Music is like any other pursuit in that one will get out of it as much, or as little, as he/she puts into it. Yes, a commitment to practice is part of investing in lessons. How much one practices, and thus how quickly and far one progresses, will be up to the individual. Instrumental study is as much a physical as mental exercise; and thus, more frequent shorter practice sessions will be more productive for reinforcement and retention of motion than longer sessions with more time in-between. Progress and improvement is the goal, and the ultimate ideal reward; and so, I do ask and expect that students study regularly at home.

A rough guide might be:

Beginner students:  15-20 minutes, 3-5 days/week

Intermediate students:  30 minutes, 4-5 days/week

Advanced students:  45-60+ minutes, 5-7 days/week

Absolutely! Contact me to set up a time for you and/or your student to meet and work together for a complimentary session . I'd like to think I am able to inspire and get along well with everybody; but, it's always nice to be sure my style will be a good fit.

Decades of teaching lessons, including hundreds of those scheduled for a 30-minute window, have taught me that, for this teacher, a thorough and worthwhile session completed within 30 minutes is almost an impossibility. Time spent at the start of the lesson getting the instrument out of the case, set-up, and tuned, and time spent at the conclusion taking notes and completing the week's 'to do' list for practice, leave not enough time in the middle for the most important and juicy business of teaching and learning. After years of running late or behind schedule, or having to unfortunately end lessons with unfinished business, I have made the decision to offer 40-minute lessons as a minimum. Please note also, as stated in the studio policies, students are to be at least 7 years of age for beginning study.

Not necessarily, but they are absolutely welcome. As a parent myself, I know that I have an interest in observing my child's lessons and/or activities. However, I also know that I do not have an abundance of time and it is not always convenient to be waiting around during my children's commitments. The studio is set up with a sitting room directly adjacent and open to the music room. So, there is ample room for parents and/or siblings to be present - even working quietly on a computer or phone - while not being at all in-the-way. You might want to ask your child if he/she has a preference for having a parent there or not.

Lessons are not generally scheduled on the weekends as I am typically rehearsing and/or performing, locally or out of state, on Saturdays and Sundays. Monday-Friday, daytime, afternoon, or evening are all possible times for lessons. Student recitals, performance classes, or group sessions may occur on the weekends.