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Prices. In-home rates are from $40-50 for one hour depending on date, time, the age and ability of the student, and the location; for those students who desire it, additional time is $24-30/hr and is rounded to the nearest five minutes or two minutes.
How is the price determined? If you are available on the days of the week that I travel close to your location I can offer a better price. |
What happens if I miss a lesson? I understand that events, birthdays etc. happen, so on those occasions I will do my best to reschedule. If missing lessons becomes a habit I make up missed lesson time in short amounts after subsequent lessons.
Can I have lessons lasting less than an hour? No! It would be a waste of both our time because half an hour is really not enough to learn anything. Even five-year-olds can focus through hour-long lessons.
Can I borrow equipment before i decide if playing the piano is something my child wants to do? Yes! I can lend you a keyboard but a deposit is required.
How much does it cost to purchase the necessary equipment? $180-220! All you need is a piano or keyboard and a bench or stool. I can help you with your purchases of keyboards and accessories. Buying locally allows you to return equipment if you find it not to your liking. I provide students with most of their music. Also necessary at some point is: a piano bench, $25-50, possibly a music stand $20-40, keyboard stand (which I can provide as milk crates as they are more stable than metal stands). I seriously recommend the Casio WK-200 or 225 which costs $149-199 since it has 76 rather than 61 keys (allowing me ample room to accompany the student as they play). Beware! Some keyboards come "bundled" with an adapter bench and stand, but the bench and stand are too low and too flimsy.
Instead of piano can you teach me theory and/or improvisation? Yes, beside piano lessons I give dedicated music theory lessons in counterpoint and four-part harmony. I also teach blues and/or rock keyboards, or gospel and/or jazz keyboards.
What ages do you teach? Ages 5-95. Be Forewarned! Young children must practice every day to advance!. It takes a few months for a child to develop enough skill to enjoy playing. I personally often did not want to practice daily for the first year, but I had faith that my parents knew what was best for me, and by insisting that I practiced they gave me what I feel is truly one of my greatest joys. Set aside 15-20 minutes after school or before dinner for children to practice. If you can, make a rule that no TV or video games are allowed until practice is done. Children who play an instrument do better in school and on aptitude tests, so the time committed to practicing actually improves a child's studies rather than detracting from them. I recommend that parents explain to children that learning an instrument builds creativity, coordination, and character. Explain that they are expected to practice 15-minutes-a-day and try it for twelve weeks. If after a few months they still do not enjoy playing they can stop playing.
I have more than one child, can I split the time between them? Yes, since the rate goes down after the first hour this makes sense for multi-student households and for parents who want to learn with their children.
What instruction method do you use? My philosophy of instruction in based on elements of the Bastien, Thompson, and Suzuki Method, which sees music as a form of social expression. (Unlike Suzuki I do not believe in learning only by ear). Students should play and listen to a variety of music and should attend public music events when possible. Personal expression and fulfillment is the goal. I believe the function of musical symbols and key signatures is absorbed naturally over time as the student progresses, so I do require students to spend hours writing out key signatures or scales.
Do you do ear training and music theory? Yes! The Suzuki method relies heavily on being able to play by ear. Most students master songs not by playing every note as they see it on the page, but by knowing how the song is supposed to sound and by then correcting their own mistakes as they hear them. The practice of ear training is now easier thanks to online ear training software at sites like Theta Music Trainer or The Musical Mind. Most music, from children's songs to Bach etudes are built around three main chords, learning these three chords makes learning music easier.
Why do you accompany students as they play? I use my understanding of music theory to create spontaneous accompaniments. Students do not simply play their piece, receive some criticism, and then move on. We play the piece together! Over and over for four, eight, or twelve times. Students gain the invaluable experience of playing music with another live person. They learn to reflect on what the teacher is playing, to speed up or slow down, and to develop the subtle give-and-take needed to play well with others. I also set up guided improvisations, where I play the chords and the student plays a given set of notes in any way they feel like.
I don't have a piano or keyboard. What should I look for when I buy one? The keyboard should have 73 or more keys, but must have at least 61 keys and must be "velocity sensitive" or "touch sensitive"; in other words, when a key is struck harder it should make a louder sound. The piano sounds used by electronic keyboards costing under $500 are identical for any particular brand. Useful features are the ability to use a sustain pedal, a USB port to connect to a computer for using third-party software programs at some point in the future, and an onboard recorder which allows the student to listen to practice pieces before playing them. Built-in learning software, lighted keys, or downloadable sounds and beats are completely useless.
What is MIDI and do I need it? If buying a used keyboard try to get one that has MIDI, a standardized format for transmitting musical information via a USB or a 5-pin DIN connector. MIDI is used to play software synthesizers, "softsynths" or Virtual Studio Technology Instruments (VSTIs) such as those pictured below, many of which are free. The Mr. Tramp Electric Piano below uses sophisticated algorithms to render changes in the sound of an electric piano that happen when the position of mallets, tines, and pickups are changed. All these electronic goodies can be used to lay down tracks on a Digital Audio Workstation (a digital mixing board/recording studio) such as Cubase, Protools etc..
For Further Questions Use The Contact Page Or Call Me. Alex at 862-221-6621
Can I have lessons lasting less than an hour? No! It would be a waste of both our time because half an hour is really not enough to learn anything. Even five-year-olds can focus through hour-long lessons.
Can I borrow equipment before i decide if playing the piano is something my child wants to do? Yes! I can lend you a keyboard but a deposit is required.
How much does it cost to purchase the necessary equipment? $180-220! All you need is a piano or keyboard and a bench or stool. I can help you with your purchases of keyboards and accessories. Buying locally allows you to return equipment if you find it not to your liking. I provide students with most of their music. Also necessary at some point is: a piano bench, $25-50, possibly a music stand $20-40, keyboard stand (which I can provide as milk crates as they are more stable than metal stands). I seriously recommend the Casio WK-200 or 225 which costs $149-199 since it has 76 rather than 61 keys (allowing me ample room to accompany the student as they play). Beware! Some keyboards come "bundled" with an adapter bench and stand, but the bench and stand are too low and too flimsy.
Instead of piano can you teach me theory and/or improvisation? Yes, beside piano lessons I give dedicated music theory lessons in counterpoint and four-part harmony. I also teach blues and/or rock keyboards, or gospel and/or jazz keyboards.
What ages do you teach? Ages 5-95. Be Forewarned! Young children must practice every day to advance!. It takes a few months for a child to develop enough skill to enjoy playing. I personally often did not want to practice daily for the first year, but I had faith that my parents knew what was best for me, and by insisting that I practiced they gave me what I feel is truly one of my greatest joys. Set aside 15-20 minutes after school or before dinner for children to practice. If you can, make a rule that no TV or video games are allowed until practice is done. Children who play an instrument do better in school and on aptitude tests, so the time committed to practicing actually improves a child's studies rather than detracting from them. I recommend that parents explain to children that learning an instrument builds creativity, coordination, and character. Explain that they are expected to practice 15-minutes-a-day and try it for twelve weeks. If after a few months they still do not enjoy playing they can stop playing.
I have more than one child, can I split the time between them? Yes, since the rate goes down after the first hour this makes sense for multi-student households and for parents who want to learn with their children.
What instruction method do you use? My philosophy of instruction in based on elements of the Bastien, Thompson, and Suzuki Method, which sees music as a form of social expression. (Unlike Suzuki I do not believe in learning only by ear). Students should play and listen to a variety of music and should attend public music events when possible. Personal expression and fulfillment is the goal. I believe the function of musical symbols and key signatures is absorbed naturally over time as the student progresses, so I do require students to spend hours writing out key signatures or scales.
Do you do ear training and music theory? Yes! The Suzuki method relies heavily on being able to play by ear. Most students master songs not by playing every note as they see it on the page, but by knowing how the song is supposed to sound and by then correcting their own mistakes as they hear them. The practice of ear training is now easier thanks to online ear training software at sites like Theta Music Trainer or The Musical Mind. Most music, from children's songs to Bach etudes are built around three main chords, learning these three chords makes learning music easier.
Why do you accompany students as they play? I use my understanding of music theory to create spontaneous accompaniments. Students do not simply play their piece, receive some criticism, and then move on. We play the piece together! Over and over for four, eight, or twelve times. Students gain the invaluable experience of playing music with another live person. They learn to reflect on what the teacher is playing, to speed up or slow down, and to develop the subtle give-and-take needed to play well with others. I also set up guided improvisations, where I play the chords and the student plays a given set of notes in any way they feel like.
I don't have a piano or keyboard. What should I look for when I buy one? The keyboard should have 73 or more keys, but must have at least 61 keys and must be "velocity sensitive" or "touch sensitive"; in other words, when a key is struck harder it should make a louder sound. The piano sounds used by electronic keyboards costing under $500 are identical for any particular brand. Useful features are the ability to use a sustain pedal, a USB port to connect to a computer for using third-party software programs at some point in the future, and an onboard recorder which allows the student to listen to practice pieces before playing them. Built-in learning software, lighted keys, or downloadable sounds and beats are completely useless.
What is MIDI and do I need it? If buying a used keyboard try to get one that has MIDI, a standardized format for transmitting musical information via a USB or a 5-pin DIN connector. MIDI is used to play software synthesizers, "softsynths" or Virtual Studio Technology Instruments (VSTIs) such as those pictured below, many of which are free. The Mr. Tramp Electric Piano below uses sophisticated algorithms to render changes in the sound of an electric piano that happen when the position of mallets, tines, and pickups are changed. All these electronic goodies can be used to lay down tracks on a Digital Audio Workstation (a digital mixing board/recording studio) such as Cubase, Protools etc..
For Further Questions Use The Contact Page Or Call Me. Alex at 862-221-6621
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