Teaching/Lesson Information
Lesson Fees and Payment
Typically, most students will take a half hour lesson per week, more advanced students may opt to take a 45 minute or an hour lesson per week. NDP lessons are 40 minutes due to their school schedule. I have found it is easier to accept payment each week at the lesson to avoid keeping track of lessons that have or have not been paid for, or in case either of us needs to miss. If payment is not made at the time of the lesson, you may pay via paypal or venmo (@Ariadnesmusic) or through the credit card link on the invoice that will be emailed to you. Please make checks payable to: Ariadne's Music.
Loyola Blakefield and Park School: Payment and registration are handled through the school
30 min lesson: $30
40 min lesson: $40
45 min lesson: $45
60 min lesson: $60
$5 late charge if payment is not received within 2 weeks.
Cancellation and General Policies
Cancellations
Should the student need to cancel or reschedule a lesson, 24 hours notice is required, except in emergency circumstances. Should a student become ill at the last moment, in order to not be charged for the lesson, please immediately contact me and let me know of the circumstances either via phone call, text or email. Excessive emergency cancellations will also result in being charged for the lesson. Teaching is my passion, but it is also my livelihood.
*I do not have access to the school's attendance for the day. I rely on your notification if you/your child is absent from school and has a lesson that day.*
Should I need to cancel or reschedule a lesson, I will extend the same courtesy as I request from you, and will ensure 24 hours notice. In extenuating circumstances, I will contact you as soon as I am aware that I will need to miss either via phone call, text, or email.
Tardiness
Should I be late for a lesson, if time permits on both our ends, I will simply end the lesson later so as to maintain the entire lesson time. If either of our schedules do not permit us to do so, at a later date we will schedule a time where we could extend a normal lesson to make up for time lost.
If the student is late, if I am able, I will make an effort to extend the lesson that day. If tardiness is a perpetual problem with a student, time lost will be forfeited due to consistent disregard for my schedule.
Preparation
Students are expected to come prepared to every lesson with required instruments, reeds and books. Should the student not come prepared, it is to my discretion as to whether to conduct the entire lesson. Any time lost for this lack of preparation on the student's behalf will not be made up and the regular lesson fee will be incurred.
Methodology
I believe that scales, daily finger exercises and etudes are a very crucial part in the development of technique in a musician. I require them in a portion of the lessons as well as the expectation of daily practice for proficiency. I also believe that tonal production and musical expression are paramount to one’s individuality as a player and much emphasis is placed on the search for each student’s unique musicality. I feel that all students must have a grasp of the correct way to practice: methodically and slowly through difficult sections to enable fluency, and then the gradual progression up to tempo. I feel many students become overwhelmed when given many assignments and I will demonstrate how things can be done correctly the first time in order to progress at an optimum speed. I strongly believe in the opportunities of performance for students as it helps them develop stage presence and encourages the reach towards the next echelon. Through my own musical training and teaching experience, I believe it necessary to treat each student as an individual and to work with each students abilities. I try to follow the Russianoff tradition who developed a unique teaching style that treats each student as an individual, where everyone does not have to play the same way or use the same equipment to produce a beautiful sound, strong technique and musicianship. Two of my own instructors were students of Leon Russianoff, and so I hope to emulate their teaching style. Everyone's learning processes are different and I attempt to work with each individuals strengths and weaknesses through changing my own methods to benefit each student. I do not feel each student should attempt to mimick my own musical style and concepts, and I work with each student to find their own style. I feel negativity is not very productive with students, and although my expectations are very high, I never feel that insulting or berating a student is appropriate. Students should know when they have disappointed the teacher, but should never feel insecure in themselves due to a teacher’s words: only due to their own guilt for not preparing as well as they could have.
