Frequently Asked Questions

Are you offering online lessons?

Yes! For out-of-state students, I offer an entirely online lessons experience via Zoom or Facetime. Local students have the option of doing in-person or online lessons, depending on their preference.

How do online lessons work? What equipment do I need?

Students will need an instrument in their home, a reliable computer or iPad that can run Zoom, and a stand or table for the device that is near the piano. Depending on the height of your stand, you may opt for some additional books to raise the device's view of the piano. Prior to your lesson time, I will send you a Zoom meeting link. At the time of our lesson, we will both join the meeting. You are more than welcome to greet me online with your smiling face! However, in order for me to best help you learn, the most important thing is that I can see your hands on the keyboard. 

Where are you located?

My in-home studio is located in Old Trail, conveniently located near Brownsville Elementary, Henley Middle, and Western Albemarle High School. For online students who live in other localities, lessons are based on the teacher's schedule in Eastern Time Zone.

Please fill out the form at https://forms.gle/kJrUfZzrhmTvnNUR7 . Thank you.

Should I purchase a digital or acoustic piano?

There are pros and cons to each.

Pros of a digital piano: don’t have to tune/maintain, lighter and easier to carry, affordable
​Cons: doesn’t provide the experience of a real piano sound (sounds are recorded); some features on an acoustic piano cannot be replicated on a digital

Pros of an acoustic piano: “feel” of the keys is more realistic, authentic sound (generated by the action mechanism inside)
Cons: costs more, needs to be moved by professionals, needs regular tunings, may need to be upgraded to a better instrument if the child gets more advanced. If purchasing an acoustic, keep in mind that the upgrade will need to come much sooner (compared to the upgrade time of a digital).

How much should I budget for buying an instrument?

I would recommend budgeting about $500-700 for a starter digital piano - avoid the cheap ones (~$300) as they do not have weighted keys, something that is essential for the student’s technical development. Later on, if they need an upgrade as they become more advanced, higher quality keyboards cost about $2,500-$5,000 - but buying them used can save around 30-50% of that price.

Decent quality uprights start around $4,000-7,000 - but, once again, buying them used will save you money. Get it checked out by a piano technician before you decide to buy. Also remember to budget for tunings and maintenance, which is $150-300 per year.

How old should my child be to start piano lessons?

Kids can start as early as 7-8 years old, but there is no upper age limit! It depends on the child’s development and maturity. Two important questions are:1) can they sit still, and 2) can they read? Having these skills established will help them immensely to be successful in piano lessons.

How long should the student practice?

​Consistency is the key. Lots of short practice sessions each day will yield greater results than long practice sessions a few times a week. A strategy that many find helpful is to have the student find a time each day (e.g. after school, before dinner) and make that their dedicated practice time. Finding a time to practice consistently is the biggest key to success in playing piano.

Why is the cat sitting on the piano?

He's a Meow-sician!