Q. How long are the lessons and classes?
A. Most students take 30 min. weekly lessons. Though it is possible to take longer lessons, we feel that a concentrated 30 min. is plenty of time and especially best with a beginner. Dance classes are 55 min except creative dance which is 45min..

Q. What if I have to miss a lesson/class?
A. We now offer unlimited make-up private lessons via the student’s Lesson Track account. This allows students to get their lesson anywhere they have access to the internet. Early Childhood classes can be made up, given there is room, by attending the same class on another day.

Q. What is Lesson Track?
A. Every private student who is currently enrolled in lessons has a free account with Lesson Track. Lesson Track is a secure website where teachers post information regarding the students lessons. The teacher may include audio files, notes, PDFs and instructional video. Check out lessontrack.net for more information and a brief explanatory video.

Q. Why should we pay for a lesson that don't attend?
A. It is our strong held belief that attendance at lessons promotes progress. When a student progresses, they feel good about themselves as growing musicians and are much more likely to stick with lessons. Our policies are meant to stress regular attendance. In the event of a missed lesson, the student can still greatly benefit from a “check-in” in the form of a Lesson Track lesson that is posted at their regularly scheduled time. It is the consistency of scheduled lessons that promotes regular practice and ultimately success in the form of a joyful, lifelong connection with music.

Also, we pride ourselves on having qualified and friendly teachers giving our students the best possible music lessons. These instructors count on their students to attend their lessons and the income derived from that and have reserved a specific time in their week only for them. As a courtesy to our teachers and for practical reasons, we offer unlimited make-ups per year via Lesson Track.

Q. What is the right age to start private lessons?
A. Adults and teens can start any instrument at any time. We have taught beginners in their 60’s and 70’s. For children, starting private lessons at the right time is the key element to the success of their lessons. Some people will tell you “the sooner the better” but this attitude can actually backfire and be a negative. Many parents want their children to start instruction at 5 years of age or even earlier. This can be very stressful. Kindergarden is already stressful with new rules, new friends and new teachers. At a time when children are learning through a brain body connection, having them sit still in a lesson for 30 minutes may not be the best path to take. The Early Childhood classes are designed to provide children with all the tools to succeed in private lessons once they become 6 or 7, depending upon the instrument. We do not recommend starting lessons at age 5 before spring of their kindergarten year.

Q. Do I have to own my own instrument or can I rent one?
A. This depends upon the instrument that is being studied. We recommend purchasing if you are studying guitar, piano (buy a keyboard with full size keys that are touch sensitive) or drums (renting really not an option). The initial expense for these instruments does not does not have to be much. For violin, viola, cello or woodwinds (sax, clarinet and flute) renting might be a more feasible option at first.

Q: Do we have the same time every week?
A: Yes. Your lesson time is reserved every week just for you and cannot be taken by anyone else. You have the same time and day each week. We know how important having a convenient time is for our busy parents!

Q: Can I change my time once I start my lessons?
A: We are happy to change your lesson time to another permanent time that’s available.

Q: Do you accept credit cards?
A: Yes, we do. All our families are set up to pay for their lessons each month on an auto-pay schedule using either a credit/debit cards or a direct debit from their checking account.

Q. Are group lessons available? How do they differ from private lessons?
A. Group lessons are available are specific times of the year. Usually we’ll offer them in the fall, again in the winter and then in the summer. Group lessons are finite, in that they are not to take the place of private lessons. They are a way for students to see and decide if that instrument is indeed the instrument of their choice. Group lessons differ from private in some very distinct ways. Firstly, the pace is much slower since the instructor needs to meet all the needs of the class. Secondly, private lessons are tailored to meet the individual student’s needs and interests. Students progress much more quickly in private lessons. And lastly, group lessons are for a specific period of time like 6 weeks or 8 weeks. Private lessons are ongoing.

Q. Why is my tuition the same every month when months like December only have 2 or 3 lessons?
A. The tuition amount is averaged out over the year. Sometimes there are 4 lessons, sometimes there are 5 and in December there may be 2 or 3. The averaged tuition makes it easier for you to know that the account will be charged the exact same amount each month and makes the cost less for some months when there are 5 lessons. If we were to charge you less in December you would pay more for the rest of the year.

Q. When is the school closed?
A. It is always best to check the Calendar page on the website for exact dates. We are closed for most major holidays.

Q. Can I take lessons with one of my friends?
A. Private lessons work best when they are taken alone. Even if the students are both the same age and at the same level, they are going to learn at different rates and even more importantly in different ways. The job of the teacher is to adapt a lesson plan to fit the needs of an individual student. This becomes too difficult and ultimately fails to work when teaching more than one student in a lesson over a period of time.

Q. Can I switch to another instrument mid-month?
A. Yes! If you begin the month with, let’s say piano, and decide mid-month that you would rather study drums, it’s simply a matter of coordinating new lesson times/new teacher with the front desk.

Q. When can I start lessons?
A. Music lessons, music classes and dance classes are all ongoing, so you can start anytime!

Q. Can I take a lesson every other week?
A. We don’t offer an hour lesson every other week for a couple of reasons. Firstly, we have found through our experience of teaching thousands of lessons, when learning something that has both conceptual and physical demands, like playing a musical instrument or singing, it’s important to have weekly “check-ins”. Repetition is a key factor in learning how to play. Two weeks is too long for students to remember everything their teacher showed them in the last lesson. With lessons every other week, it’s almost like starting over again each lesson. Secondly we have found that students don’t practice any more in a 2 week period than in a 1 week period. As a result, students take more than twice as long to learn the same amount, negating any effort to save money. Remember that learning a musical instrument is very much like learning a foreign language.

Q: Can I watch my child’s lesson?
A: Yes. We have an open door policy and parents are welcome to join their student in the lesson.

Q: Is there a minimum number of lessons that I have to take?
A: Because our lessons are month-to-month, all we ask for is for you to let us know before the 1st of the month to cancel.

Q: Do you have recitals and how much do they cost?
A: We offer several performance opportunities each year. There is an annual winter and spring recital, student composition recitals, family music night recitals and performance workshops each month. There is no cost to participate and friends and family are encouraged to attend the performances!