Rates & Schedule:

$480 a month for 4, one hour lessons, the first four weeks of each month. Monthly payments for lessons are due in advance, on the fourth week of the prior month.   On months with 5 weeks (this occurs approximately four months a year), the 5th week will not have regularly scheduled lessons but may be used for make-ups (see below).  

  

Make-ups & Missed Lessons:

Sometimes, I have to miss a lesson. I try really hard not to, but if it happens I will make it up on the next 5th week that falls on your lesson day. Make-ups for my missed lessons have priority. I will also sometimes try to move lessons around to accommodate my or my other student's schedules and appreciate any flexibility you have when this occurs. I try to return the favor when and if you need changes as well. This is always hard because it depends on the flexibility in both my schedule and my other students.

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If your student needs to miss a lesson and you can provide at least a week's advance notice I will try my best to trade times with someone else. However, because my lesson route is carefully planned and all of my students have busy schedules, that is very hard to do. Please do not attempt to trade times on your own because that will mess with my schedule and my head. 

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If your student is sick or something arises at the last minute that just couldn’t be avoided (i.e. dental emergencies, school events, etc.) let me know before I show up in your driveway and we'll attempt to schedule a make-up on a 5th week that falls on your lesson day. Remember, there are a limited number of 5th weeks with your lesson day over the course of a calendar year (approximately 4), and because my misses have to take priority there are possibly not as many available to you. 

 

If I show up and you’re not home, I’ll always try to call you and see if you’re on your way. If I can’t get a hold of you I'll wait for about 15 or 20 minutes or until the neighbors begin to look threatening. If you arrive while I’m still there we’ll work to the end of the scheduled time. If you don’t arrive and haven’t called, that counts as the lesson. I’ll also try to call ahead to my next lesson and see if I can move people forward or juggle the lessons around so that if you’re just running late you can still do it on that day, but again that depends on the flex in both my schedule and that of my other students. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. 

 

Bottom-line: 

You pay for your missed lessons, there are a limited number of 5th weeks (max 4 and my misses take priority) so it is hard to make-up missed lessons. Please understand, when you choose to skip a lesson and I am unable to move things around to fill your spot then I sit around for an hour. To ask for a make up lesson on another time or day in addition to the hour you skipped is really asking for an extra lesson for free.  More than anything, I’m limited by time. I’d love to accommodate every “last minute play-date” and “old friends stopped by” but my schedule just doesn’t have the room. 

 

Vacations:

Please let me know your travel plans as much in advance as possible. If it’s just going to be one lesson missed we’ll make it back at the next available 5th week. If you plan to be away for longer you must pay for the month to hold your place or risk losing your spot. Please understand this is my primary income so I can’t leave times unfilled. I try to be as understanding and flexible as possible but I can’t fill your spot with a new family and then turn them away once you return. People want lessons and a stable continuous teacher for long term so it is hard to find a family that can fill in on an ad hoc or sub-let basis. We can use available 5th weeks to make up the vacation misses but again, those are limited and any misses I may have will take priority. And again, I can't always make up your misses from a vacation. 

 

Christmas, Thanksgiving and Spring Break: 

I switch all lessons to Mondays and Tuesdays. If you have a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday lesson and can't switch to Monday or Tuesday during Christmas or Spring break I will try my best to accommodate you, but it might just end up being a miss. I need my break too. 

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Summer Schedule:

I try to consolidate lessons into as few days as possible, normally Monday and Tuesday, so please let me know all the camp and vacation schedules as soon as you can so we can work together on a lesson time that suits both of us. I also try to take a vacation every August and try not to miss any lesson days. Sometimes I’ll move the next week’s lessons back a day or two to accommodate this. If I do miss your lesson, again I will make it back on the next 5th week. 

 

Supervision Policy:

Please be home when I’m there. I am so very honored and frankly amazed that you all feel so comfortable with 

me that you’re willing to leave your children in my care but, if there was an emergency or I had to leave suddenly 

I couldn’t leave your kids alone. The dad in me wouldn’t let me.

 

Practice:

The more your student does the better they’ll get. Ideally, kids should practice 30 to 60 minutes a day every day. O.k. 

I’m aware of the world we live in and for many of you,  “that ain’t gonna happen.”  Minimally, you should have 

your student practice 30 minutes 3 days a week and before I arrive on lesson day. Less than that and they’re 

really not going to get any better. There are so many kids and adults who would love to have lessons and would 

really work hard if only I had the time for them. You’ve got me, please, use me! The best case scenario is: they

just sit down at the piano and play whenever they happen to be walking by. This adds up in time fast. Parents 

can really provide motivation that I can’t come close to just by sitting down in the room with them and listening to

them practice once or twice a week even for even just a song or two. Your student will notice if you’re taking 

more interest than just shouting “Did you practice today?”

 

Music selection:

I try very hard to tailor each person’s music to their liking. There are certain steps along the way however that 

really can’t be skipped so sometimes we’ll seem to stay on a particular song or lesson concept for a while. Ask 

your student what music they currently like on a regular basis. Kids are exposed to music constantly but don’t 

even realize what they’re listening to half of the time. Ask them if they have a favorite song and if they’d like to 

play it on piano, then forward the request to me. If I can get the sheet music I will. I also have the capability to 

create printed music so I can arrange simplified versions of almost any song if I can hear it.

 

CALL ME!!!

I give everyone my home and cell number. If your student can’t figure something out…call me. I can usually sort 

out the problem over the phone or even on FaceTime if you have an Apple product. That’s a lot better than practicing something wrong for the week or not practicing at all. I really don’t mind, in fact I encourage it.

 

Wow! That was a lot. Here’s the most important part however. All of my students are the best. I am so blessed 

to have each and every one of them. From the beginners to the experts, each one is totally unique and a real joy 

to teach (even those who complain about finger exercises and forget to practice)!!  You parents are incredible as

well.  Please feel free to continue giving out my name. You can never have too many students. And, as an added 

bonus, I’ll give a finder’s fee to anyone who hooks me up with another movie, animation, or advertising scoring gig. 

Really!