In order to help you get started, our most frequently asked questions are answered below. If you need further information, please don't hesitate to contact us.
1. How are lessons scheduled?
Lessons are once per week and are 30, 45, or 60 minutes in length. Very young beginners (ages 5-7) will generally start with 30 minutes, while 60 minute lessons are best for older and/or advanced students. 45 minutes is the best length for most students. We teach Monday-Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. However, each teacher will have limited openings in his or her schedule, especially when starting mid-semester. We will work with you and try to find a time that works.
Students register by the semester (Fall - mid-August through mid-December; Spring - January through May; and Summer - June through mid-August). Students who start mid-semester will simply register for all remaining lessons in that semester, and will, of course, pay a prorated tuition.
2. What are your rates?
Current tuition information is posted below. Semester totals vary depending on the number of lessons in the semester. We have the option of paying the semester in full or in installments.
1. How are lessons scheduled?
Lessons are once per week and are 30, 45, or 60 minutes in length. Very young beginners (ages 5-7) will generally start with 30 minutes, while 60 minute lessons are best for older and/or advanced students. 45 minutes is the best length for most students. We teach Monday-Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. However, each teacher will have limited openings in his or her schedule, especially when starting mid-semester. We will work with you and try to find a time that works.
Students register by the semester (Fall - mid-August through mid-December; Spring - January through May; and Summer - June through mid-August). Students who start mid-semester will simply register for all remaining lessons in that semester, and will, of course, pay a prorated tuition.
2. What are your rates?
Current tuition information is posted below. Semester totals vary depending on the number of lessons in the semester. We have the option of paying the semester in full or in installments.
| tuition_2022_2023.pdf |
3. Are there lessons every week? What about holidays or vacations? What happens if we miss a lesson?
There are no lessons the week of Thanksgiving. We take a two-week winter holiday at the end of December as well as a one-week spring break the 2nd or 3rd week of March. We have already taken these weeks into account when calculating the tuition. Apart from these four weeks, there is a lesson every week during the fall and spring semesters (mid-August through May). If a student misses a lesson, we offer one make-up lesson per semester. Because each student essentially "owns" his or her lesson time, and we obviously can't double-book private lessons, we cannot reschedule lessons beyond the one makeup. Our policy for summer is a little different. See below...
4. Do you offer lessons during the summer? Are summer lessons required?
We do offer lessons during the summer. Because many students take family vacations, attend summer camps, etc., our policy is a little different. During the twelve-week summer session, students should schedule and attend 8 lessons, and these don't necessarily need to be on the same day and time each week. Students can also take up to two lessons per week during the summer. This gives us a lot of flexibility to accommodate other summer activities. However, students must commit to the 8 summer lessons in order to guarantee their spot for the fall.
5. How much are students expected to practice?
In order to get the most value from lessons, students will need to practice on their own outside of the weekly lessons. Generally they should practice every day for the same length of time as their lesson. So, for example, students in 30-minute lessons should aim to practice 30 minutes each day. For very young beginners, 30 minutes might be something that needs to be worked towards, so they might start with a shorter practice requirement. Older, advanced students may need to practice even longer to keep making the most progress.
6. Do we need our own instrument?
In order to practice at home, all students will need their own instruments at home. Typically violin, viola, and cello students rent their instruments. We can refer you to instrument rental stores if you need. For piano students, the best option is an acoustic piano: one with hammers and strings, not electronic. No matter what the marketing materials may say, there are no electronic instruments that will help students build the same technical foundation. Some of our teachers are willing to work with students who only have electronic pianos, but even in those situations, the instrument needs to have a full-size, 88-key keyboard with touch-sensitive and weighted keys. We are happy to refer you to local piano stores as well as stores that have excellent piano rental programs. Guitar students may want to discuss their needs with our guitar instructor as the instrument may depend on the style they want to play.
7. We're ready to get started! How do we sign up?
First, visit our registration page and fill out the form. This will put you in our system. Before you commit to lessons, we like to start by scheduling a meet and greet with one of our teachers so that you can see the school and have any remaining questions answered. After you've filled out the registration form, someone will reach out to you within three business days to schedule the meet and greet. Assuming all goes well (we're sure it will!) and you decide to move forward, we will email you an invoice that you can pay online as well as all other paperwork you'll need.