unless it is an emergency. If you are waiting for your turn or to be picked up, and you must answer your phone, please do so outside so as not to distract the other students.
5. No eating food inside the studio. You may take one candy at the end of the lesson from the candy basket. Pick from the top of the basket. No digging through the entire basket!
6. Do not throw candy wrapper or other trash in the courtyard or on the driveway.
7. Parents please pick up students on time. Students should not be waiting on the street to be picked up. The studio can not be responsible for watching over the student after the lesson ends.
8. Respect other student’s time and privacy. Do not arrive early before your lesson time. When it is your time, come inside the studio. Do not wait outside for the previous people to leave.
9. Family members or friends are welcome to observe the private lessons. Due to space limitation, group classes are for registered students only. Parents and siblings please make other arrangements.
10. Remember to take all of your personal belongings with you at the end of the lesson, especially your music books! The studio is not responsible for any lost items.

Instrument, Practice, and Other matters

• A student needs to have access to a quality instrument for regular practice. The amount of practice time required depends on the student’s level of ability and personal goals. It is important that a student spends quality time on the piano, with focused practice sessions on a daily basis.
• If possible a student should practice on an acoustic piano rather than a keyboard or digital piano. The action, touch and sensitivity of an acoustic piano will allow the student to develop a good, solid foundation and fine musicianship. For absolute beginners, a keyboard is OK for the first 6 months of lessons, if there is already a keyboard in the house; I understand that budget may be a concern and parents may not wish to invest in a piano just yet. Many shops also offer rental options. If you are looking to buy, read my blog article on Piano Buying Tips. I can recommend quality shops.
• For most beginners, 30-minute lessons per week is sufficient. After 12 months of study, students should increase lesson time frames, particularly if they show strong talent and interest, and may consider auditioning for National Piano Guild or other festivals/competitions. Transfer students who are at intermediate levels or beyond should consider longer lesson time frames.
• A piano needs to be tuned on a regular basis. Tuning can make a big difference to the well-being of a piano. A well maintained piano is not only a valuable asset to the family, but can also inspire students to practice more! I can recommend qualified piano tuners and technicians.
• Every student should have a metronome.
• A piano bench with adjustable height is highly recommended.
• If the student is very young, a foot stool is necessary during practice, until the student is tall enough to reach the pedals.

Parents Responsibilities

• Bring students to lessons on time. Pick up students on time. Pay your tuition on time.
• Make sure students bring all of their music books to the lessons.
• Check that students have trimmed fingernails before their lessons. Long fingernails scratch the piano keyboard. If a student comes to lesson with long fingernails, they will not be able to play, and the lesson time will be spent doing Music Theory and Ear Training.
• Younger children may need help with practicing. Very few children will just go practice on their own without being reminded to do so! Be prepared to sit through lessons so you understand the materials taught and can help supervise home practice.
• Encourage progress.

FAQ

Often parents ask me if they can stay during the lessons. If the student is a beginner this is highly recommended as the parents can see what is being taught and therefore help supervise the practice sessions at home. Parental presence, interest, support and encouragement is crucial in the learning process. As the student progresses, parents may reduce the number of lessons they attend. This helps the student to become more responsible in remembering what is taught at lessons and what their homework assignment is. Eventually the student should become totally independent and parents no longer need to attend lessons. Siblings and friends are welcome to attend lessons if they are interested in learning piano and want to find out more about lessons. For more questions, please visit the FAQ page.