How does your touring affect the lesson schedule?
Because I play with a nationally touring band, I will not be available to meet for lessons every week. I think it is important for all students, especially beginners, to have as consistent of a lesson schedule as possible. This is why I’ve tried to consolidate my lessons to Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays when possible. Most of my gigs are on the weekends so these are the days that I’m most likely to be in town. In a typical month there would probably only be one week’s lesson that would need to be skipped due to my touring schedule.
What is your payment policy?
At the beginning of the month, my students will receive an invoice which shows the schedule of that month’s lessons and the total amount due for that month’s lessons. The total amount due is expected to be paid in full at the beginning of the first lesson of the month.
What is your cancellation policy?
A lesson which is canceled with less than 48-hours notice must still be paid for unless the cancellation was due to an obviously unforeseeable circumstance. We can make an effort to reschedule a lesson which is canceled with more than 48-hours notice. If we aren’t able to find a time to reschedule, the amount that was paid for that lesson will be applied as a credit onto the next month’s lessons.
What do I need for my lessons?
All you need to get started with lessons is your own instrument, a tuner, and a metronome. If you have a smartphone you will be able to find many free apps which can act as a tuner, a metronome, or both.
How much should I practice?
The most important thing for your practice is consistency. It’s always better to practice ten minutes a day every day than to practice for an hour the day before a lesson. At first, you may have physical limitations on your instrument which prevent you from practicing for very long. If your fingers or wrist start to hurt, stop practicing for the day. Don’t play through the pain. Someone who aspires to be a professional will practice anywhere from three to eight hours a day or even more. If you’re going to attempt this be sure to take care of your body and stretch before practicing to avoid developing tendonitis, which is a serious hazard and annoyance for any working musician. For most people, this amount of practice is excessive and unnecessary. For the vast majority of my students, 30-minutes to an hour of daily practice is plenty.
Interested in lessons?
Contact me today and we can discuss scheduling your private lessons. I offer the first session with any prospective student free of charge!