Q. What is the cost of lessons?
A. Click here for the current tuition rates. Please note that the tuition rates may vary depending on area, teacher, and time frame.
Q. What is the recommended length for beginner piano lessons?
A. Beginner lessons can be 30, 45, or 60 minutes, depending on the instructor’s method as well as the age, maturity and skill level of the student.
Q. How many lessons are there per year?
A. Typically there are 33-34 lesson weeks per year (academic school year, September - June). Some teachers may teach as few as 30 weeks, due to performance scheduling. Tuition is adjusted based on the amount of weeks any given instructor is planning to teach. Summer lessons are flexibly scheduled to allow for variations, typically between 5-12 weeks.
Q. What kind of commitment do I need to make in order to enroll?
A. To enroll for piano lessons with PINW, we advise students & families to plan for a full school year of lessons. Children in particular need at least this much time to make any initial progress, and you and your child should plan on making this commitment and sticking to it – the teachers are expecting their students to at least try for the first year before giving up or quitting. We offer smaller enrollment terms for those first starting, so you can request an extended trial period for up to 8 weeks.
Before you and your child embark on this musical journey, please make sure that you take the time to prepare yourself by reading up on advice for parents of music students. There are many books out there to help with dealing with the ups and downs of practicing. In addition, lifestyle changes may be necessary to provide the optimum envronment for consistent practice and a nurturing musical environment. This may include keeping time available during child-friendly hours for practice, not over-scheduling other activities, and making sure that you are able to help your child by showing a keen interest in their day-to-day assignments, projects and progress.
Q. Can we withdraw from lessons?
You may withdraw anytime prior to the 3rd lesson week for a full refund, less the non-discount cost of all scheduled lessons up to the date of withdrawal.
Q. How do you match the student to the teacher?
A. Trial lessons are scheduled with each instructor, so that you may evaluate their compatibility with your child. The first trial lesson includes a teacher-student interview, so that the teacher may evaluate the student. We also encourage parents to interview the teacher, and ask all necessary questions.