STUDIO POLICIES
**UPDATE: Due to the severity of this year’s cold & flu season, all students are required to wash and/or sanitize their hands before beginning their lessons.
what ages do you work with?
With few exceptions, 5 years old is the youngest I will work with. I do work with adults on occasion, but find that I have a special gift for working with children of all ages, on a routine weekly basis.
will you travel to my house to teach?
Experience has shown that the best environment for me to teach in is one that I can consistently control, so I teach exclusively out of my in-home studio located in the Westwood Hills neighborhood of Napa. I also have a number of tools, games, and musical instruments in my studio, which I use to help demonstrate and reinforce musical concepts.
what are your rates?
The answer depends on the age of the student. For those in school age, I offer a longer term course of study, based on a fixed-rate service fee—like gyms, childcare, or sports—or where families pay a fixed fee per month, regardless of how many lessons there are in a month. Generally, it ends up evening out to the cost of 3 1/2 lessons per month. This arrangement tends to result in a lower overall fee for the student, in exchange for month-to-month stability on my end and administrative time saved.
30-minute lessons - $185 per month (age 5-7)
60 minute lessons - $300 per month (ages 9+)
For late teens and adults (ages 16 and up), I do offer the option to take free-standing lessons. This format works for those who are juggling work and family life and maybe study piano independently but cannot meet regularly. In this format, you have the option take one lesson, or you could take a few over the course of several months—it’s up to you. The cost for these one-off lessons are $90 an hour. If things get more regular, we can work out a monthly payment plan.
do you offer financial assistance?
If you have a child with exceptional ability whom you would like to enroll in piano lessons, but do not have the financial means, please reach out to me directly at vann.karine@gmail.com. I am a big believer in “paying it forward” whenever I can, and am also open to certain work-trade arrangements.
why do older children have longer lessons?
For reasons of attention span, lessons for children ages 5-8 are 30 minutes in length. During this time, parents accompany students to lessons, and our pace is slower, developing technique at the piano, rhythm skills, melodic memory, note reading on the staff, and importantly, the ability to sing in tune utilizing the system of singing pitches on syllables called solfége, which helps children master pitch relationships—a foundational musical skill. Once children hit age 9, they are ready for a different approach that speaks to their growing intellect. We begin exploring more deeply certain activities such as ear training, chord theory, and piano technique and the activities we do at the piano become more complicated. Piano lessons become more demanding and for us to have the time we need, lessons will extend in length from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. Occasionally when necessary, I allow for 45-minute lessons as a transitional stage. Parents are not required to attend lessons at this age, and in fact, many children prefer to attend lessons on their own as it becomes one way of establishing a burgeoning awareness of themselves as individuals. As a teacher, I do my best to attend to the whole child, and that is why I build these developmental transitions into my curriculum.
how do I get started?
Contact me to set up an initial meet-and-greet where we will discuss your and/or your child’s ideas, motivations, and learning style. The first month of lessons is a trial, and following that, if you need to leave the studio for whatever reason, you must provide 30-days notice.
how do I schedule my lessons?
Currently my teaching days are Tuesdays - Thursdays, and I save certain hours on Fridays for make-up lessons. As of June 2023, I utilize a software called My Music Staff to help parents and students schedule their owns lessons at the end and beginning of each school year so that the onus is not completely on the teacher to navigate over a dozen different schedules. Students/parents log into their accounts and are able to view and claim available weekly lesson slots. It’s very convenient, and if you’re already a member of the studio, you can log in below to your My Music Staff account and schedule your lesson.
what will be expected of me once I begin lessons?
Is it possible to learn a language with just an hour of exposure per week? No! The same is true of learning an instrument. Learning an instrument is a skill, which means—unlike learning a subject, like history—it requires regular practice. Without effort and meaningful practice at home, piano lessons don’t make much sense, mostly because they will result in feelings of discouragement from the student who is wondering why they are stuck on the same material each week. Approaching piano lessons this way sets the student up for disappointment, and a negative relationship to music from a young age. That is a scenario I wish to avoid, so I like to be up front early on about practice requirements. A week is a very long time in the life of a young person—without practice, lesson material is forgotten. Young people especially, when provided with clear parameters and expectations, feel a sense of pride when they practice and see progress, so it is important we be on the same page about how to set them up for success. More on practice here.
how do you accept payment?
I accept check, Zelle or Venmo. Initial consultations, where I meet students for the first time to determine if it will be a good fit, are free of charge. Following that, monthly tuition is due up front on the first of each month.
what is your policy for make-up lessons?
It is very important to keep your lesson time. Just like sporting practices are consistent and immovable week-to-week, piano lessons should be viewed the same way. Currently, I do offer a make-up lesson as a courtesy at a maximum of 1 per semester, provided the made-up lesson takes place during my limited free time in the week, which is available for view on my calendar. It is up to you to follow up on scheduling your make-up lesson. For a lesson to be eligible for a make-up, you must provide 12 hours notice, and update your attendance on My Music Staff. Any lessons missed without advanced notice will not be eligible for a make-up lesson. This policy is subject to change if the scheduling issues that arise become unsustainable. In the case of teacher cancellations (which only happen in case of unexpected emergencies on my end), I do not provide refunds, but am happy to reschedule your lesson.
how do you handle national holidays and vacations?
Here is a link to my Studio Holiday Schedule. This document lists dates that I will be on holiday, many of which coincide with the school district’s planned breaks. Please note that lessons taking place during these planned holidays or on national holidays. These planned holidays are built into the fee structure and lessons falling during this time are not eligible for rescheduling.
what is your policy if I need to leave the studio?
Beyond the first month of study (which is a trial month), if you decide to leave the studio for whatever reason, a mandatory 30 day’s notice must be provided. Those who do not provide 30-days notice will be charged a $100 fee.
do I need a piano?
Yes. I can only accept students that have a piano or weighted digital keyboard at home that they have easy access to and can practice on almost daily. Observation from a teacher: There is a big difference both in progress and enthusiasm for practicing in students who have access to a real piano versus a digital keyboard (with better results consistently coming from students with access to a real piano). I am always happy to help you find an acoustic piano should you want to go in that direction. More on materials here.
will there be recitals/opportunities to perform?
Everyone will have a different relationship to performing the music they learn in their piano lessons, and that is okay. Some will want to perform often and with gusto. Others will simply enjoy sharing what they learn with friends or family, or would prefer to apply what they learn to other musical pursuits with little interest in formally performing solo piano works. Some may feel nervous in the beginning, but after several years of study, feel ready to perform. I believe being open to all types is the best route for success.
That said, for those taking weekly piano lessons, I have learned that having recital dates on the calendar is crucial for children to be able to set and reach concrete goals. For this reason, I host one recital per semester: a winter recital in December, and another in June before the summer break begins. In my studio, recitals are about more than performing—it is a social event, an opportunity to meet others in the studio and also be exposed to other repertoire, skill levels, and possibilities with the piano in a safe and welcoming environment. This is why I have made attendance mandatory. Learning an instrument can be a very solitary experience, so it is important to have these dates on the calendar where everybody gets together. Recitals are always followed by a potluck party, where everybody brings something to share. Even if a student is unable to play for some reason, attendance is still required for the social experience.
do you teach over the summer?
I offer a special summer session, from June 1 - July 17. Payment for this session is made in one lump sum, as opposed to monthly. I am on holiday for the remainder of July and all through August.
do you teach/play other instruments?
I use singing as an important tool in my teaching of music, and students will naturally get exposure to basic vocal training. As mentioned above, I have other instruments in my home (guitar, accordion, and ukulele) and often use them to demonstrate musical concepts in an engaging way, but my technical expertise is on the piano.