You do need to have a piano at home, or daily access to a piano since I require at least 5 days of practice between lessons. It can be acoustic or electric.

A music store is always the best place to purchase or rent a new or used instrument as they will have a warranty and service for your instrument. There are many used instruments for sale if you search online. However, use caution whenever making a purchase from someone other than a reputable music store. You may end up with an instrument needing costly repairs to make it playable!

You will need to bring your personal lesson books, a binder or folder with any sheet music or solos that you are working on, and a music assignment notebook.

I accept cash or checks. I request payment at the beginning of each month for the number of lessons you will be attending. I do not charge for the weeks you will be out of town or regular holidays. The lesson time you set up will be YOUR time every week. Please be mindful not to make other appointments during your lesson time. You will be charged if you forget to come or decide not to come for any other reason with the exception of sickness.

What if I get sick on my lesson day? If you get sick, please don’t feel obligated to come to your lesson! I will give you the option to do a make-up lesson when you are feeling better, or give you a lesson credit the next month. Please contact me as soon as possible, preferably before noon on the day of your lesson, to let me know you will not be able to come.

I like to support local businesses when possible. I would check first with your local music store to see if they have the book(s) you need in stock. If not, you can order through your favorite online store. If purchasing used piano books, make sure the Theory book has not been previously written in. You usually need to buy the Theory book brand new.

For piano, the young student needs to be able to read. Reading music uses the same comprehension ability as reading words. For clarinet and saxophone, I do not take students younger than 11 years old for physical reasons. Because of having to bite on the mouthpiece, a younger person would experience shifting of the teeth causing the lower teeth to be pushed in. Also, for clarinet players, the fingers need to be long enough to cover all of the holes.

Will I have to play in a recital? I ask that my students perform at least once a year at a venue of their choice i.e. talent show at school, church, nursing home, etc. Performing helps increase the student’s confidence and is a way to share their musical experience with others.

The amount of time spent tuning a piano depends on the condition of the piano. Some pianos will tune in an hour, some may take two hours. If a piano needs a pitch raise, that will add 30-45 minutes to the tuning.

Strings tend to stretch out gradually over time which causes the pitch to lower. That is why pianos need to be tuned at least once a year, preferably twice a year. If a piano’s pitch is allowed to go too flat, when it is brought up to pitch, it will not hold its pitch and will go flat again very quickly. In that case, the strings need to be stretched or over-pulled, allowed to lower, and then fine-tuned.