Lessons

Fees 2024-2025

Private lessons:

$32.00 per 30 min. ($48 for 45 min., $64 for an hour) based on a 34-week teaching year. I no longer charge a registration fee. Lesson books or exam fees are extra.

The annual 34-week total is divided by ten monthly payments and prepaid, either

recurring pre-authorized bank debits
year's payment in full
postdated monthly cheques

The lesson time you have selected for the fall can be held by prepaying the September fee. If you stop lessons during the year, the exact number you have had will be calculated, and the balance refunded or invoiced to you.

Year's total fees, for 34 teaching weeks:

for 30 minute per week lesson: $1088 (or $108.80 per month for ten months)

for 45 minute per week lesson: $1632 (or $163.20 per month for ten months)

for 60 minute per week lesson: $2176 (or $217.60 per month for ten months)

5-week lesson cards; 30 min $160, 45 min $240, 60 min $320.

To set up recurring direct payments, go to your banking app, choose 'make an e-transfer' and scroll down to the 'how often?' button, where you can select monthly payments and the date, first of the month.

and more info.....

Teaching calendar 2023-2024

Term 1 (14 weeks) ...begins Saturday Sept 14

theory/practical exams: online any time
Nov 5 deadline for in-person
in-person theory, Friday Dec 13
Christmas recital tba

......ends Thursday Dec 19

Term 2 (8 weeks) .... begins Sat January 11

entries close Jan 7 for piano-only April exams, Victoria; online exams any time.
practical exams tba - around Jan 20
Cowichan Music Festival February: no lessons Feb 18-20
entries close Tues March 4 for June in-person practical and May theory exams. Online exams any time.

......ends Thursday March 13

III

Term 3 (10 weeks) .....begins Saturday March 29

theory exams online any time, or in person, Friday May 9
practical exams, Cowichan/Sylvan early June, or online any time EXCEPT June
year-end recital, early June tba
Make up lesson as needed - June 7

.......ends Thursday June 5

Supplies you need every week;

3-ring binder (1/2" or 1 ")
music books
carry-bag to keep then together - and dry

I run a flexible year, so if I offer you extra lessons before a performance, or if I have to cancel, there's no extra cost or refund at that time. At year-end, I'll tally up the lessons you've had this year, and then adjust remaining lessons as needed to make sure you've had 34 lessons.

Practice

Probably the single most important factor in a music student's success and enjoyment is the regularity and quality of practice. All the talent in the world won't help if you don't put in the time and repetitions to get your fingers used to the repeated muscle movements that musicians make. If you're involved in sports or dance, you'll already know that. When you're competent, it's fun - and when you're not - "it's boring!" You can help by -

setting aside a regular time for practising, just like brushing teeth or doing homework. After or before dinner, or school, might work, depending on your family's schedule and your child's temperament. Like any physical skill, it's all about regular repetition.
Listing music practice in the agenda will help school teachers be aware of this extra time commitment, and it might help your child remember to get it done as part of their homework routine.
noticing successes at least as frequently as mistakes. You might want to start a keepsake video file of polished pieces so you can all admire progress - and so can Grandma in Ontario!