Lessons
Suzuki Style - Short Term - My Studio Policies & FAQ - What You Need

UPDATE2024:
​I continue to offer a combination of online and in-person lessons. In person lessons are held in Monrovia, with hand sanitizing right before each lesson begins.

What does this mean?
My schedule changes from week to week. I'll let you know which lessons I am available to teach in person a few weeks ahead of time. Text me if you need to switch this week's lesson from in-person to online, or vice versa! I will contact you if I need to change a lesson to online.

For private lessons online, I'll send a Zoom and/or a Source Nexus link. The Zoom link will remain the same throughout each semester. Or, we can arrange to meet on a different video calling platform (Facetime, Skype, Google, etc.), depending on what works best. For group classes,  you'll register for a regular in-person session and, if you cannot attend in person, you will then have access to recordings to play along with, group class assignments and online feedback, through the Seesaw app, and you'll be invited to participate in the in person concert at the end of the semester.

I'm happy to spend extra time with you to help you get familiar with how to set up your tech for online learning.
In general, here are some tips for a better experience:
  • use the device you have with the largest screen and the highest processing power.
    • Best choice is usually a desktop or large laptop computer (because of large screens and higher processing power)
    • Consider using a wired adaptor like an hdmi cable - not a wireless/bluetooth connection - to mirror your screen to a large tv!
  • use a high speed reliable internet connection.
    • wired ethernet is better than wifi;
    • limit or completely kick off other people on your network during your lessons or classes (depending on your connection)
    • close all windows or background tabs and apps other than what you're actively using for the lesson (to free up processing power)
  • clean the smudges off your camera/webcam lens with a soft clean cloth (like what's good for cleaning eyeglasses)
  • place brighter sources of light (window, lamps) in front of you (and behind the camera) so I can see you. If there are windows behind you, pull the curtains closed. Adjust your camera angle so I can see your head, shoulders, instrument, and hands.
  • an external mic, if you have one, might allow me to hear you better than the built in one on your device.
  • headphones or earbuds, if you leave one ear uncovered, (or external speakers), may help you hear me better

If you'd like to take lessons with me, here are some other things you'll need to know:

  1. When are lessons and classes? I offer lessons and group classes Mon-Wed during the school year with breaks at Thanksgiving, Christmas/New Year's, the week of Presidents' Day, and the week before Easter. Summer lessons are offered when I am in town, and can be scheduled around trips & vacations. I am usually available for 5-8 of the weeks of June, July, & August.
  2. Where are lessons and classes? 
    • Group classes meet in person in Pasadena, or can be attended via recordings about a week after each group class meets. Private lessons typically meet either in person in Monrovia or on Zoom and/or Source Nexus Gateway, but we may arrange to use another platform such as Facetime, Skype, etc.
    • When available, lesson and class videos are shared online via private, password protected Vimeo showcases.
    • In-person lessons 
      • Private lessons take place at my home studio in Monrovia. Group classes are offered through the Pasadena Suzuki Music Program and take place on the campus of the Pasadena New Thought Center (formerly Church of Truth) in Pasadena.
      • In-person lessons will be mixed with distance/online lessons as needed. For example, online lessons occur if either student or teacher is of town, if a commute is longer than practical for weekly driving, or for those who are recovering from being sick and may be contagious.
  3. What if someone needs to miss a lesson? 
    1. ​Up to 3 times a year, and if you give me at least 24 hours' notice, you can reschedule a private lesson to one of my other open time slots during the school year, or defer it to a summer lesson.
    2. However, I don't guarantee that my summer availability will match yours. Any deferred lessons that aren't used expire at the end of the summer.
    3. If you need to cancel with less than 24 hours' notice, or if you need to cancel more than 3 lessons in a year, you may ask if I happen to have another open time slot during the school year (for example, if another student also cancels one of their regularly scheduled lessons). There are no guaranteed time slots for these kinds of rescheduled lessons.
    4. There are no summer time slots for lessons cancelled with less than 24 hours notice, nor for more than 3 lessons per year.
    5. If you must cancel last minute or more than 3 lessons a year, you can redeem some value from the time slots you're paying for if, before the start of the missed lesson, you send me a recording of your latest piece or etude. I will spend your lesson time watching or listening to your recording and will send you feedback and customized advice so that you can continue to make progress even though you could not attend a live lesson.
  4. How frequent/long are lessons?
    1. ​During the school year, private lessons and group classes each occur weekly (making for a twice a week commitment). Summer lessons can be scheduled more or less frequently, with flexibility depending on vacation schedules and your musical goals.
    2. I schedule private lessons based on student's age and level. You'll notice that I give about 20 minutes leeway for each lesson level, and that the length of lesson for each level overlaps: Beginners/Book 1 (20-40 minutes), Intermediate/Books 2-3 (35-55 minutes), Advancing/Book4-5 students (50-70 min), and Advanced/Books5-9 & beyond (viola only, 60-90 min). This is because each student may receive a different length of time, depending on their attention span, endurance, the type of skill we are currently working on, or the amount of practice you were able to put in the previous week. All of my lesson lengths are approximations. When taking lessons with me, please be prepared to be flexible with start and end times, and with lesson length.
    3. If you have the time, and the student has the attention span, I will teach the longest lesson possible each week. Please let me know before a lesson starts if you're feeling tired or if you have a schedule to keep after the lesson, that necessitates using the shorter lesson length for your level.
    4. Consistently using the shorter lesson length for your level does not result in any kind of tuition discount.
  5. Who attends lessons? 
    1. For children (under 18): In addition to the student and the teacher, a parent or other loving adult in the student's life attends the lesson alongside the student. This adult practice partner takes notes, pictures, and records part of each lesson, in order to support the student's home practice sessions. In essence, it is not the child who takes lessons, but a 2 person team (child+loving adult) who take the lessons together.
    2. For minors (under 18) taking in-person lessons: NO PARENT or GUARDIAN Present = NO LESSON, NO REFUND, NO VIDEO CONSULTATIONS, & NO RESCHEDULING; no exceptions.
    3. For those taking online lessons: Your lesson may be RECORDED and stored ONLINE. While common privacy precautions (such as using private YouTube channels or password protected Vimeo pages) will be taken, there are no privacy guarantees online, and students (or parents of minor students) must agree to this before taking online lessons. 
    4. Siblings are welcome at in-person lessons if they do not distract the student (bringing homework, a book, or something quiet to do during the lesson is a good idea for children who need to wait through a sibling's lesson).
    5. For adults (18 or older): A parent, guardian or practice partner is not required, however many beginners find that encouragement and support from a friend or family member is helpful. Any student is welcome to bring an observer, carer, chauffeur, family member or other personal assistant to their lesson as needed or convenient.
    6. For all: There may be other people observing your lessons. You may be asked to quietly observe other student's lessons.
  6. At what age can I and/or my child begin lessons?
    1. Because each family is different, I ask that I be allowed to meet and interact with a young child and their adult practice partner, before assessing whether or not a child is ready to begin viola or violin lessons. 
    2. I have taught violin and viola to child-adult teams where the child is as young as 3 years old. While I might consider a 2-year old with an adult practice partner who is interested, most children under age 3 aren't ready. Many children are not ready at age 3, and benefit from waiting till age 4 or 5 to begin lessons. I have no upper age limit for teaching adults. For children between ages 0 and 3 years & 11 months of age, I highly recommend attending SECE classes before signing up for private lessons on violin or viola.
    3. Many children begin in the age 4-7 range; some earlier, some later. Most children over the age of 8 are developmentally ready for the discipline of violin or viola music lessons. Most children under the age of 3 are not developmentally ready. The younger a student, the more hands-on and intense the parent participation required. 
    4. 3 year olds are more likely to be ready for lessons if they have attended a Suzuki Early Childhood Education class for several months or years, and/or if they have been constantly exposed to older siblings, parents, cousins, or other household members who practice and listen to music in the child's home on a daily basis.
  7. What about tuition, or other costs?
    1. Tuition is pre-paid to reserve your spot in lessons and classes.
    2. The price to reserve individual lesson time slots ranges between $40 (beginners) and $80 (advancing students), depending on the students' level & lesson length. Tuition for group classes ranges between $125-$300 per semester.  
      1. Payment in installments can be arranged if needed, but a 10% discount for the entire school year applies to those who pay for 25 or more lessons in one (single) installment at the start of the school year.
      2. You will also be responsible for paying group class tuition by the semester if appropriate for the students' age & level. I offer an additional 4% off of private lessons for those who are concurrently enrolled in PSMP group classes. Summer lessons are pay-as-you-go.​
    3. Other costs of taking music lessons include instrument purchase or rental, instrument maintenance, sheet music & recordings, and various other supplies (see What You Need).
    4. Are music lessons a high priority but also a significant financial hardship for your family? If so, please ask me about alternative payment arrangements or financial aid. As a child, I not only benefitted from my parents' exchanging services instead of paying full tuition to my music teacher, but I also received both need-based and merit-based financial aid to study music. I would love to pay it forward where there is a need - and help you teach your children about the concept of paying things forward, too!
  8. Can we enroll in your private lessons and not participate in a group? No, not if a group class is available for your age and level. In order to learn efficiently, you need both customized teaching (private lessons) and social motivation (group classes, orchestra or chamber music, or regular improv sessions). 
    1. There are things that private lessons can't cover (how to play in ensembles)
    2. Similarly, there are things that group classes can't cover (customized techniques and an individual pace designed to fit a student's unique personality, learning style, body type, and musical instrument)
    3. Those who get both private lessons and a group or ensemble experience every week learn their music more thoroughly, learn a larger number of things in less time, and (consequently) get to have more fun with more challenging and more satisfying music much sooner in life.
    4. Adding group classes to private lessons makes financial sense: group lessons are a fraction of the cost of private lessons but they can easily double or triple the effectiveness of private lessons.
    5. Playing the viola or violin is hard enough! Why make it harder by depriving yourself of the rewards of your hard work? Playing music with others - yes, even if it's "just" online - is the one of the best, most meaningful musical experiences you can have. It provides inspiration, motivation, encouragement and a drive to improve. It is fun to work hard with other people, show off what you've learned, and cheer each other on. It's boring, tedious and depressing to only ever improve yourself alone, and never show anyone but your teacher the results of your work.
  9. Are there materials fees? You will need to purchase or rent a good quality instrument outift of the proper size. Please bring any instrument to me for inspection before purchasing it. (Beware the "VSO"!) You are responsible for instrument maintenance (I will recommend qualified repairpersons when necessary), and you are responsible for obtaining the sheet music, audio recordings, and any other accessories (music stands, metronome, tuner, etc.) recommended at the lessons.
  10. Are there any performance fees? For performances of any kind, please plan to pay your accompanist for any extra rehearsal time that I don't provide for you. Concert hall rental and other sundry fees for my recitals are included in your tuition rate, except for the SMAC-LA graduation concerts or SMAC-OC festival concerts, which do require an extra fee.
  11. So you're a violist, but you teach both viola and violin?
    1. ​Yes, but I only teach both instruments at the Suzuki book 1-4 levels, when technique and repertoire for both violin and viola are almost identical.
    2. Beyond the Suzuki book 4 level, I only teach viola technique & repertoire.
    3. Violin students beyond the Suzuki book 4 level who are interested in Creative Ability Development (improvisation) or Theory & Musicianship (reading & analyzing music) can schedule supplemental lessons with me if they are also continuing to study violin technique & repertoire with a violinist.
  12. What if the student (or someone in the student's family) gets sick? Please do not physically attend the lesson if you are ill, contagious, or have recently been exposed to a contagious disease; or if you know you've been recently exposed to lice or bedbugs and you have not yet ensured that your hair and clothing are completely pest-free.
    1. Distance lessons can be arranged online if the student and practice partner are up to taking a lesson.
    2. Video consultations, including customized feedback and practice recordings, can be arranged if a live online lesson is not practical.
    3. Practice partners may attend the lesson without the student if a child is ill and can stay home alone but the practice partner is not contagious.
    4. Up to 3 times a year, if you give me at least 24 hours' notice, I'm happy to try to find a mutually agreeable time to re-schedule the lesson, or defer the lesson to the summer.
  13. Is it OK to use phones, laptops, tablets, or other devices during the lesson? 
    1. If you're the student, or if you're the practice partner, and it directly relates to the lesson, YES! For example:
      1. Are you using a tablet to display your sheet music at home? Use it during the lesson, too.
      2. Need an app to help you tune at home? Using a metronome app at home when you practice? Show me how you use it. 
      3. ​​A great way for parents or practice partners to use your phone or other mobile device is to take pictures of your child's and teacher's posture, and record short audio clips or videos of the week's practice assignments, to watch at the start of each practice session at home! You can also take notes on how to practice for the week.
    2. If you're the student or practice partner, and it doesn't relate to the lesson, NO. For example:
      1. The lesson is not an appropriate time for students or their practice partners to answer a social phone call, compose a text message, email, tweet, or use social media, etc., unless it directly relates to the lesson currently being taught.
      2. Got an emergency? Need to be on call as a family carer or for work during your lesson? Please interrupt the lesson to let me know that you need to communicate with someone else. We will wait - or cancel the rest of the lesson if needed. 
    3. If you're at a lesson but you're not the student or practice partner (like a sibling), and the app does not distract the student, YES. If the app makes sounds, or if the app distracts the student, NO.
  14. Are there performances? All students are expected to attend recitals or group concerts and perform at least once a year. (More if possible!) Group classes also perform together on larger concerts, once or twice a year. Students are welcome to invite family members to watch our concerts!
  15. What can we do to support the quality and speed of our learning? I strongly encourage attending local concerts and participating in a summer Suzuki institute or other summer music camp for an extra "boost" in learning, or finding supplementary online musical classes or events to support your learning - along with checking through the 8 points in the next question.
  16. What if we don't seem to be making progress? Here's my eight-step self help trouble-shooting guide!
    1. Do you like the sound of your instrument when it is played by competent professional musicians? Is your instrument playable? (Are your strings new, do you have a good quality bow, is your rosin fresh enough, is your setup comfortable, do you have all the accessories and tools and modifications you need in order to make the sounds you're trying to make? Ask me if you're not sure!)
    2. Are you attending lessons and classes regularly (i.e. on average twice a week)?
    3. Are you listening to professional musicians perform (live or recorded) every day? And do the majority of performances you listen to include the instrument you are trying to learn?
    4. Do you regularly practice on consecutive days with a good night's sleep in between? Are you physically healthy (drink enough water, eat a balanced diet most days, move/exercise regularly)?
    5. Do you complete the particular, customized assignments given (specifically) to you or to your class by your teacher(s)?
    6. Do you watch other students learning music on a regular basis (at least once a week, for example in a group class)?
    7. Do you practice both individually (alone), and socially (together with friends who are also studying music)?
    8. You must do these things over sustained seasons of time (i.e. years). If you are doing all of these things and are still dissatisfied with your progress, let's talk! There may be other more complex issues in play.
  17. What are lessons like? Prospective students are invited to observe me teaching a lesson before signing up to begin! If observing isn't practical, a trial lesson can be arranged. You can also read what I have to say about my teaching style or read excerpts my students and colleagues have written about me.
  18. What if we need or want to stop taking lessons with you?  Although I do sometimes take on short term students, most of my students study with me on a long-term basis. If you know how long you'll be taking lessons, please tell me before the first lesson what you anticipate your last lesson date to be. If you are a long-term student with no pre-set "end" date, here's the etiquette on How to Quit, How to Take a Break, (or How to Change Teachers) after you've pre-paid for lessons:
    1. Please LET ME KNOW at least four(4) lessons in advance, so we can schedule a last lesson date, and so I have time to fill your spot (or adjust my budget to handle the decrease in income).
    2. Tuition is due for the four (4) lessons following the date you notify me, regardless of whether or not you take those lessons. If you have pre-paid the discounted price for 25 or more lessons, but suddenly discover you need to stop lessons for a non-financial reason before the pre-paid lessons are completed, then I'll calculate the regular, non-discounted tuition rate for all the lessons you've reserved up through four (4) lessons after I'm notified, and will refund whatever you've paid over that amount.
    3. If you need to quit only because you have unexpected financial difficulties, please ask me about alternative payment/barter arrangements. I have been the recipient of need-based financial aid, tuition work-study discounts, and merit-based scholarships in my own music education, and would be happy to pay it forward - and help you teach your child about paying it forward to others when they are older, too! I am especially happy to work out a way to continue for a student who wants lessons and will practice, but can't afford my current tuition rates - especially if I already have a working relationship with the student!


~ I reserve the right to dismiss any family at any time. If I need to stop teaching you, I will try to provide a recommendation for a new teacher, and any pre-paid lessons not yet received will be re-funded.
​
~ Please don't hesitate to ask me if you have any questions about these or other logistical things BEFORE you schedule or attend your next lesson.