Lessons:
Lessons are 30-minute one-on-one music sessions, once per a week. In Modesto and surrounding cities, lessons are held in my home studio. Students who reside further away will have the option of having digital lessons.
Be Prepared:
Private lessons are taught year-round. Summer schedules are subject to change and are generally discussed in mid-May.
Lesson Materials:
First and foremost: Students must have an instrument to play! Instruments are not provided.
- Wind instruments must be purchased or rented and brought to each lesson.
- Obviously a piano cannot be brought to lessons, but make sure you have an instrument at home to practice on. Of course, a piano is preferable, but some keyboards or digital pianos are acceptable. I require that keyboards have the following:
- Be a full range keyboard – 88 keys. Many keyboards only have 61 keys, which will work for a little while but eventually students will need several of the keys it is missing!
- Keys must be weighted and touch-sensitive so students can play dynamics and understand how they work.
- Keyboard must also have a sustain pedal.
- Obviously a piano cannot be brought to lessons, but make sure you have an instrument at home to practice on. Of course, a piano is preferable, but some keyboards or digital pianos are acceptable. I require that keyboards have the following:
Students also need to provide their own books and bring them to each lesson. Any additional worksheets or supplemental sheet music will be provided.
A metronome is also a highly recommended tool for established players, although not a requirement. They can be purchased in any local music store or online. Here in this age of digital accessibility, there are also free metronome apps that can be downloaded to any smart device.
Lesson Cancellations:
Lessons may be canceled through email, text, call or verbally. If you need to cancel the day of your lesson, please either call or text me before noon to ensure there is time for your message to be received.
I do occasionally have to cancel a lesson and I always do so as soon as I know I will need to, or up to a months’ notice. Please let me know how to best get the message to you if such and event occurs, either by email or text.
Expectations of Student:
Each week, upon arrival, be ready to begin. Show up early to warm up if necessary, have your materials with you, etc.
Practice, practice, PRACTICE!
Be honest with me. Didn’t get quite as much practice time this past week? Tell me so. This way I can better prepare to help you with what you did get through instead of watching you try to fake it. Don’t understand something? Same thing. Be honest with me. There may be other ways I can explain or show you that will help you better. Your honesty helps me do my job better and keeps both of us from being in frustrating situations.
Practicing:
My favorite saying is, “The more you play, the easier it gets.”
I will never tell any student they have to practice for a specific number of hours per week or per day. Each week, at the end of the lesson, I make goals for students to meet based on what we accomplished during the lesson and still need to work on. These goals may be practicing a specific technique, piece of music, or even practicing reading notes. I usually give several attainable goals to work on each week and ask that each student practices until they feel that these goals are met with consistently and with confidence.