Current Rates
your rate is grandfathered and will not go up unless:
- you take off more than 8 weeks in a row
- you take off more than 1/3 of the year cumulatively
30-minute lesson
$45 in my home (53 Menzel Ave in Maplewood)
While I strongly encourage students to go to their lessons rather than having their lessons come to them, I realize that this may not be desirable or practical…
$50 in your home anywhere on the Springfield Ave side of Tuscan Road In Maplewood
$55 in your home elsewhere in Maplewood or on the Maplewood side of S.O.
$60 in your home anywhere else
45-minute lesson (optional for high school and older, depending on time availability)
$65 in my home
$75 in your home anywhere on the Springfield side of Tuscan Road
$80 in your home anywhere else
I will travel to Maplewood,South Orange, Millburn and Short Hills depending on schedule.
There will from time to time be a need for you to purchase books/materials…I encourage students who are old enough to be involved in the process of acquiring/purchasing their own music.
Trial Period
For new students, you may do lessons on a per week basis for the first month before committing to a slot.
Payment
With the exception of the trial period, payment is due at the beginning of the month for the entire month. (I will send you a monthly invoice).
Scheduling lessons
Beyond the trial period, when you are signing up for a lesson slot, it is just that...a slot. In order for me to be available for your weekly lesson, it requires of me a commitment to block out that time for the year so it will therefore require a commitment on your part as well (see section on cancellations and part-time lessons below). Also, students should know that learning an instrument takes dedication.
I do realize that sometimes during the year schedules change, that other activities can come into conflict and I will do my best to try and accommodate these changes.
Please note: I do not follow the school calendar! Just because there is no school, do not assume I am not teaching.
Part-time lessons
If you want occasional lessons or can't commit to a slot for the year you have the option of scheduling lessons during ‘off-peak’ times (ie: before or during school hours during the week or on weekends as time allows).
Cancellations/Rescheduling
Although you are committing to a slot, I cannot expect that you will be able to do a lesson every week without fail:
- I will allow for 3 cancelled/missed lessons Sept-June. (Summer lessons discussed below).
- missed lessons must be arranged at the beginning of the month (except in the event of illness or emergency).
- In the event of illness or emergency, I will also allow a complimentary rescheduling or alternately a remote session via Skype or FaceTime. I do ask that you still give me as much advance notice as is reasonably possible.
Rescheduled lessons must be arranged within a month’s time of the missed lesson.
If I must cancel our lesson, I will give you the option to reschedule (not counting towards your allotted 3 missed lessons ) or apply credit towards the following month.
Rescheduled lessons will mostly take place at my home in Maplewood and generally during the weekend unless we can find a slot during the week that works in both our schedules.
Practice and keeping a practice journal
It cannot cannot be emphasized enough that in order to ensure success in piano, time must be invested in practicing outside the lesson. Learning an instrument is more than a once-a-week endeavor. (I have heard it stated more than once that it basically takes 10,000 hours of practice to master a skill such as an instrument. That’s a lot of hours!)
I know not all my students will be able to dedicate that amount of time, but without students practicing what we learn in the lessons -ideally on a daily basis- progress may be slow.
I would like students to have a notebook or phone app to write assignments and keep a practice journal. (The idea of this is not to create extra work for students, but for students to be able to see how their practice time relates to progress and achievement).
Recitals
I hold an end of the year recital which is typically the 1st or 2nd Sunday in June at DeHart community center in Maplewood.
Also, a few times a year I do a “Sunday Salon,” which is a much smaller intimate setting for my students to play for each other in my home and is limited to about 3-6 students due to space constraints.
While I don’t want to make recitals a requirement, I think it’s really to students benefit to participate.
Summer Lessons
Lessons over the summer need not be weekly, although they certainly may be if you are so inclined. They also can be a bit more flexibly scheduled.
Lessons still need to be scheduled and paid for at the beginning of the month.
Discontinuing lessons
I ask that if you intend on discontinuing lessons either temporarily or permanently that you give me a month’s notice.
your rate is grandfathered and will not go up unless:
- you take off more than 8 weeks in a row
- you take off more than 1/3 of the year cumulatively
30-minute lesson
$45 in my home (53 Menzel Ave in Maplewood)
While I strongly encourage students to go to their lessons rather than having their lessons come to them, I realize that this may not be desirable or practical…
$50 in your home anywhere on the Springfield Ave side of Tuscan Road In Maplewood
$55 in your home elsewhere in Maplewood or on the Maplewood side of S.O.
$60 in your home anywhere else
45-minute lesson (optional for high school and older, depending on time availability)
$65 in my home
$75 in your home anywhere on the Springfield side of Tuscan Road
$80 in your home anywhere else
I will travel to Maplewood,South Orange, Millburn and Short Hills depending on schedule.
There will from time to time be a need for you to purchase books/materials…I encourage students who are old enough to be involved in the process of acquiring/purchasing their own music.
Trial Period
For new students, you may do lessons on a per week basis for the first month before committing to a slot.
Payment
With the exception of the trial period, payment is due at the beginning of the month for the entire month. (I will send you a monthly invoice).
Scheduling lessons
Beyond the trial period, when you are signing up for a lesson slot, it is just that...a slot. In order for me to be available for your weekly lesson, it requires of me a commitment to block out that time for the year so it will therefore require a commitment on your part as well (see section on cancellations and part-time lessons below). Also, students should know that learning an instrument takes dedication.
I do realize that sometimes during the year schedules change, that other activities can come into conflict and I will do my best to try and accommodate these changes.
Please note: I do not follow the school calendar! Just because there is no school, do not assume I am not teaching.
Part-time lessons
If you want occasional lessons or can't commit to a slot for the year you have the option of scheduling lessons during ‘off-peak’ times (ie: before or during school hours during the week or on weekends as time allows).
Cancellations/Rescheduling
Although you are committing to a slot, I cannot expect that you will be able to do a lesson every week without fail:
- I will allow for 3 cancelled/missed lessons Sept-June. (Summer lessons discussed below).
- missed lessons must be arranged at the beginning of the month (except in the event of illness or emergency).
- In the event of illness or emergency, I will also allow a complimentary rescheduling or alternately a remote session via Skype or FaceTime. I do ask that you still give me as much advance notice as is reasonably possible.
Rescheduled lessons must be arranged within a month’s time of the missed lesson.
If I must cancel our lesson, I will give you the option to reschedule (not counting towards your allotted 3 missed lessons ) or apply credit towards the following month.
Rescheduled lessons will mostly take place at my home in Maplewood and generally during the weekend unless we can find a slot during the week that works in both our schedules.
Practice and keeping a practice journal
It cannot cannot be emphasized enough that in order to ensure success in piano, time must be invested in practicing outside the lesson. Learning an instrument is more than a once-a-week endeavor. (I have heard it stated more than once that it basically takes 10,000 hours of practice to master a skill such as an instrument. That’s a lot of hours!)
I know not all my students will be able to dedicate that amount of time, but without students practicing what we learn in the lessons -ideally on a daily basis- progress may be slow.
I would like students to have a notebook or phone app to write assignments and keep a practice journal. (The idea of this is not to create extra work for students, but for students to be able to see how their practice time relates to progress and achievement).
Recitals
I hold an end of the year recital which is typically the 1st or 2nd Sunday in June at DeHart community center in Maplewood.
Also, a few times a year I do a “Sunday Salon,” which is a much smaller intimate setting for my students to play for each other in my home and is limited to about 3-6 students due to space constraints.
While I don’t want to make recitals a requirement, I think it’s really to students benefit to participate.
Summer Lessons
Lessons over the summer need not be weekly, although they certainly may be if you are so inclined. They also can be a bit more flexibly scheduled.
Lessons still need to be scheduled and paid for at the beginning of the month.
Discontinuing lessons
I ask that if you intend on discontinuing lessons either temporarily or permanently that you give me a month’s notice.