FAQs – Claire's Piano Studio

I’m an adult, is it too late to start learning piano?

Absolutely not! It is never too late to learn something new. Personally, I love working with adults because they are often pursuing music lessons as a lifelong dream they didn’t have access to when they were younger. With dedication and practice adults are able to make piano an important hobby which develops and hones multiple skills.

What forms of payment do you accept?

You can pay for tuition via check, Venmo, Google Pay, or Apple Pay.

I own a keyboard, will that work for piano lessons?

It is fine to start on a keyboard because modern keyboards are quickly catching up to real pianos with their weighted keys and advanced action mechanisms. However, if piano is your passion and you are serious about pursuing piano professionally, this will inevitably involve playing and practicing on a real piano. The mechanism, touch, action, sound and control on a piano is definitely superior to playing on even an advanced keyboard.

I’m not sure about your flat rate policy, what if we need to miss a lesson every now and then?

Tuition covers more than the cost of weekly lessons. I do everything in my power to reschedule missed lessons when possible, but maintaining a flat rate is necessary to cover the expenses of running the studio. Think about it like a membership to the gym…you have to pay the same lump fee no matter how many times you end up going; the more often you go, the more you get out of your investment!

My child is currently taking piano from another teacher, but she is not progressing so we are thinking about switching. Is that a good idea?

Typically, there is great benefit to sticking with the same teacher over time. Often, lack of progress can be corrected by troubleshooting how the student is practicing. Try examining these habits before switching teachers.

That being said, there are valid reasons for switching teachers and many of my students came to me from other teachers.

If your current teacher is too critical, strict, or harsh it can steal all the joy from your child’s experience. If they are not teaching important concepts like theory, fingering, and technique or if your child has been taking piano for three years, but still can’t read music – these are signs that your current teacher is not be the right fit. And that’s ok.

Before switching, I would encourage you to have an open conversation with your teacher (even if it feels extremely uncomfortable) and be sure your child is practicing for 30 min/day 5 days week. If a student doesn’t practice, he will not progress. Period. The most talented teachers in the world can’t help a student who won’t apply themself.

My child doesn’t want to learn classical music, only pop songs and music from video games. Will you teach him music from those genres?

My students learn a wide variety of genres from classical to pop, rag and jazz to video game and movie music! I love creativity and helping each student find the style of music he loves to play. I believe in the value of studying composers from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras of music, but I do not force them to only learn classical music.

Piano seems like a pretty serious investment, how quickly can I expect results?

How quickly you will progress is about 90% dependent on how much you practice. The other 10% hinges on your natural talent, interest, and motivation to learn.

What age do you recommend children start private lessons?

It varies significantly per child. Children can start learning as early as 6, but sometimes are able to learn more proficiently at 7 or 8. I have had students start “late” at age 9 and do extremely well.

I do not recommend starting children at ages 4 and 5.

They need to have a strong grasp of:

Alphabet and numbers
Beginning to read words
The ability to focus through a thirty-minute lesson
Know their right hand from their left

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