Q. What is a good age to start my child in piano lessons?
A. This depends on the readiness of your child. Factors to consider might be maturity, desire to play piano, and level of attentiveness. I generally find that children of 5 or 6 years are ready to play the piano. Children who begin piano lessons when they are younger than 5 years old often times become frustrated and do not "stick with it" in the long run.
Q. How much will my child be required to practice?
A. This depends entirely on the age and level of the student. For most beginners, I start them anywhere from 10-20 minutes a day, depending on age and ability. I will then increase the practice time gradually until the student is practicing at least 30 minutes a day, 6 days per week. The most important thing at first, however, is not how much time the student practices, but simply developing the habit of daily practice. Intermediate-Advanced students will be required to practice more than 30 minutes a day as appropriate. All students will also be required to complete various other assignments throughout the week.
Q. What if we don't have a piano? Is a keyboard sufficient?
A. If you have a keyboard with a pedal and 88 weighted keys, this will be sufficient for the first year of your child's piano study. If your child continues to take lessons, you will need to think about purchasing an acoustic piano. The action, that is, how the keys feel when they are fully depressed, is completely different on a keyboard versus a piano, not to mention the sound and the response from the instrument. You can find used pianos for very reasonable prices which have an excellent touch and sound.
Q. What if my child has to miss a lesson because of another activity?
A. Your lesson time is reserved exclusively for your student. Missed lessons are not made up during the regular academic year, nor are fees adjusted. If an occasional schedule conflict should arise, you may use the Swap List to trade lessons with another student. If you are unable to do this for some reason, a voucher for an extra lesson, during the summer semester, will be issued for a maximum of 2 missed lessons during the academic year.